Rangers release former Cardinals southpaw just about one month after signing him

Rangers release former Cardinals lefty Anthony Veneziano just about one month after signing him to minor league deal

About four weeks after signing lefty reliever Anthony Veneziano to a minor league deal, the Texas Rangers announced they have released the southpaw so he can pursue an opportunity with an Asian team.

Veneziano, 28, would've been a nice depth piece for the Rangers, a team that desperately needs bullpen help. However, since his spot on the 26-man roster wasn't guaranteed, the Rangers weren't going to prevent the lefty from going to play overseas.

The Kansas City Royals selected Veneziano in the 10th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Coastal Carolina University. He made his MLB debut with Kansas City in 2023, pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings across two outings. He pitched just two innings for the Royals in 2024 before being designated for assignment on September 1 of that year, leading to the Miami Marlins claiming the southpaw off waivers. He made 10 appearances with the Marlins in 2024, posting a 3.18 ERA with 12 strikeouts and two walks across 11 1/3 innings.

Veneziano struggled with the Marlins last season, managing a 4.71 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 10 walks in 21 innings across 24 outings. The Marlins designated him for assignment on August 1, and the St. Louis Cardinals claimed him off waivers. In two outings with St. Louis, the lefty allowed two earned runs on three hits and one walk with five strikeouts across four innings. He elected free agency after the 2025 season ended, allowing Texas to sign him.

While keeping Veneziano would've been nice, the Rangers did the right thing by releasing him

As stated earlier, keeping Veneziano would've been a good way to ensure lefty relief-pitching depth, but it wouldn't have been right to prevent him from signing overseas. There's a good chance Veneziano never would've made the majors with the Rangers if he had stayed with the organization. By signing with an Asian team, he should be able to secure more guaranteed money and potentially sign a big league deal with an MLB team in 2027.

It wouldn't have been worth it for the Rangers to sign Veneziano to an MLB deal this offseason, either, as he has yet to prove he belongs in the big leagues. He induces a lot of ground balls, but had below-average strikeout and walk rates last season.

Who knows? Maybe Veneziano will dominate on the mound in Asia, and the Rangers will bring him back next year.