Texas Rangers add another free agent pitcher to bolster their bullpen

The busy Texas Rangers postseason continues.

The Rangers have signed free agent relief pitcher Shawn Armstrong to a one-year contract. To make room for Armstrong, catcher Sam Huff was been designated for assignment.

Armstrong, 34, went 3-3 with one save and pitched to a 4.86 ERA over a career-high 57 appearances for Tampa Bay, St. Louis and tahe Chicago Cubs.

The right-hander logged a career-high-tying 66 strikeouts last season and sports a 9.57 strikeouts per 9.0 figure dating back to 2021

The New Bern, N.C. native owns a career 11-8 mark with 8 saves and 4.15 ERA spanning 299 career games/16 starts with Cleveland (2015-17), Seattle (2018-19), Baltimore (2019-21), Tampa Bay (2021-24), Miami (2022), St. Louis (2024), and Chicago-NL (2024). He was originally selected by Cleveland in the 18th round of the 2011 MLB Draft from East Carolina University.

Huff, 26, batted .258 with 10 home runs and 20 RBI in 78 games across parts of four seasons with Texas (2020, 2022-24). The catcher has spent his first nine years as a professional in the Rangers organization after being selected by the club in the 7th round of the 2016 MLB Draft from Arcadia H.S. (Ariz.). Texas has seven days to trade, release, or outright Huff to the minor leagues.

The Rangers also signed right-handed relief pitcher Patrick Murphy to a minor league contract with an invitation to 2025 Major League Spring Training camp.

Murphy, 29, spent the 2024 season in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League, registering a 3.26 with 30 strikeouts and a 1.19 WHIP in 40 appearances for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, while also pitching in five games for the club’s top minor league affiliate.

The Texas Rangers’ media relations staff report contributed to this story.