The Texas Rangers have few needs to address outside of pitching this offseason, and they addressed their biggest need on Monday.
The club has signed catcher Kyle Higashioka to a two-year, $13.5 million contract through the 2026 season with a mutual option for 2027.
Higashioka will earn $5.75 million in 2025, $6.75 in 2026, and has a $7 million mutual option in 2027 with a $1 million buyout.
Higashioka, who will turn 35 in April, has batted .220/.263/.476/.739 (54 wins, 246 losses) in 84 games with home runs (17), RBIs (45) and RBIs (29). He set a career high. 2024 San Diego Padres.
Jonah Heim, an All-Star in 2023, struggled for much of 2024, hitting .220 with 13 home runs, 12 doubles, and 59 RBIs, all lower than last season. Heim will still lose his starting spot, but Higashioka gives the Rangers some experienced insurance if Heim struggles in 2025. Andrew Knizner, who was signed as a backup to Heim before the 2024 season, struggled and was assigned in early August.
He completed 13 of his 65 steal attempts for a catch percentage of 20.0%, fourth best among National League catchers with at least 75 starts.
Prior to his one season in San Diego, Higashioka spent 16 years in the New York Yankees organization. After 10 seasons in the minors, he made his MLB debut in 2017, making him tied for the longest tenure with the Yankees from draft to debut. Higashioka was traded to the Padres in December 2023 in the trade that sent Juan Soto to New York.
The right-handed hitter is from Huntington Beach, Calif., and was drafted in the seventh round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of Edison High School.
In limited action, he has hit at least 10 home runs and 29 RBIs in each of the past four seasons. He completed Domingo Germán’s perfect game in 2023 and Corey Kluber’s no-hitter in 2021 at Globe Life Field. He became the 13th catcher in MLB history to pitch a complete game and a no-hitter.
Higashioka has a career .212/.255/.412/.668 (234-1104) slash line with 57 home runs in 398 games over eight MLB seasons. According to Fangraphs, his 28.4 frame runs per catcher since 2019 is the seventh-most in MLB during that span.
Texas has 39 players on the club’s 40-man roster.
X You can follow Stefan Stephenson at @StefanVersusTex.
Stay up to date with Inside the Rangers on Facebook and X.
