Texas Rangers sign infielder Jonah Bride to minor league contract

The Texas Rangers signed infielder Jonah Bride to a minor league contract, a move reported earlier today by Jeff Passan.

While not the kind of "Passan bomb" that sends fans into a frenzy, this signing secures a valuable depth piece for the Rangers.

This signing reunites Bride with Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, who managed him during his most productive Major League season.

Bride's standout performance came with Schumaker’s Marlins in 2024, where he posted a .276/.357/.461 slash line and hit 11 homers. That hot streak was enough to earn him the Opening Day designated hitter job this season.

However, Bride struggled over his first 12 games, batting only .100, leading Miami to designate him for assignment.

The Marlins subsequently traded Bride to the Minnesota Twins.

The right-handed batter did not find success with Minnesota either, recording a .208/.275/.236 line in 80 trips to the plate before receiving his second DFA of the year.

He went unclaimed on waivers and finished the season with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints, where he thrived against minor league pitching.

In 43 games, Bride hit .281/.423/.453 while tallying an equal number of walks and strikeouts.

The 29-year-old primarily plays the corner infield spots, the majority of his experience is at third base, with a decent amount of reps on the right side of the infield as well.

While he lacks plus power, his generally patient plate approach has generated an impressive .294/.430/.498 slash line across four Triple-A seasons. His limited Major League track record stands at .221/.311/.313 in nearly 700 plate appearances, but as mentioned earlier he provides a capable organizational depth option for Texas.

Bride is not projected to be an everyday player, but his chances of securing a bench role would improve if third baseman Josh Jung or first baseman Jake Burger were to be traded later in the offseason.

The deal includes a invitation to major league camp.