Rangers sign veteran reliever Castillo and 6 others to minor deals

The Texas Rangers have announced the signing of veteran reliever Diego Castillo and six other free agents to minor league contracts, all of whom have received invitations to spring training with the reigning World Series champions.

In addition to Castillo, the Rangers have inked deals with right-handed pitchers Gerardo Carrillo and Jesus Tinoco, catcher Andrew Knapp, and outfielders Sandro Fabian, Elier Hernandez, and Derek Hill.

Diego Castillo boasts a six-season career in the majors, accumulating a 24-18 record with 35 saves and a 3.22 ERA. His tenure includes stints with Tampa Bay (2018-21) and Seattle (2021-23), with an impressive opponents’ batting average of .200. Last season, the right-hander, who turns 30 on Jan. 18, allowed six earned runs in 8 2/3 innings across eight relief appearances for the Mariners.

Rangers ink reliever Castillo to minor league deal https://t.co/4dxdkrPaeb

— GHT⚾️24*7*365 (@GHTMLB) December 28, 2023

More on this topic:

Corey Seager gets his second World Series MVP

Jesus Tinoco, coming off a season with the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan, where he posted a 2.93 ERA in 38 appearances, joins the Rangers after previous stops with Colorado (2019-21), Miami (2021), and Texas (2022). Tinoco made a notable contribution in one of his two starts for the Rangers, allowing the 62nd home run hit by Aaron Judge to break the AL single-season record.

Catcher Andrew Knapp, a 32-year-old switch-hitter, spent the past season playing 93 games at the Triple-A level for the Detroit and Houston organizations. His extensive big league experience includes 325 games played for Philadelphia (2017-21), Pittsburgh (2022), Seattle (2022), and San Francisco (2022).

The Rangers’ pitchers and catchers are set to kick off their spring training in Surprise, Arizona, on Feb. 14, with the first full-squad workout scheduled for Feb. 19.