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Rangers sign Burke Badenhop to a minor league contract

Burke Badenhop

Washington Nationals pitcher Burke Badenhop warms up during a spring training baseball workout, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, in Viera, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

AP

Jared Sandler, the play-by-play guy for the Rangers Radio Network, reported on Twitter that the club signed pitcher Burke Badenhop to a minor league contract. Badenhop had signed with the Nationals on a minor league contract in February, but was released on March 30. The Nationals then re-signed Badenhop to a new minor league contract and released him again on April 1.

Badenhop, 33, spent last season with the Reds, posting a 3.93 ERA with a 36/20 K/BB ratio over 66 1/3 innings. Despite pitching well over the last four seasons, Badenhop’s velocity and his already-mediocre strikeout rate have been in decline, so teams likely aren’t willing to commit to a major league contract.

The Rangers’ bullpen has been porous in the early going. Tom Wilhelmsen was on the hook for five runs in Tuesday’s appearance and closer Shawn Tolleson yielded five runs on Wednesday.

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