Rangers agree to terms with all 5 arb-eligibles

The Rangers agreed to terms with all five arbitration-eligible players on Friday: left-handers Taylor Hearn and Brett Martin, right-hander Jonathan Hernández, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and catcher Mitch Garver.

The Rangers have not gone to arbitration since 2000, a hearing they won over Lee Stevens.

Lowe earned the largest of the deals, at $4,050,000, according to a source. Lowe notched career highs in all four slash categories (.302/.358/.492/.851), home runs (27), RBIs (76), hits (179) and total bases (292) in 2022 en route to his first American League Silver Slugger Award. He joined Mark Teixeira, who captured the award in back-to-back seasons (2004 and 2005), as the only Texas first basemen to win the award.

Hearn will earn $1,462,500 in 2023, according to a source. The lefty opened the season in the Rangers' rotation but pitched to a 6.25 ERA in 13 games. After he was moved to the bullpen, he finished with a 3.51 ERA over 18 games.

Garver, in his first year with the Rangers, struggled with a forearm injury that ultimately resulted in July's season-ending surgery to repair an injured flexor tendon in his right arm. He slashed .207/.298/.404 in 54 games before the surgery.

Last season, Hernández pitched for the first time since 2020, making his return from Tommy John surgery. He will earn $995,000 in his first year of arbitration after posting a 2.97 ERA in 29 relief appearances.

Rounding out the trio of relievers, Martin will earn $1,275,000. According to sources close to the club, Martin’s health was addressed during the salary negotiation; he will undergo surgery on his left shoulder next week. The timeline for his return is unclear, but he is expected to miss some of the 2023 season.

Martin posted a 4.14 ERA out of the bullpen in 2022, but landed on the IL with a strained left shoulder in late September. He last pitched on Sept. 16.