Free-agent catcher Danny Jansen has agreed to a two-year, $14.5 million contract with the Texas Rangers, addressing a key offseason need at the position. The 30-year-old hit 14 home runs in 2025 while splitting time between the Rays and Brewers. The Rangers also reportedly added relievers Alexis Díaz and Tyler Alexander on the same day.
The Texas Rangers filled a critical gap at catcher by signing Danny Jansen to a two-year, $14.5 million deal, as reported by MLB.com on Friday, December 13, 2025. Arlington had identified the catching position as its most pressing offseason priority, and Jansen's addition provides a reliable option with solid offensive and defensive skills.
Jansen, who turns 30 in December, enjoyed a strong 2025 season, batting .215 with a .720 OPS over 98 games split between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers. His .720 OPS outperformed any Rangers catcher from the previous two seasons. He belted 14 home runs, continuing a trend of double-digit power in four of the past five full seasons. Notably, Jansen boasts one of the highest fly-ball rates in MLB at 71.7%—third among players with at least 100 batted balls—while pulling 32.7% of those, ranking fifth.
Defensively, Jansen excels at blocking, recording 14 blocks above average in 2025, second in the majors, and leading the league with 72 such plays since 2019. Although his pitch-framing and caught-stealing rates have been average, his ability to keep balls in front of him adds value. He avoided the injured list in 2025 after seven trips since 2021 and has not exceeded 107 games since 2019.
The signing comes amid a busy night for Texas, which also reportedly acquired relievers Alexis Díaz and Tyler Alexander. Díaz, a 2023 All-Star, posted a 3.99 ERA in 2024 but struggled with an 8.15 ERA across three teams in 2025. Alexander, a Texas native from TCU, has a career 4.63 ERA over seven seasons. Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker emphasized the team's philosophy: "Last year, we wanted to get back to dominating the strike zone, so we targeted pitchers with a historical track record of throwing strikes and attacking the strike zone."
This move bolsters a bullpen that ranked fifth in MLB with a 3.62 ERA in 2025, built around veterans like Hoby Milner and Chris Martin. Fenstermaker added, "Strikes are valued in the game. We're looking for the right focused fits for the Texas Rangers."
