Josh

Sborz

Sborz was released by the Rangers on Monday, but after exploring his opportunities on the open market, he decided that a return to the Rangers made the most sense for him. He holds a miserable 7.16 ERA over 16 1/3 innings at Triple-A Round Rock this season.

Sborz never quite made it back from shoulder issues that caused him to miss nearly all of last year. The 32-year-old failed to make Texas’ season-opening bullpen as a non-roster invitee before posting a calamitous 7.16 ERA across 16 1/3 innings for Triple-A Round Rock this season. There’s a chance he gets another opportunity elsewhere, but his odds of ever making it back as a high-leverage arm appear extremely slim.

It looked like Sborz had a real chance of making the team after a decent run this spring in his return from shoulder injuries, but Rule 5 pick Carter Baumler got the nod over him. Texas will go with a bullpen of Robert Garcia, Chris Martin, Cole Winn, Jakob Junis, Jacob Latz, Jalen Beeks, Tyler Alexander and Baumler. It doesn’t leave them much flexibility that Garcia and Latz, their two best lefties, are the only guys there who can be sent down.

Sborz, 32, excelled for the Rangers during the World Series run in 2023, but he’s largely been a non-factor since because of shoulder problems. He spent all of last season on the major league IL and was shut down in September after a 5.25 ERA in 12 minor league rehab appearances. He was non-tendered in November, but now he’ll have a chance to compete for a bullpen spot if healthy.

Webb’s designation is a bit of a surprise, as he was effective in his 55 relief appearances with a 3.00 ERA and 58/19 K/BB ratio. Sborz was less effective, but teams will likely have interest in the right-hander as a potential mid-inning option. The same can be said about Webb, but likely with more guaranteed cash.

Sborz underwent right shoulder debridement surgery in the off-season and didn’t appear in a minor league game until mid-July. Ultimately, he made 12 appearances between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock, compiling a 5.25 ERA, 2.00 WHIP and a 12/8 K/BB ratio over 12 innings. Bochy noted to reporters that Sborz has still had trouble regaining his velocity and with time running out in the season it was an easy decision to shut him down. While the Rangers are hopeful that he’ll be recovered and ready to go for spring training, that’s no certainty given the disappointing end to his season.

Sborz underwent shoulder surgery at the end of November and was already expected to be out for the first three months of the season. The Rangers needed a spot on the 40-man roster after signing Luke Jackson, so Sborz was moved to the injured list to create that space.

Jackson will be heading back to the organization that drafted him with the 45th overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft. The 33-year-old has a 3.94 career ERA in 358 1/3 innings but is coming off of a season in which he posted a 5.09 ERA and 59/26 K/BB ratio in 53 innings split between the Giants and Braves. The Rangers desperately need help in the late innings, and Jackson was great for Atlanta in 2021 and the Giants in 2023, so perhaps he could emerge as part of the mix in Texas with Chris Martin and Robert Garcia. Josh Sborz was placed on the 60-day IL to make room on the 40-man roster.

With veteran closer Kirby Yates hitting free agency, Sborz would’ve been among the candidates vying for closing duties in Texas, but he’s going to wind up missing most of, if not all, of the first half of next season after undergoing a debridement procedure earlier this month to address a lingering right shoulder issue.

Sborz missed significant time during the 2024 season due to shoulder issues but was one of the key cogs in the Rangers’ championship bullpen in 2023. It’s still unclear if he’ll be ready for the start of the 2025 season, but it’s nice to see the Rangers show continued faith in him. Sborz registered a 3.86 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and a 17/4 K/BB ratio over 16 1/3 innings during the 2024 campaign.