Rangers sign Mike Minor to 3-year deal

The Rangers have officially signed free-agent left-hander Mike Minor to a 3-year, $28 million contract, a source confirmed to SB Nation on Wednesday. Texas announced the deal once Minor passed a physical.

Minor, who will turn 30 at the end of the month, will work as a starter for Texas, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. The lefty worked to a 2.55 ERA in 77.2 innings with the Royals working as a reliever for the first time in his career, but has five years of experience as an effective major-league starter with the Braves from 2010 to 2014.

Minor is the second rotation addition of the winter for the Rangers, who added Doug Fister to a group that already included lefties Cole Hamels and Martin Perez and may yet include another converted reliever in Matt Bush. Texas entered the winter looking for three starters to replace departed righties Yu Darvish and Andrew Cashner and has been linked to top options Jake Arrieta and Alex Cobb in addition to being named one of the seven finalists for Shohei Ohtani.

Minor was non-tendered by the Braves after missing the 2015 season due to shoulder issues, then signed a two-year deal with the Royals. Setbacks caused Minor to miss the 2016 season as well, though he re-established his value with an excellent season out of pen in 2017.

Minor was one of the top relief options available in free agency alongside Wade Davis, Greg Holland and Bryan Shaw this winter, though none of those other options are seen as potential starters. Minor was linked to the Red Sox, Cubs, Astros, Mets and others after declining his mutual option with the Royals at the end of the season and was thought to be a candidate to receive a four-year deal.

Texas has been one of the most active teams on a slow transaction market thus far, inking Minor, Fister, Tony Barnette and Chi Chi Gonzalez while acquiring righty Ronald Herrera in a minor deal with the Yankees.

Minor’s deal, which comes with an average annual value of $9.33 million, also comes with a 10-team no-trade clause, according to Yahoo’s Jeff Passan.