Rangers have fewer closer options after cutting bait on far-fetched experiment

The Rangers will head into the 2026 season without a proven closer yet again as they refuse to invest in the position.

The $1 million they spent on a one-year flyer to see if Alexis Díaz could regain his old form has not gone well, as he has officially been DFA'd by the club, with less than two weeks to go before opening day on March 26.

With the Diaz experiment done (unless he clears waivers and is stashed in the minors), the picture of the closer becomes a little clearer, though it is certainly not going to be a strength.

Rangers' decision to DFA Alexis Díaz leaves team with even fewer options moving forward

Following several abysmal outings in his brief time with the team, it wasn't a big surprise that Díaz was designated for assignment. The Rangers have narrowed their focus down to lefty Robert Garcia and right-hander Chris Martin to start the season as the team's closer.

As of right now, Garcia appears to have the inside track as he filled the role for several months last year.

In correspondence with the move, they have also signed veteran lefty Jalen Beeks to fill the roster spot, but he will be looked upon to add extra depth rather than compete for the closer role.

Early returns on Garcia and Martin have been a mixed bag so far

Díaz was always viewed as a long shot to nail down the role, with Garcia and Martin being the realistic contenders to begin the season as the closer.

Neither Garcia nor Martin has been very good in limited opportunities thus far. Garcia has made three appearances, allowing two earned runs in 2.1 innings, while Martin, who will turn 40 in June, has given up an earned run in two innings.

In the Rangers' handful of save situations to this point in spring training, manager Skip Schumaker and pitching coach Jordan Tiegs have elected to use several relievers to shut the door. In their most recent 7-6 win over the Athletics, Luis Curvelo came in and earned the save while striking out two and allowing a hit.

Two days before that, it was Aidan Anderson who closed the door in the ninth against the San Diego Padres.

We will see if Schumaker decides to move Garcia and Martin into more save situations as the opener nears, but there are only ten games left on the spring training schedule, and you never know how many high-leverage opportunities will present themselves moving forward.