The Texas Rangers are steadily earning a reputation as a destination for pitching development, and that growing perception may be paying dividends on the free agent market. Rather than making splashy free-agent additions to their pitching staff this offseason, Texas chose a different route, pulling off a major trade with the Washington Nationals to acquire left-hander MacKenzie Gore.
Still, the Rangers could uncover some surprise contributors as the season unfolds, and Austin Bergner is a pitcher worth keeping an eye on. The 28-year-old right-hander, who spent the past seven seasons in the Detroit Tigers organization, signed a minor-league deal with Texas on Tuesday, according to the transactions listed on his official roster page.
Bergner, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound pitcher, was selected by Detroit in the ninth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of North Carolina. Over his time in the Tigers’ farm system, he appeared in 156 games while moving between the rotation and the bullpen. Across 490 career minor-league innings, he has posted a 4.15 ERA and recorded an eye-catching 546 strikeouts.
While he has reached the Triple-A level briefly in each of the past four seasons, that level has proven challenging for him. Bergner owns an 8.39 ERA in 88 Triple-A innings, making it the toughest stop of his minor-league journey so far. Even so, he’ll head into spring camp looking to make a strong impression, though it’s unlikely the Rangers view him as an immediate option for the major-league roster.
If Bergner remains at Triple-A, he’ll shift from the International League to the Pacific Coast League, a significant change that will at least provide a fresh environment and new competition. And if the Rangers find themselves needing pitching depth later in the season, Bergner could finally get the opportunity to make his long-awaited major-league debut.