SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Texas Rangers today officially announced the signing of free agent right-handed pitcher Garrett Richards (#43) to a one-year contract with a club option for 2023.
To make room for Richards on the Major League roster, the Rangers have placed right-handed pitcher Jonathan Hernández on the 60-day Injured List as he continues rehabilitation from Tommy John ligament reconstruction surgery on his right elbow in April 2021.
Richards, 33, went 7-8 with a 4.87 ERA (74 ER/136.2 IP) over 40 games/22 starts in his lone season with Boston in 2021. He excelled after a move to the bullpen in mid-August, as he posted a 3.42 ERA (10 ER/26.1 IP) in 18 relief appearances while holding opponents to a .659 OPS. He also went 3-for-3 in save chances after entering the year with just 2 career saves. Richards’ 136.2 innings pitched last season were his most since a career-high 207.1 innings in 2015 with the Angels.
An 11-year MLB veteran, Richards has spent the bulk of his career with the Angels, including a productive two-year span in 2014-15 in which he was 28-16 with a 3.18 ERA over 58 starts. Overall in his career, he has gone 54-49 with a 3.81 ERA over 227 games/150 starts for Los Angeles-AL (2011-18), San Diego (2019-20), and Boston (2021). The Oklahoma City native was originally selected by the Angels out of the University of Oklahoma in the first round (42nd overall) of the 2009 MLB Draft.
Hernández had right elbow surgery on April 12, 2021 and is expected to continue the rehabilitation process into June.
With today’s transactions, the Rangers now have 68 players on the club’s Spring Training roster: 40 on the Major League roster and 28 non-roster invitees along with one on the 60-day Injured List.
From Rangers PR staff reports
