SAN DIEGO — The Texas Rangers offense could stand to get a little rowdy.
The Rangers signed veteran first baseman Rowdy Tellez to a minor league deal, a person with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed to The Dallas Morning News Friday. The Athletic’s Will Sammon was the first to report the deal.
Tellez, 30, spent the first three months of the 2025 season with Seattle and slashed .208/.249/.434 with 11 home runs before he was released by the Mariners last week. He struggled to hit at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park but slashed .275/.314/.563 with 7 home runs in 30 road games. He played 59 games at first base and three at designated hitter for the Mariners.
He provides left-handed power and has a career .748 OPS and 101 home runs vs. right-handed pitchers. The Rangers have slugged just .377 — the fourth-worst in baseball — against righties this season. His .720 OPS this season vs. right-handers would be the second-best among all qualified Rangers hitters behind only super utility man Josh Smith.
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Texas signed designated hitter Joc Pederson this past winter to provide a similar impact. But Pederson, who inked a two-year contract in December, slashed just .131/.269/.238 with eight extra base hits before his hand was fractured by a pitch at the end of May.
Tellez could provide a veteran depth option while Pederson continues to rehab and while third baseman Josh Jung undergoes a minor league reset. He spent his first three major league seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays before he played for the Milwaukee Brewers after a trade. He played 131 games with Pittsburgh last year before he signed with Seattle this offseason.
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