Declan Cronin inks a 2-Year deal with the Rangers

At approximately 7p.m. last night right before the Yankees and Blue Jays squared off in game 3 of the ALDS, Bob Nightengale reported that the Rangers signed right-handed reliever Declan Cronin to a 2-year minor league deal.

Cronin has long dreamed of playing professional baseball. In an interview, he said he knew from a young age that this was his goal. That dream began to take shape, in his senior year at Holy Cross, he took his training seriously and dedicated himself fully to improving. He trained at Tread Athletics, where he focused on refining his mechanics and building strength. When he arrived, his fastball sat around 88–90 mph. After cleaning up his arm action and improving his weight room routine, he saw his velocity jump to 92–94 mph by the end of his senior season. All of the hard work Cronin put in at Tread finally paid off. He was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 36th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He was surprised to hear the news. He didn't know he was drafted until his college roommate informed him. Few players drafted that late make it to the majors, but Cronin defied the odds. He made his MLB debut in 2023 with the White Sox.

Cronin had a rough first season in the MLB posting a 9.00 ERA, but he only appeared in 11 innings. His sophomore season was more successful. In 2024 he appeared in 56 games for Skip Schumaker and the Miami Marlins and logged 70.1 innings. Cronin had a 4.35 ERA in those 70.1 innings, but he has a 2.58 FIP so he was better than what his ERA showed. Cronin did not pitch in the majors this year. He threw fewer than 50 innings in the minors and eventually was put on the IL, and had a successful Tommy John surgery performed by Keith Meister six days ago. Therefore, he will not pitch in 2026 for the Rangers because he will be recovering from surgery, which is why the Rangers signed him to a two-year deal.

I like this move for Texas. Cronin’s breaking balls show good movement, and he excels at inducing ground balls, which is a perfect fit for the Rangers, who are one of the best teams in baseball defensively. If he recovers well, this could prove to be a nice value signing for 2027. It wouldn’t be surprising if newly hired manager Skip Schumaker played a role in the acquisition, given how heavily he relied on Cronin in 2024. I think Declan Cronin will be a name to keep an eye on in 2027 for the Rangers in the bullpen.