The Rangers need to put Cody Bradford in this role to maximize his skills in 2027

Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford has struggled immensely lately, going 0-5 with a 4.72 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 17 strikeouts, and nine walks in 34 1/3 innings over seven starts this season. With Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter sidelined with injuries, the Rangers need Bradford in the rotation for now. But next year, Texas should find a different role for the southpaw.

The Rangers activated Bradford from the 60-day injured list on Aug. 5. Before then, he hadn't pitched in a major league game since Sept. 25, 2024. The southpaw underwent left elbow internal brace surgery in June 2025.

Texas Rangers should convert Cody Bradford to a full-time bullpen arm in 2027

While Bradford has disappointed as a starter, he could be a solid reliever for Texas next year. The Rangers likely won't have room for Bradford in the rotation in 2027 anyway. However, the bullpen clearly could use some upgrades for next year. Simply moving Bradford to a relief role could give the bullpen a much-needed boost.

Bradford has experience pitching out of the bullpen in the majors, so it wouldn't be something new for the left-hander to be a reliever. In his rookie season (2023), Bradford made 20 regular-season appearances for Texas. Only eight of those were starts. He is also battle-tested as a reliever, allowing just one earned run on four hits and no walks in 7 2/3 innings across five relief appearances in the 2023 postseason.

If Bradford can be a successful reliever during the postseason, one would imagine he could be in the regular season as well.

Bradford actually pitched well as a starter in limited action in 2024, recording a 3.54 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP in 76 1/3 innings across 14 appearances (13 starts), so Texas could still give him some looks as a starter next year. But if the rotation is fully healthy next year, Bradford would likely miss the cut, as Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore, Jack Leiter, and Kumar Rocker would likely be Texas' five starters. The team may also consider bringing back the red-hot Cal Quantrill, who is set to be a free agent at the end of the season.

Starting the 2027 season with Bradford out of the bullpen would be a wise move for the Rangers. Injuries are inevitable, so Bradford could very well find his way back into the Rangers' rotation even if he starts next year as a reliever.

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