Rangers Spring Training Preview: Jake Odorizzi

Jake Odorizzi is one of four veteran starting pitchers the Texas Rangers acquired for the 2023 season.

InsidetheRangers.com previews each of the players on the Texas Rangers 40-man roster going into Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona.

P Jake Odorizzi

In 2022: Odorizzi started the season with the Houston Astros as part of its rotation. But Odorizzi ended up on the injured list on May 17 with lower left leg discomfort. He returned on July 4, and a month later the Astros traded him to Atlanta for pitcher Will Smith. Odorizzi finished the season with the Braves, where he triggered the final option year of his contract. Shortly after, Atlanta traded Odorizzi to the Rangers for pitcher Kolby Allard and cash considerations (which ended up being Atlanta picking up $10 million of his $12.5 million salary).

What Odorizzi ended up with was an uneven 2022 in which he went 6-6 with a 4.40 ERA, 86 strikeouts and 35 walks.

Odorizzi’s Career at a Glance: Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first round of the 2008 MLB Draft, Odorizzi has nearly 10 years of MLB experience since his debut in 2012. He made his debut with the Kansas City Royals and followed that with stints with the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, Houston and Atlanta. He made his only All-Star Game appearance in 2019 with Minnesota, where he had a career-high 15 wins. He’s 74-69 for his career with a 3.99 ERA.

Contract Status: Odorizzi is a free agent after 2023.

In Surprise: The Rangers have a fun problem — six starting pitchers for, theoretically, five starting rotation spots. This assumes the Rangers don’t attempt to put together a six-man rotation. Odorizzi was the first starter the Rangers acquired this offseason. Now, he’s locked in competition with Andrew Heaney and Nathan Eovaldi for what would appear to be the final two spots. Odorizzi, like Heaney and Eovaldi, had injury issues last season. But looking back, Odorizzi manages to get at least 100 innings per season (save the 2020 COVID season). He’s durable enough, has a quality repertoire of pitches and will be competitive in Surprise. The question is what the Rangers do with Odorizzi if he's the odd starter out? I doubt they cut him. But do the Rangers put him in the bullpen, send him to Triple-A or release him?

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2023 Texas Rangers 40-Man Spring Training Previews:

Joe Barlow | John King | Dane Dunning | Brett Martin |

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