This Texas Rangers reliever has taken a circuitous route back to the franchise after briefly hitting free agency and going to the National League.
The Texas Rangers have another veteran relief option to tap into when pitchers and catchers report to spring training next week with the signing of Matt Festa.
The Texas Rangers have another veteran relief option to tap into when pitchers and catchers report to spring training next week with the signing of Matt Festa.
The deal was originally reported by The Dallas Morning News. The minor-league deal also comes with an invitation to Major League spring training.
The deal was originally reported by The Dallas Morning News. The minor-league deal also comes with an invitation to Major League spring training.
The Rangers assigned him to Triple-A Round Rock and was first promoted on Aug. 6 for relief depth and optioned back the same day. He returned on Aug. 11 and remained with Texas the rest of the season.
The soon-to-be 32-year-old right-hander went 6-0 with a 4.37 ERA in 18 relief appearances. He struck out 23 and walked seven in 22.2 innings. He also allowed batters to hit .205 against him.
His return allows the Rangers to pit him against relivers like Martin and Robert Garcia, who appear to be the top candidates to serve as the closer. Festa might be an appropriate set-up man.
Festa was with the Mets briefly. He spent the bulk of his Major League career with Seattle, where he broke in with the Mariners in 2018.
With Seattle, he went 2-2 with a 4.32 ERA in 89 appearances, with one start. He struck out 102 and walked 44 in 93.2 innings.
The Mariners selected him in the seventh round of the 2016 MLB draft and was the highest draft pick out of Division II East Stroudsburg University at the time.
The Rangers are preparing for pitchers and catchers to report to their facility in Surprise, Ariz., on Wednesday. Position players report the following Monday, with the first exhibition game set for Friday, Feb. 21.
