The Texas Rangers continue to fine-tune their pitching depth as they prepare for the 2026 season, quietly adding experienced arms to protect themselves against injuries and workload concerns. With spring training approaching and competition for roster spots intensifying, the organization is focused on building layers of reliability beyond its projected rotation. One of the latest moves reflects that strategy, as Texas brings back a familiar name who has already spent time in the system and brings a long résumé of major league experience.
According to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News, the Rangers have signed right-handed pitcher to a minor league contract. He finished the 2025 season within the Rangers organization, will report to spring training as a non-roster invitee and compete for a role.
Cal Quantrill’s 2025 season was a turbulent one. He opened the year with the Miami Marlins after signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal, but struggled to find consistency. Over 24 starts, he posted a 5.50 ERA in 109 and two-thirds innings, leading Miami to designate him for assignment in late August. He was then claimed by the Atlanta Braves, though his stay was brief. Quantrill made two starts for Atlanta, surrendering 12 earned runs in just eight innings before being released in early September.
Texas brought Quantrill back into the fold on September 7 with a minor league deal. He finished the season at Triple-A Round Rock, where he logged 11 innings across two starts. In that span, he allowed four runs, only two of them earned, while giving up eight hits and one walk, showing signs of steadier command late in the year.
Originally selected eighth overall by the San Diego Padres in the 2016 MLB Draft out of Stanford, Quantrill reached the majors in 2019. He spent parts of two seasons with San Diego before being included in a blockbuster trade on August 31, 2020. The Padres sent Quantrill, Josh Naylor, Austin Hedges, Gabriel Arias, Joey Cantillo and Owen Miller to Cleveland in exchange for Mike Clevinger, Greg Allen and Matt Waldron.
Quantrill immediately made an impact with Cleveland, closing out the shortened 2020 season with a 1.84 ERA in 17 and one-third innings. He also appeared in the American League Wild Card Series against the Yankees, facing two batters in Game 2 and recording a strikeout.
His best work came in 2021, when he emerged as a key piece of the Guardians’ pitching staff. That season, Quantrill posted a 2.89 ERA with 121 strikeouts over 149 and two-thirds innings, earning 3.7 bWAR and establishing himself as a dependable starter. He followed that with another solid campaign, finishing with a 3.38 ERA across 186 and one-third innings and making two postseason starts in the Division Series against New York.
After a difficult 2023 season in Cleveland, Quantrill was traded to the Colorado Rockies, where he logged 148 and one-third innings and recorded a 4.98 ERA during his lone year with the club.
Looking ahead to 2026, Quantrill faces an uphill climb to crack the Rangers’ rotation. Texas projects to open the season with Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore, Jack Leiter and either Kumar Rocker or Jacob Latz, with Cody Bradford expected back from injury in May. Still, the Rangers value depth, having also signed Austin Gomber and Nabil Crismatt to minor league deals. Quantrill is likely to begin the year in Triple-A as insurance or potentially transition into a bullpen role if the need arises.