The Rangers announced that Anthony Veneziano has been released from his minor league contract so that the southpaw can pursue an opportunity with an Asian team. Veneziano only just signed with Texas about four weeks ago, though as per the norm with non-roster players, the Rangers aren’t going to stand in the way if Veneziano is given a guaranteed offer from a foreign club.
A veteran of three MLB seasons, Veneziano started his big league career with a two-game cup of coffee with the Royals in 2023. He followed those 2 1/3 innings with 13 1/3 IP with the Royals and Marlins in 2024, and then 25 frames with Miami and St. Louis last season. The Cardinals claimed Veneziano off the Marlins’ waiver wire shortly after the trade deadline, and after outrighting him off the 40-man roster in November, Veneziano elected minor league free agency.
The 28-year-old had a 3.98 ERA over his 40 2/3 innings in the Show, including a 4.68 ERA over his 25 innings in 2025. His 21.4% career strikeout rate is decent, though his 9.4% walk rate from 2025 was on the high side. Control has been an increasing issue for Veneziano, and he had more walks (20) than strikeouts (18) over his 24 2/3 innings of Triple-A work last season, with a 5.11 ERA to show for his time with the Marlins’ and Cardinals’ top affiliates.
Veneziano has started only one of his 40 Major League games, and that came in an opener capacity during a Miami bullpen game last June. He moved into a bullpen role in 2024 and worked almost exclusively as a reliever at all levels in 2025, so it could be that Veneziano is looking to resurrect his starting prospects overseas. At the very least, Veneziano will get some extra financial security rather than earn only a minimum MLB salary for whatever time he spends in the majors in 2026.