Rangers sign lefty reliever Milner to 1-year deal
The Texas Rangers added another arm to their bullpen, signing left-hander Hoby Milner to a one-year contract, they announced Friday.
Milner's deal is worth $2.5 million, according to The Associated Press. He also gets up to $500,000 worth of performance bonuses based on innings pitched.
To make room for Milner on the 40-man roster, right-hander Owen White, a former top-100 prospect, was designated for assignment.
Milner, a Dallas-area native, heads home after spending the last four seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. The 33-year-old became a free agent last month when he was non-tendered by Milwaukee.
Milner, a soft-tossing, sidearming southpaw, is coming off an up-and-down campaign in which he posted a 4.73 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 64 strikeouts and one save across 61 appearances (one start). However, he allowed just six home runs in 64 2/3 innings and issued only 14 walks for a 1.9 BB/9 rate.
He's also just one year removed from a quietly excellent season: He put up a career-best 1.82 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over 73 games for the Brewers in 2023.
Milner adds a third left-hander to Texas' projected 2025 bullpen, joining Jacob Latz and Walter Pennington. He could be a candidate to pitch in the later innings as a setup man for likely closer Jacob Webb, who the Rangers also signed this month.
Over parts of eight big-league campaigns with four teams, Milner owns a 3.82 ERA, 3.89 FIP, and 1.23 WHIP with 263 strikeouts and one save.