Former Rangers pitcher seeks career resurgence with Mariners on minor league deal

It seems like almost every Ranger on that World Championship team of 2023 had a career year or something very close to it.

RHP Dane Dunning was one of those players, and even as things went south for him in the years that followed, as he was let go, he will always be remembered as a workhorse to Ranger fans during that magical run. His 12-7 record, 2.7 bWAR, and 3.70 ERA over 172 innings pitched were crucial to the starting staff.

He was named the Rangers POY in the franchise's best season in history.

Now, the 31-year-old from Orange Park, Florida, is getting another opportunity with the current kings of the AL and West rival Seattle Mariners.

Former Ranger Dane Dunning has signed a minor league deal with the Mariners

Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that Dunning has agreed to a deal with the Rangers' intra-divisional rival to start the 2026 season in the minor leagues. He will likely begin the season as a long reliever with the club's Tacoma Triple-A affiliate.

For the last two seasons with the Rangers and Braves, Dunning has not been able to stay healthy enough to find the footing that he had in 2023.

He has only pitched 20.2 innings in 2024 and 2025 with an ERA just shy of 7.00 out of the bullpen. After he surrendered his starting spot to Jack Leiter and then Kumar Rocker, he has struggled to get back into the groove and pitch as he did in 2023.

The stop in Atlanta didn't work out, and now he will head to the Pacific Northwest, where he will try to stick with Seattle.

Dane Dunning faces a difficult challenge as a finesse pitcher

Dunning has never been able to blow hitters away with overpowering stuff like Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, or Jack Leiter.

He relies on pinpoint command and changing speeds to compete, and when he struggles, it's because he doesn't paint the corners. He doesn't have a go-to strikeout option and has always done his best work pitching to contact and keeping hitters off balance.

As a contact pitcher, however, the home run ball has also always been a problem for Dunning as he has given up an alarming 79 home runs in just under 600 innings pitched.

Die hard Ranger fans are probably rooting for Dunning to find his form, but now that he is within the division in Seattle, that hope will be tempered a little bit.