Free-agent right-hander reliever Jose Leclerc and the Athletics agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal on Friday, according to sources. Leclerc will stay in the American League West after playing the first eight years of his MLB career with the Texas Rangers. The 31-year-old struggled to a 4.32 ERA (3.48 FIP) in 66 2/3 relief innings and only had one save with Texas in 2024, but he did have a strikeout rate over 30 percent, and his 3.48 FIP shows he was a bit unlucky. In addition to generating plenty of swings and misses, Leclerc can be wild on the mound, which makes him a volatile fantasy option as a high-leverage arm. He began last year as the Rangers closer but was quickly demoted after giving up runs in four of his first five appearances. The A's already have Mason Miller locked into their closer role, but Leclerc should be the eighth-inning setup man and could be quite useful in leagues that reward holds.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc will be working low-leverage situations temporarily, per manager Bruce Bochy. The Rangers were pleased with Leclerc's outing during Friday's 12-8 win over the division-rival Houston Astros after the right-hander struck out two batters, but it was an extremely low-leverage spot against the seventh, eighth, and ninth hitters with Texas up 12-3 in the sixth inning. It's bad news for fantasy managers hoping to get saves out of Leclerc, who holds a dismal 12.00 ERA and 2.33 WHIP with one blown save over six frames. The 30-year-old is not an instant drop candidate in fantasy, as he could work his way back into the ninth-inning mix with improved play, but David Robertson and Kirby Yates both have plenty of closing experience. Robertson, only rostered in 43% of Yahoo leagues, has given up just one run over 8 1/3 innings and should be added across all formats until this situation is settled.

Texas Rangers right-handed reliever Jose Leclerc blew the save against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday when he gave up a two-run home run to catcher Shea Langeliers, his third home run of the game. Leclerc has now allowed at least one run in four of his first five outings so far this year. "He's healthy, he's fine," manager Bruce Bochy said. Texas' bullpen was a glaring weakness last year despite winning the World Series, but the skipper isn't panicking just yet in 2024. "These guys, with what they've done, no, I don't have concern. You stay behind them. They're human, they're gonna make some mistakes. That's a part of the game, but no. Now, it's too early to be concerned." Leclerc remains the team's closer for now, but he's on the hot seat early on and could be replaced by David Robertson or Kirby Yates if his early season struggles persist.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc got demolished on Sunday, leading to a 9-5 loss at the hands of the Chicago Cubs. Leclerc entered into a 5-5 game in the ninth, but things unraveled for him quickly. He walked three and allowed a hit before being pulled. All four of those runners ended up scoring, making for an ugly final line. Leclerc has now given up five runs and walked five in 1 IP this year. If he continues to struggle, the Rangers could opt to go with David Robertson as their closer or use a committee. It might not take many more bad appearances, so Leclerc owners should be looking for backup options in case the struggles continue.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc has a strong possibility of opening the regular season as the team's closer, according to manager Bruce Bochy. The 30-year-old ended last season as the closer and appears in a good spot to keep that role. Last season, Leclerc finished with a 2.68 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, and 67 strikeouts in 57 games with the Rangers. It's worth noting that veteran right-hander David Robertson could be in the mix as well. However, Leclerc looks locked in for a majority of the save chances in Texas right now. He should be at least a top-20 closing option heading into the regular season.

Texas Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc tossed his second straight solid outing Friday versus the Kansas City Royals. The right-hander tossed a scoreless, hitless inning with two strikeouts, tossing his second straight scoreless frame in the process. Leclerc allowed two earned runs on three hits, including a homer, in just 1/3 of an inning in his spring debut on Feb. 29 but has bounced back nicely since. The 30-year-old was excellent for the second straight season in 2023, tossing a 2.68 ERA in 57 outings but he also walked 12% of the hitters he faced. He is the projected Rangers closer to open the season following the offseason departure of Will Smith. However, he won't have a long leash as the club added David Robertson this offseason while Josh Sborz and Kirby Yates could also be in the mix if Leclerc struggles out of the gate. He is a worthwhile investment with a 195.3 ADP but he is far from a sure thing.

The Texas Rangers exercised right-handed reliever Jose Leclerc's $6.25 million option for the 2024 season. Although he had just four saves during the regular season, Leclerc was a vital late-inning bullpen piece that helped the Rangers win their first-ever World Series title this fall over the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games. In his seventh big-league season, he had a strong 2.68 ERA (3.62 FIP), 1.14 WHIP, 28 walks and 67 strikeouts in 57 innings in relief during the regular season. The 29-year-old allowed five earned runs on nine hits (three home runs) while walking six and striking out 14 in 13 2/3 relief innings in the postseason, securing four saves and a hold. Given his dominance in the late innings for Texas in recent seasons, he should be in line for more saves at the back end of their bullpen again in 2024.

Texas Rangers right-handed pitcher Jose Leclerc picked up his fourth save Sunday in a 9-8 win over the Seattle Mariners. Leclerc allowed a hit, but struck out two and didn't allow a run in his inning of work. The 29-year-old has been a big part of the Rangers bullpen late in the season, notching three saves and five holds since August 24. Although Aroldis Chapman appears to be the favorite for saves still, Leclerc could get some opportunities when the lineup they are facing is righty-heavy. He is a potential save source in deeper leagues for the final week of the season.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc picked up his third save of the season in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Red Sox. Leclerc came in to pitch the top of the ninth up by two and delivered a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. Six different relievers have seen save opportunities for the Rangers in September and Leclerc has led the way with three. He has only converted one of them but has done so with a 3.38 ERA. Walks are still an issue for the 29-year-old, but he has pitched well overall with a 2.98 ERA and 10.17 K/9 rate this season. It looks like Leclerc may be the frontrunner for save opportunities to finish out the season for the Rangers, making him worth a roster spot in at least all roto leagues.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc picked up his second save of the season in Monday's 4-3 win over the Mets. Leclerc came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth up by one. He got the first two outs on strikeouts, allowed a walk, and ended the game on a lineout. William Smith has struggled overall lately and Aroldis Chapman had pitched the previous two days, so Leclerc got the call to close this one out. The 29-year-old has pitched well this season, compiling a 2.51 ERA with a 9.84 K/9 rate and a 4.40 BB/9 rate. However, his fantasy value will remain limited unless he can break into the high-leverage mix consistently.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc surrendered two runs in one-third of an inning during Wednesday's defeat to the Diamondbacks. Leclerc already relinquished what remained of his closer's mantle prior to this setback, when manager Bruce Bochy made it official that William Smith would see the bulk of the ninth-inning work going forward. It was thought to be a committee with the left-handed Smith based on matchups, but the writing has been on the wall for this development all season. Leclerc's fastball velocity is down to a career-low speed, and a lack of control (1.40 WHIP) has led to his demotion. The righty should be in the mix for holds, but those wanting saves should search elsewhere at this time until he gets right.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc suffered a blown save and was hit with the loss on Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds when he allowed an unearned run while walking three and striking out one in one-third of an inning in the bottom of the eighth. The 29-year-old entered the game in a tough situation with the bases loaded, but he did himself and the team no favors when he walked the first two hitters he faced. It was his second blown save in as many outings, and although Leclerc has yet to allow an earned run in nine relief appearances this year, he's walked seven and struck out eight in 8 2/3 innings of work. He'll need to limit his walks moving forward if he wants to continue seeing save chances over lefty Will Smith.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc blew his first save of the season in Tuesday's 8-5 extra-innings win over the Royals. Leclerc came on to pitch the top of the ninth up by one with no outs and a runner on first. He allowed a walk, got the first out on a flyout which allowed the runner to advance to third, allowed a game-tying RBI single, and then ended the half-inning on a double play. Leclerc has yet to allow a charged run this season but he has walked three batters in 4 1/3 innings. It was unknown how the Rangers would handle save situations this season and Leclerc now has converted half of his save opportunities. He may still have the edge, but he could see those opportunities dwindle if he continues to walk batters. Will Smith would potentially be the beneficiary in that scenario.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc notched his first save of the season against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. The right-hander threw a scoreless ninth inning to help his team secure the 5-2 victory. It's worth noting that Leclerc has seen his velocity drop 2-3 mph. It's uncertain if the right-hander is going to be the long term option at closer. Manager Bruce Bochy said he likes the versatility of his bullpen. Lefty Will Smith also has a save this season, so this could end up being a bullpen by committee situation. For the moment, Leclerc appears to have safe fantasy value, but we'll see how long it lasts.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc was expected to be the team's primary closer when the season started, but left-hander Will Smith picked up the first save on Sunday night against the Philadelphia Phillies. Manager Bruce Bochy said he likes the versatility of his bullpen and indicated that he could use any of his closing candidates on a given night. "It's a very versatile bullpen where I can use them in the fifth, sixth or high-leverage situations in the eighth and ninth," Bochy said. "It's a fun bullpen. Balance with the lefties and righties... there may be times where really all of them could [close] at some point." So while Leclerc should still see save opportunities, it appears he won't be the primary guy, lowering his fantasy appeal.

Texas Rangers closer Jose Leclerc (neck) has officially dropped out of this year's World Baseball Classic for Team Dominican Republic, according to manager Bruce Bochy. General manager Chris Young said on Wednesday that LeClerc is dealing with some neck tightness. It remains to be seen when the 29-year-old will make his Cactus League debut in spring training, but the good news is that relievers don't need nearly as much build-up time in camp in order to be ready for the start of the regular season. If healthy, he's the leading candidate for saves in Texas, which gives him plenty of fantasy appeal. If he's not ready by Opening Day at the end of this month, the Rangers could turn to Jonathan Hernandez or Brock Burke in the closer's role.

Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young said that relief pitcher Jose Leclerc (neck) is dealing with some neck tightness in camp, and the staff is evaluating how it might affect his participation in this year's World Baseball Classic for Team Dominican Republic. Leclerc had a strong 2.83 ERA (3.72 FIP), 1.13 WHIP, seven saves and 54 strikeouts in 47 2/3 relief innings for the Rangers in 2022, and he's set to open the year as the Rangers' primary closer, so fantasy managers will want to pay close attention to whether he'll be ready for Opening Day. If Leclerc needs to open on the injured list, Jonathan Hernandez and Brock Burke could share save opportunities in Texas. RotoBaller currently has Leclerc ranked as the No. 24 fantasy reliever.

Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young named several players currently on the roster as potential options to serve as the team's closer in an interview Saturday, per the Athletic's Levi Weaver. This included Jose Leclerc, Jonathan Hernandez, Ian Kennedy, Danny Duffy, Brett Martin, and Brock Burke. Joe Barlow would also be considered in this mix. However, it sounded as though Leclerc would be the initial candidate given his history. The 29-year-old pitched well in 2022 after returning from Tommy John surgery, converting seven of nine save opportunities with a 2.83 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 27.3% strikeout rate. There are a number of players on the Rangers who have some closer experience, including Leclerc. The biggest issue for him has been walks, as he owns a career 5.32 BB/9 rate. The Rangers appear slated to be a more competitive team this season, so whoever is closing for them would hold fantasy value, although the role may not be consistent. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on further developments as things get closer to the start of the season.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc was able to escape with his second save of the season on Friday. The right-hander came in with a three-run lead, but that quickly changed. Leclerc walked Jeimer Candelario and then allowed to two-run home run to Riley Greene. After that, Leclerc gave up a single to Victor Reyes, but settled down after the hit. He retired the next two batters to end the game. It wasn't easy, but Leclerc was able to end the Tigers comeback attempt. Sadly, he doesn't have much fantasy value with Matt Moore, Jonathan Hernandez and Taylor Hearn in the mix for saves as well.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc recorded his first save of the season Sunday, throwing a perfect inning with one strikeouts against the Seattle Mariners to secure a 5-3 victory. While Texas has been employing a committee approach to the late innings recently, LeClerc has some pedigree with 26 saves in the 2018 and 2019 seasons combined. He carries a 3.54 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 25 strikeouts in 28 innings this year, which aren't impressive enough to think he'll be regaining the role anytime soon.