Rangers sign reliever Armstrong to Major League deal
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The Rangers have signed reliever Shawn Armstrong to a one-year deal, president of baseball operations Chris Young announced Monday. To make room for Armstrong on the 40-man roster, Texas designated catcher Sam Huff for assignment.
The club entered this offseason needing to address its bullpen, with Kirby Yates, David Robertson, José Leclerc and José Ureña all reaching free agency. They were joined by Andrew Chafin when Texas declined his club option.
Armstrong is the fourth bullpen arm the team has signed in free agency, joining Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb and Luis Curvelo. The club also acquired Robert Garcia for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe in a trade with the Nationals on Sunday.
Armstrong has made appearances for seven teams over parts of 10 seasons in the Majors, recording a lifetime 4.15 ERA. He pitched for the Rays, Cardinals and Cubs in 2024 and had a 4.86 ERA with 66 strikeouts over 66 2/3 innings.
It’s been a busy offseason on the whole for the Rangers, who also reached a deal with free-agent DH Joc Pederson (per a source) on Monday. Earlier in December, the team brought back starter Nathan Eovaldi and signed catcher Kyle Higashioka in free agency and acquired corner infielder Jake Burger in a trade with the Marlins.
The Higashioka move left Huff, a former top prospect, without an obvious path to playing time with the Rangers. The 26-year-old has appeared in 78 games over parts of four seasons with Texas, hitting .258 with 10 homers and a .768 OPS.