About a week ago, it was reported that the San Diego Padres were nearing a deal with a key player from the Texas Rangers’ 2023 World Series run. According to Mike Rodriguez, the Friars were targeting a deal with José Leclerc as a depth piece in their ‘pen.
That deal has now been made official, per MLB.com’s transactions page.
A former closer for the Rangers, Leclerc dominated on the mound when he was healthy. But he wasn’t always that way.
Injury worries before a dominant resurgence
When he was first named the closer by Texas in 2019, Leclerc struggled. He ended the year with a 4.33 ERA across 70 innings for a Rangers squad that finished third in the AL West.
Then, in early 2021, he underwent Tommy John surgery that kept him out for the season, leading many to question if he could ever return to the flashes of dominance he displayed in 2018 (1.56 ERA, 57.2 IP).
He put those worries to rest in 2022.
From 2022-23, Leclerc recorded a 2.75 ERA with Texas, capping it off with a World Series ring to boot. He was a key piece out of the relief corps for the Rangers, and helped bring the club its first ever Fall Classic win after falling short in 2010 (San Francisco Giants) and 2011 (St. Louis Cardinals).
Has Father Time caught up?
That being said, Leclerc struggled mightily in his last two seasons. From 2024-25, between the Rangers and Athletics, he posted a 4.64 ERA across 74 games.
That figure includes a ballooned 2025 ERA (6.00) after he only saw nine innings of action with the A’s, giving up six runs in that time frame. His season in Sacramento ended early due to a right shoulder injury that saw him undergo surgery last July.
He’s certainly had an up-and-down career in terms of results, but the stuff is there. He obviously has a desire to compete after throwing a bullpen session for interested clubs earlier this offseason.
Leclerc is still rehabbing after his season-ending surgery, targeting a return sometime around July. If that’s the case, it will mark an opportunity for San Diego to bolster its relief corps amidst the dog days of summer.
Until then, it is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Padres. If Leclerc can touch his previous heights and offer some serviceable innings, then San Diego will have made a worthwhile pickup.
That’s the beauty of a minor-league pickup. There are no real strings attached. If Leclerc comes back at the Triple-A level and struggles, then he’ll likely not get an opportunity to affect the big-league club.
On the other hand, if he can be dominant again, Leclerc could figure to be a valuable piece of a bullpen already crowded with shutout relievers.
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