ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers agreed to terms on new contracts for right-handed pitchers Dane Dunning and Josh Sborz ahead of Friday night’s tender deadline, leaving them with three players still eligible for salary arbitration.
Dunning got a $2.66 million deal that includes $985,000 in performance bonuses for innings in 2025, down from his $3,325,000 base salary this season when he was on the injured list twice because of right shoulder issues. He would earn $50,000 each for reaching 30, 40, 50 and 60 innings, $75,000 apiece for 70, 80 and 90, and $80,000 for 100, 105, 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150.
Sborz, who had right shoulder surgery this month, got $1.1 million with $250,000 in bonuses for innings after making $1,025,000 this year. He would earn $25,000 for five innings, $50,000 for 10, $75,000 for 15 and $100,000 for 20.
Texas tendered 2025 contract offers to all 27 eligible players on its big league roster. That included first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, switch-hitting catcher Jonah Heim and center fielder Leody Taveras, who are all eligible for salary arbitration.
After getting the final seven outs in the World Series championship-clinching victory at Arizona in Game 5 in 2023, Sborz sat out 107 games this season while on the injured list four times for right shoulder issues.
The Rangers revealed Friday that Sborz had a debridement procedure performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Nov. 13. The team said there was a reasonable expectation Sborz could return to game action in the first half of the 2025 season.
Sborz pitched only 16⅓ innings in 17 appearances this season. He was 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA.
Dunning sat out 29 games during his IL stints, and was demoted to Triple-A Round Rock at one point. While with the Rangers, he went 5-7 with a 5.31 ERA in 26 games (15 starts) as he split time between the rotation and the bullpen the way he also did during the World Series season.
Source: www.espn.com