Veteran right-handed pitcher Jesse Chavez has reached an agreement with the Texas Rangers for a minor league contract that includes an invitation to attend spring training. This marks a return to the team that originally selected him nearly 23 years ago.
In addition to Chavez, the Rangers have also signed right-hander David Buchanan, outfielder Cody Thomas, and catcher Chad Wallach to minor league contracts, which also come with invitations to major league spring training.
Last season, Chavez posted a record of 2-2 with an impressive 3.13 ERA over 46 appearances for the Atlanta Braves. Throughout his lengthy 17-season career, he has played in a total of 653 games, recording a career record of 51-65 with a 4.25 ERA. Notably, he was part of the 2021 Braves team that claimed the World Series championship.
Chavez was initially drafted by the Rangers in the 42nd round of the 2002 amateur draft. After spending four seasons with the organization, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he made his major league debut in 2008. During his time with the Rangers from 2018 to 2020, he accumulated a record of 6-6 and a 4.58 ERA over 96 games, including nine starts. Chavez’s journey also included a stint where he was signed as a free agent and subsequently traded to the Chicago Cubs, only to rejoin the Rangers as a free agent before the 2019 season.
David Buchanan, who is 35 years old, had a single relief appearance for the Cincinnati Reds last season, marking his return to Major League Baseball after performing 36 starts for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. His career also featured three seasons in Japan and four in Korea.
Catcher Chad Wallach contributed seven home runs over 65 games with the Los Angeles Angels in 2023 and spent the remainder of the season at the Triple-A level. Meanwhile, Cody Thomas, a left-handed hitter, appeared in 29 games for the Oakland Athletics over the last two seasons. He had a successful stint in Japan last year, where he batted .263 with two home runs and 19 RBIs in 79 games.
