{"id":555006,"date":"2026-02-04T22:34:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T22:34:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/555006\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T22:34:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T22:34:17","slug":"texas-rangers-sign-mason-thompson-to-minor-league-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/555006\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Rangers Sign Mason Thompson to Minor League Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Texas Rangers have reached an agreement with right-handed reliever Mason Thompson on a minor-league contract, according to the team\u2019s official transaction log on MLB.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The signing represents a return to familiar territory for Thompson, who grew up in Round Rock, Texas, and is expected to report to major-league camp later this month as a non-roster invitee.<\/p>\n

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Thompson, originally selected by the San Diego Padres<\/a> in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft, has appeared in parts of four big-league seasons with San Diego and the Washington Nationals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Across 114 career major-league innings, the 6-foot-6 right-hander owns a 5.21 ERA, though that number was heavily impacted by a difficult 2025 campaign.<\/p>\n

Last season, Thompson struggled in limited action, surrendering 16 earned runs over just 10 2\/3 innings at the MLB level while also posting an ERA north of 6.00 in a brief minor-league stint.<\/p>\n

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Those results came as Thompson worked his way back from Tommy John surgery, which sidelined him early in the 2024 season.<\/p>\n

Prior to the injury, he was a more effective contributor out of the Nationals’ bullpen, compiling a 4.53 ERA over 103 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n

While his strikeout and walk rates lagged behind league averages during that stretch, Thompson excelled at keeping the ball on the ground, generating a ground-ball rate above 50 percent.<\/p>\n

Velocity has long been a strength of Thompson\u2019s profile. Even during his return last season, his sinker averaged around 95 mph despite being slightly diminished from pre-injury levels.<\/p>\n

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He pairs that pitch with a four-seam fastball of similar velocity, a slider in the mid-80s, and an occasional changeup, giving him multiple looks against opposing hitters.<\/p>\n

For Texas, the signing fits a familiar offseason blueprint. After constructing much of their bullpen on short-term, low-cost deals a year ago, the Rangers once again entered the winter with significant relief needs.<\/p>\n

The club has addressed that by retaining Chris Martin and adding several veterans on one-year contracts, while also taking a chance on upside arms like Thompson.<\/p>\n

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If healthy, Thompson could position himself as one of the more experienced relief options among the team\u2019s non-roster invitees heading into Spring Training.<\/p>\n

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