The Rangers announced the signing of reliever Patrick Murphy to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp. Texas also confirmed their previously reported agreement with veteran righty Nabil Crismatt.
Murphy will be in camp for a second consecutive spring. Texas signed the righty to a non-roster deal last offseason as well. He pitched well in exhibition play and made 14 appearances with Triple-A Round Rock before they granted him his release in July. Murphy wanted to pursue a foreign opportunity and wound up signing with the KBO’s KT Wiz. He had never played in Korea but spent the 2024 campaign in Japan as a member of the Nippon-Ham Fighters.
The former third-round draft choice started nine of 15 appearances with the Wiz. He tossed 60 2/3 innings of 3.12 ERA ball, albeit with a modest 17% strikeout rate. The Wiz wound up replacing both of their foreign-born pitchers. Lefty Enmanuel De Jesus also returned to affiliated ball on a minor league contract with the Tigers. The Wiz signed Matt Sauer and Caleb Boushley, who made 25 appearances for Texas last year, to fill those spots.
Murphy will try to pitch his back to the MLB level for the first time in four years. He combined for 35 appearances for the Blue Jays and Nationals between 2020-22. He carries a 4.76 earned run average with slightly worse than average strikeout and walk marks in 39 2/3 MLB innings. Murphy sits around 95 MPH with his four-seam fastball and sinker and uses a low-80s curveball as his breaking pitch.