The Texas Rangers continued to fine-tune their roster Monday with a pair of low-profile but potentially valuable additions, signing catcher José Herrera and left-handed pitcher Anthony Veneziano.
Neither move is expected to make major waves in the short term, but both players are set to compete for meaningful roles as the club looks ahead to the 2026 season.
Jose Herrera
Herrera, 28, joins Texas after spending all four of his major league seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who originally signed him as an amateur free agent in 2013. For the first time in his 12-year pro career, he’ll wear a uniform other than Arizona’s.
Primarily used as a depth option, Herrera has spent much of the past four years shuttling between the majors and Triple-A. He has appeared in between 41 and 57 games each season, posting a career slash line of .200/.280/.259.
While not viewed as an everyday starter, Herrera offers the Rangers a dependable defensive presence. Defensively, advanced stat outlets have credited him for his blocking ability and control of the running game, although his pitch framing has consistently graded below league average.
Should Danny Jansen or Kyle Higashiokamiss time, Herrera could serve as a capable backup option.
Veneziano Aims for a Bullpen Role
Veneziano, a 26-year-old left-hander, arrives in Texas after bouncing between several organizations in recent years. The former Kansas City Royalsprospect made his MLB debut in 2023, appearing in just two games before starting the following season at Triple-A.
After posting a 4.50 ERA in limited innings with Kansas City, Veneziano was designated for assignment in early September 2024 and claimed off waivers by the Miami Marlins. Under then-manager — and now Rangers skipper — Skip Schumaker, Veneziano made 10 appearances, logging a 3.18 ERA with 12 strikeouts across 11 1/3 innings.
The 2025 campaign brought mixed results. Veneziano pitched to a 4.71 ERA over 24 outings before another DFA led to a brief stint with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he struck out five in four innings while allowing two runs. He became a free agent after clearing waivers later that month.
While dealing with the carousel of transactions, Veneziano showed encouraging progress with a refined sinker decreasing his fly ball rate and boosted his ground-ball rate from 30.6% entering 2025 to 49.4%, well above the 41.8% MLB average.
With the Rangers searching for bullpen stability, Veneziano will get a legitimate chance to break camp with the major league squad. If he continues to generate weak contact and impresses Schumaker during spring training, he could find himself in the mix for a middle-relief role by Opening Day.
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