Texas Rangers transactions: Jordan Lyles and Jeffrey Springs have officially been signed to major league contracts, the team announced today.
Lyles was signed to a two year deal, which previous reports indicated was for $16 million. The righthanded pitcher is expected to be in the Rangers rotation after spending the 2019 starting for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers.
While the Lyles move was expected, the re-signing of Springs was not. Springs was announced as having been designated for assignment on the December 2 deadline for tendering contracts, and then it was announced he had been non-tendered, making him a free agent.
When a player is non-tendered and then re-signed, as was the case with Wei-Chieh Huang, the player is generally re-signed to a minor league deal. Springs being re-signed to a major league deal suggests there were other teams out there willing to give him a major league contract, and the Rangers wanted the lefty reliever back badly enough to give him one.
With these two signings, the 40 man roster is full. If and when the Rangers sign a third baseman, a catcher, a first baseman, and/or another pitcher, someone on the roster will have to be dropped.