The Texas Rangers have reached an agreement with right-handed reliever Mason Thompson on a minor-league contract, according to the team’s official transaction log on MLB.com.

The signing represents a return to familiar territory for Thompson, who grew up in Round Rock, Texas, and is expected to report to major-league camp later this month as a non-roster invitee.

Thompson, originally selected by the San Diego Padres in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft, has appeared in parts of four big-league seasons with San Diego and the Washington Nationals.

Across 114 career major-league innings, the 6-foot-6 right-hander owns a 5.21 ERA, though that number was heavily impacted by a difficult 2025 campaign.

Last season, Thompson struggled in limited action, surrendering 16 earned runs over just 10 2/3 innings at the MLB level while also posting an ERA north of 6.00 in a brief minor-league stint.

Those results came as Thompson worked his way back from Tommy John surgery, which sidelined him early in the 2024 season.

Prior to the injury, he was a more effective contributor out of the Nationals' bullpen, compiling a 4.53 ERA over 103 1/3 innings.

While his strikeout and walk rates lagged behind league averages during that stretch, Thompson excelled at keeping the ball on the ground, generating a ground-ball rate above 50 percent.

Velocity has long been a strength of Thompson’s profile. Even during his return last season, his sinker averaged around 95 mph despite being slightly diminished from pre-injury levels.

He pairs that pitch with a four-seam fastball of similar velocity, a slider in the mid-80s, and an occasional changeup, giving him multiple looks against opposing hitters.

For Texas, the signing fits a familiar offseason blueprint. After constructing much of their bullpen on short-term, low-cost deals a year ago, the Rangers once again entered the winter with significant relief needs.

The club has addressed that by retaining Chris Martin and adding several veterans on one-year contracts, while also taking a chance on upside arms like Thompson.

If healthy, Thompson could position himself as one of the more experienced relief options among the team’s non-roster invitees heading into Spring Training.

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