Rangers sign 4 players to minor league deals after protecting 3 from Rule 5 Draft

Rangers sign 4 players to minor league contracts after selecting 3 players to 40-man roster ahead of Rule 5 Draft

After selecting the contracts of righty pitchers David Davalillo and Leandro Lopez and first baseman/outfielder Abimelec Ortiz to their 40-man roster, the Texas Rangers signed righty pitchers Declan Cronin, Peyton Gray and Trey Supak and shortstop Richie Martin to minor-league deals.

By selecting Davalillo, Lopez and Ortiz, the Rangers ensure the three prospects are protected from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft next month. The four players who signed minor-league contracts are unlikely to join the three selected players on the 40-man roster, which now sits at 38.

Who are Rangers prospects David Davalillo, Leandro Lopez, Abimelec Ortiz?

Davalillo, 23, is the Rangers' No.7-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. His splitter is the best of his four-pitch mix, which also includes a four-seam fastball, curveball and slider. In 107 innings pitched for High-A Hub City and Double-A Frisco this past season, Davalillo posted a 2.44 ERA with 126 strikeouts and 28 walks across 23 appearances (22 starts).

Lopez, 23, is the Rangers' No. 29-ranked prospect. He throws a mid-90s fastball and heavily relies on his upper-80s slider with depth. He can also throw an effective curveball and a less effective changeup. He sported a 2.40 ERA with 116 strikeouts and 41 walks across 101 1/3 innings for High-A Hub City and Double-A Frisco this past season.

Ortiz, 23, is the Rangers' No. 19-ranked prospect. He hits and fields left-handed. In 130 games for Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock this past season, Ortiz hit .257/.356/.479 with 25 home runs, 25 doubles and 89 RBI over 478 at-bats. He is a decent defender at first base, but is below average as a corner outfielder.

Who are newly-signed Rangers players Declan Cronin, Peyton Gray, Trey Supak, Richie Martin?

Cronin, 28, will miss the entire 2026 season while recovering from Tommy John Surgery. The Miami Marlins released him in September. In 2024, he posted a 4.35 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 25 walks across 70 1/3 innings with Miami. He suffered a knee injury at the end of that season, then began the 2025 campaign on the Injured List. He stayed in the minor leagues for the entire 2025 season and landed on the Triple-A IL in August.

Cronin made his MLB debut in 2023 with the Chicago White Sox. He made nine appearances for Chicago that year, sporting a 9.00 ERA across 11 innings.

While Cronin won't pitch next season, the Rangers hope he can become a viable MLB bullpen option down the road. He had some success with Miami, but injuries prevented him from building on it. In 2024, Cronin pitched a high-80s slider more than half the time, while mixing in a low-90s sinker about 40% of the time and occasionally throwing a four-seamer and low-80s sweeper.

Gray, 30, spent the 2025 campaign in the Rangers organization. After seven appearances with Double-A Frisco, Gray earned a promotion to Triple-A Round Rock, where he posted a 3.84 ERA with 68 strikeouts and 23 walks across 61 innings.

Supak, 29, also made the jump from Double-A Frisco to Triple-A Round Rock in 2025. In 12 starts with Round Rock to end the season, Supak sported a 3.55 ERA with 55 strikeouts and 18 walks across 58 1/3 innings.

The Rangers are bringing back Martin, 30, after signing him to a minor-league deal in May. In 79 games with Triple-A Round Rock during the 2025 campaign, Martin slashed .258/.348/.369 with 25 stolen bases across 303 plate appearances.