Earlier this week, it was announced that the Texas Rangers had signed veteran right-hander Adrian Houser to a minor league contract along with an invite to spring training. Rangers fans have been hoping that the front office would be aggressive in signing pitchers to help rebuild their currently dismantled bullpen. However, signing Houser, who has been somewhat inconsistent these past couple of seasons, was probably not what most fans had in mind.
The Rangers and RHP Adrian Houser have agreed to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp, sources tell @JustBB_Media.
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) December 7, 2024
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Houser was acquired by the New York Mets prior to the start of last season and started the year as a member of their rotation, but after starting with an abysmal 8.55 ERA through four games, he was quickly moved to the bullpen. Houser found much more success in the bullpen than he did as a starter, bringing his ERA down to a respectable 3.28 through 16 games in relief. Although Houser was beginning to become a reliable relief pitcher for the Mets, the front office decided to designate him for assignment and eventually release him at the end of July.
Houser later signed with the Chicago Cubs. He pitched three games for the organization’s Triple-A affiliate and had a 3.86 ERA and 12 strikeouts through 18 innings before his release from the organization at the end of August.
Adrian Houser Hoping for Fresh Start with Rangers
Houser, who will be 32 years old before the 2025 season begins, will be looking to rejuvenate his career with the Rangers as he has had a peaks-and-valleys career since joining MLB in 2015 with the Milwaukee Brewers. Through 152 career appearances (104 starts), he currently carries a pedestrian 4.21 ERA and relies heavily on his four-seam fastball and his sinker, which has given him the reputation for being a groundout pitcher.
How Houser Might Fit In
If Houser can make it through spring training with the Rangers and get a spot on the 26-man roster, it will be interesting to see if Texas decides to put Houser in the bullpen or add him to their currently makeshift rotation. While statistically, Houser appears to be much more successful as a relief pitcher, several injuries currently plaguing the Rangers rotation and uncertainty remaining about whether or not the Rangers will be able to bring Nathan Eovaldi back for 2025 could force the Rangers to put Houser in the rotation, at least for the start of the season.
If the Rangers decide not to use Houser as a starter, he could potentially give the Rangers’ bullpen a much-needed boost. The bullpen was the team’s weakest point throughout the entire season and finished near the bottom of the league with a disappointing 4.41 ERA. If Houser can be similar to the pitcher he was with the Mets, he could be a welcome addition to the Rangers’ bullpen.
Overall, the decision to sign Houser likely came as somewhat of a surprise to most fans due to Houser’s somewhat unorthodox and unreliable career up to this point. However, while Houser’s numbers definitely do not jump off the page, he has shown flashes of being a solid pitcher in either the bullpen or as a starter. Hopefully, the tutelage of one of the most respected pitching coaches in the league, Mike Maddux, can transform Houser into a reliable member of the Rangers pitching staff. The team could desperately use strong contributions from him going into 2025.
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