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Rangers Add Minor League Players as Non-Roster Invitees

The Rangers have signed right-handed pitcher Deolis Guerra to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

The 28-year old spent the last two seasons in the Los Angeles Angels organization, going 2-2 with a 4.98 ERA in 19 games last season. Guerra became a free agent at the end of last season after declining an outright assignment by the Angels.

He has a career record of 7-2 with a 4.17 ERA in 73 games with both the Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Texas has also invited five players from their minor league system to spring training in Surprise, Arizona, three with ties to Double-A Frisco.

Pitcher Reed Garrett, infielder Andy Ibanez and outfielder Scott Heineman spent time with the Roughriders last season.

Garrett went 2-5 with a 4.98 ERA with 10 saves in 44 games last season with Frisco. The 25-year old righty had the fourth most saves in the Rangers farm system after making the move to the bullpen in April. Garrett had a 0.79 ERA with 26 strikeouts over his final 20 relief appearances last season.

Heineman hit .284 with nine home runs and 44 RBI in 117 games with Frisco and ranked among the team leaders in several offensive categories. The 25-year old was an 11th round pick in the 2015 Draft and ranked as the Rangers No. 24 prospect.

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Ibanez, No. 16 on the Rangers prospect list, spent most of his last two seasons in Frisco. The 24-year old hits .265 with eight home runs and 29 RBI in 82 games last year with the Roughriders. He’s seen action at both second and third since signing with Texas as a free agent in 2015.

Pitchers Adrian Sampson and Jeffrey Springs round out the five new non-roster invitees.

In his first season in the Rangers organization, Sampson went 2-2 with a 3.45 ERA in eight starts with rookie-level Arizona Rangers, High-A Down East and Triple-A Round Rock. The 26-year old righty returned to the mound in July after undergoing elbow surgery. He was a waiver claim from the Seattle Mariners in 2016.

Springs was 2-8 with a 3.68 ERA and two saves in 31 games last season with Down East. The southpaw led all Rangers minor league pitchers with 146 strikeouts (second in the Carolina League).

With the additions, the Rangers currently have 18 non-roster invitees to the major league camp.

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