Lower than a 12 months after being traded from Texas to Milwaukee, right-hander Matt Bush is again within the Rangers group. The 37-year-old Bush, launched by the Brewers final week, has signed a minor league cope with the Rangers, per the crew’s transaction log at MLB.com. The Full Circle Sports activities Administration consumer has been assigned to Double-A Frisco in the interim.

Traded from the Rangers to the Brewers in change for utilityman Mark Mathias and lefty Antoine Kellylate final July, Bush by no means fairly discovered his footing in Milwaukee. On the time of the deal, he boasted a 2.95 ERA (2.77 SIERA), 29.8% strikeout price and 6.6% stroll price in 36 2/3 innings. Bush’s strikeout price really improved a slight bit down the stretch in Milwaukee, however his stroll price crept up two share factors as properly. Most problematically, he grew to become fairly vulnerable to dwelling runs, yielding six lengthy balls in 23 innings down the stretch.

Bush nonetheless posted a serviceable 4.30 ERA in Milwaukee, dwelling run troubles however, and his robust strikeout/stroll numbers had been sufficient for the crew to tender him a contract. The 2 events agreed to a $1.85MM wage for the present season, however Bush took a step again in almost each notable class. After averaging 97.4 mph on his fastball in 2022, the right-hander sat at 94.8 mph in restricted work with the Brewers this season. That’s maybe attributable to tendinitis in his proper rotator cuff, which despatched him to the injured checklist for almost two months, however regardless of the cause, the outcomes had been grim.

In 12 appearances this 12 months, Bush pitched simply 10 1/3 innings whereas permitting 11 runs on 11 hits and 5 walks.  5 of these 11 knocks had been homers, and Bush’s strikeout price plummeted almost 10 share factors (from 30.3% to twenty.8%) whereas his stroll price spiked greater than 5 share factors (from 7.4% to 12.5%).

The Rangers have been trying to find bullpen upgrades for a while — they acquired Aroldis Chapman from the Royals in the one notable commerce of deadline season up to now — so it’s not altogether shocking that they’d take what’s principally a free take a look at a pitcher they know fairly properly. Bush commonly labored in high-leverage spots with the Rangers from 2016-22, totaling 177 2/3 innings of three.34 ERA ball with a 24.8% strikeout price, 7.6% stroll price, 46 holds and 12 saves in that point. He received’t be considered as any form of definitive resolution for the Rangers, who’ll presumably stay out there for aid upgrades even after buying Chapman, however Bush could possibly be a second-half possibility if he can get again on observe within the minors.