Rangers offseason signee's clutch WBC performance should excite Texas fans

The Texas Rangers signed right-handed starting pitcher Cal Quantrill to a minor-league deal back in January. With the Rangers' starting rotation likely to be comprised of Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore, Jack Leiter and one of Jacob Latz or Kumar Rocker, there's just no room for Quantrill, who started two playoff games for the Cleveland Guardians in 2022.

However, given the injury history of deGrom and Eovaldi, the Rangers may need to rely on Quantrill at some point in 2026. Given his MLB experience, Quantrill is a great rotation depth piece for Texas. And if Texas' rotation is unexpectedly fully healthy for the whole 2026 season, Quantrill could be added to the bullpen if he is having a successful season with Triple-A Round Rock.

Quantrill showed Rangers fans what he can do when he's at his best during a World Baseball Classic (WBC) elimination game for Team Canada yesterday, surrendering just one run (zero earned) on two hits and one walk while collecting five strikeouts over five innings en route to Canada defeating Cuba 7-2, punching its ticket to the quarterfinals at Daikin Park in Houston, where the nation will take on Team USA on Friday. It's the first time in WBC history that Canada has advanced past pool play.

Rangers' Cal Quantrill's clutch WBC performance should excite Rangers fans

Granted, Cuba's lineup featured just one big leaguer, Los Angeles Angels third baseman Yoán Moncada. Still, it was a high-stakes matchup, and Quantrill showed he can still shove in high-pressure situations. That should excite Rangers fans.

It's hard to imagine that Quantrill will pitch in the WBC again. If he does, it'd have to be in the championship game. To make it that far, Canada would have to defy all odds and defeat Team USA tomorrow, then beat the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between the Dominican Republic and Korea on Sunday. Team USA and the Dominican Republic are among the best WBC teams ever constructed, making Canada's chances of advancing low.

However, crazier things have happened. No one expected Italy to defeat the United States on Tuesday. Anything can happen in baseball, and Team Canada has plenty of established big leaguers and highly-regarded prospects on its roster.

While most Rangers fans likely reside in the United States and therefore don't want to see Canada win tomorrow, seeing Quantrill pitch in the championship would at least be a positive if the nation shocks the baseball world. That said, I’ll go out on a limb and say he’ll be back in Rangers camp Saturday.