Right-handed pitcher Yoshinori Tateyama has agreed to terms on a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, the club announced Thursday. Tateyama will be invited to major league spring training.
The move gives the Rangers another candidate for the bullpen. Texas has revamped the relief corps as Mike Adams, Koji Uehara and Scott Feldman signed elsewhere and Alexi Ogando was moved to the rotation. Texas signed Joakim Soria, who could return from surgery in May or June, and has acquired Josh Lindblom, Coty Woods and Tommy Hottovy this offseason as they look for relievers to help bridge the gap from the starter to closer Joe Nathan.
Tateyama, who turns 37 next week, has spent the past two seasons with the Rangers. He made 53 appearances in that time, going 3-0 with a 5.75 ERA. He had 17 walks and 61 strikeouts. Last season, he allowed 17 earned runs in 17 innings and spent some of the season in Triple-A Round Rock, where he was 4-0 with six saves and a 1.13 ERA in 39 2/3 innings (32 outings).
The Rangers now have 54 players on the club's spring training roster, including 39 on the 40-man roster.
