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These 3 non-roster invitees could make the Texas Rangers' Opening Day roster

By Michael Sanders |
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These NRIs have the best chance to make the Texas Rangers Opening Day roster

The Texas Rangers over the last several years have made use of their non-roster invites in Spring Training. Players such as Bartolo Colon, Wandy Rodriguez, Ian Kennedy, Matt Moore, and Charlie Culberson have parlayed non-roster invites to camp to a spot on the major league roster. This season the team will be taking a look at many non-roster invites that were free agents and those that are in the minors. When the season starts though there will likely only be room on the roster for maybe one or two of these players. The three non-roster players that likely have the best shot at breaking camp with the Rangers are Jackson Frazier (who previously went by Clint), Danny Duffy, and Kyle Cody.

Let's start with Frazier. The former New York Yankees' top prospect has been in the wilderness figuratively speaking the last two years. He was a former first-round pick of the Cleveland Guardians back in 2013. He was traded to the Yankees in 2016 in the Andrew Miller trade that nearly won the Guardians the 2016 World Series. He came up in 2017 with the Yankees. He really hit his stride in 2019 and in the pandemic shortened 2020 season. He had a .267 batting average in both years and hit 12 home runs in 2019 and eight home runs in 39 games in 2020. He peaked in 2020 with a .511 slugging percentage and .394 on-base percentage.

The talent is there, but he dropped off precipitously in 2021 and 2022. He had five home runs in 66 games and a .186 batting average in 2021. Then followed that up in 2022 by spending most of the season in the minors in the Chicago Cubs organization where he hit .190 with five home runs. He also played 19 games for the Cubs and had a .216 batting average and no home runs. The Rangers do have a need in left field and if Frazier can rediscover the swing that saw him hit 20 home runs between 2019 and 2020 he will make the team.

NRIs with the best chance to make the Texas Rangers Opening Day roster - No. 2. Danny Duffy

The next player is Danny Duffy. The Texas Rangers appear to be bringing in Duffy with the hope that he can replicate what Matt Moore gave them in the bullpen last season. Duffy like Moore is left-handed and is a former starting pitcher. They both were starting pitchers for teams that made the playoffs. Duffy is a former third round pick of the Kansas City Royals back in 2007. He spent 11 seasons in a Royals uniform. Now he will still be pitching in Surprise, Ariz., this spring training, but will be in the Rangers organization instead of the Royals.

Duffy is now 34 and is trying to continue his career after missing all of 2022 with a flexor tendon injury. He has not pitched in a game since July of 2021. He spent last season rehabbing in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. It is harder to get a feel for if he can make the team. If he is healthy then yes he has great stuff and has been a really good pitcher whenever he has stepped on the mound. Is he healthy though? That is not something that can truly be known until he pitches in live-action and then is able to come back and pitch again. He will need to clear several hurdles to make the team, but if he can and then be healthy come Opening Day he could be a late-inning left-handed reliever for this team.

NRIs with the best chance to make the Texas Rangers Opening Day roster - No. 3. Kyle Cody

The final player is Kyle Cody. He really made a splash in 2020. He was brought up in 2020 and in September made five starts and didn't allow more than one run in any of those starts. He had issues with his command as he did walk 13 batters in that time. Overall though he was expected to contribute to the Rangers team going forward. He was 26, a homegrown pitcher, and had the ability to start or pitch in the bullpen. He came back in 2021 and made the team out of camp and was pitching in the bullpen in April. He then was placed on the injured list late in April with a shoulder injury. He ended up missing the rest of 2021 and most of 2022. He did come back late last season. He pitched for Triple-A Round Rock. He made 12 appearances for Round Rock. He mostly pitched out of the bullpen going 19.2 innings, he struck out 21 and walked five in that time.

Cody comes to camp this season fully healthy. The Rangers do have spots in the bullpen if he can pitch well. He features a 4-seam fastball that he throws at 95 mph and he then throws a slider that works as an offspeed pitch. The slider registers at 83 mph. It keeps hitters off-balance and forces them to not be sitting on the same velocity. This allows him to be effective against both right-handers and left-handers. Cody is in a similar position that Brock Burke was in prior to 2022.

Burke missed all of 2020 and most of 2021. He came back in 2021 and spent the end of that season pitching in the minors. He then was healthy and came to camp and earned a spot on the roster. Cody could be that guy for the 2023 team. He is someone to watch in games next month. He will be given time to see what he has, if he is healthy, and if can he still get major league hitters out. If he doesn't make the team out of camp there is a good shot he is one of the first call-ups in the month of April.

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