Rangers Sign Reliever Austin Roberts to Minor League Deal

The Texas Rangers’ aggressive pursuit of pitching depth continues. Just days after parting with five prospects to land left-hander MacKenzie Gore from the Washington Nationals, the Rangers have reached an agreement on a minor league contract with right-hander Austin Roberts, as first reported by Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.

While the club has not officially announced the signing, Roberts recently confirmed the move via his Instagram story.

He will be in minor league camp.

Seeking the 2024 Form

Texas is betting that the 27-year-old can rediscover the dominant form he displayed two seasons ago within the Miami Marlins organization.

During that 2024 campaign, Roberts was stellar across 50 appearances between Double-A Pensacola and Triple-A Jacksonville:

ERA: 2.28 Record: 4-2 Saves: 17-of-18 opportunities Strikeouts: 85 in 67 innings Opponent Average: .152 WHIP: 0.94

Recent Struggles

In 2025, Roberts spent time on the injured list and the development list. He was traded from the Marlins to the Milwaukee Brewers for cash on Aug. 4.

In 40 total games, he posted a 6-1 record with a 4.21 ERA. Across 57 2/3 innings, he recorded 61 strikeouts, 26 walks, and a 1.44 WHIP while allowing opponents to hit .256 against him. He converted three of seven save opportunities and added six holds.

A native of West Sacramento, California, Roberts was originally an eighth-round selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 out of Sacramento State.

Though he has yet to make his MLB debut, his career minor league peripherals suggest high-strikeout potential:

Career MiLB Stats

Innings Pitched 352.0 Strikeouts 418 | ERA | 4.04 | WHIP | 1.31

Roberts joins a growing list of "insurance" signings for the Rangers bullpen, who recently secured right-hander Josh Sborz and left-hander Austin Gomber on minor league pacts.