Rangers re-sign Stuff+ leader Gavin Collyer and Catcher Cooper Johnson to Minor League Deals

The Texas Rangers announced Thursday that the club has signed seven players to minor league contracts. Those players are INF Jonah Bride, RHP Gavin Collyer, C Jose Herrera, C Cooper Johnson, INF Andrew Velazquez, LHP Anthony Veneziano, UTL Tyler Wade. These players do not necessarily make the selection in the big league, but they are there for depth in the minor leagues.

Among the additions, two familiar faces return to the organization: right-handed pitcher Gavin Collyer and catcher Cooper Johnson.

Both players received invitations to the Rangers’ 2026 Major League Spring Training camp.

Collyer: 2025 Minor League Stuff+ leader

Collyer, who turns 25 in May, is coming off a 2025 season that saw him climb two levels within the Rangers’ farm system. The right-handed reliever spent time at Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock.

In Frisco, Collyer posted a 3.97 ERA over 45 1/3 innings. While his walk rate remained a concern, he proved his ability to miss bats by racking up 65 strikeouts. He often threw in high-leverage situations.

After a promotion to Triple-A Round Rock, Collyer played in 14 games and threw 16 innings with an ERA of 5.63. At the Triple-A level, he recorded 21 strikeouts, but walked 15.

Despite the high ERA in Triple-A, Collyer remains one of the most intriguing branches in the organization due to his raw pitching statistics. He has a repertoire that includes a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a cutter and a sweeper. He ran Minor League Baseball in Stuff+.

Top 5 Stuff+ Leaders of 2025:

Gavin Collyer (Rangers) – 124
Carlos Lagrange (Yankees) – 121
Griff McGarry (Phillies) – 121
Jacob Misiorowski (brewers) – 119
Devereaux Harrison (Blue Jays) -119

View the full Top 150: https://t.co/G8SMVgH1PT pic.twitter.com/3Ujeo7WkUz

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) October 6, 2025

Interview with Texas Rangers pitching prospect Gavin Collyer

When we think of the Texas Rangers’ pitching prospects, Gavin Collyer, who stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 190 pounds, may not be the first name that comes to mind, but he is undoubtedly someone we will be keeping a close eye on this season. Collyer was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 12th round

The Texas Rangers selected Collyer in the 12th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of high school. Collyer is positioned to potentially contribute to the major-league bullpen at some point during the 2026 campaign.

What is Stuff+?

Stuff+ is a metric that evaluates the physical characteristics of a pitch, including speed, release point, spin rate and movement, regardless of location or result. The scale is set so that 100 is the league average.

Johnson returns to provide catching depth

Cooper Johnson, who turns 28 in April, also returns to the organization after splitting time between Frisco and Round Rock in 2025.

Johnson showed flashes of power in Double-A, slashing .267/.380/.500 with an .880 OPS, three home runs and eight RBIs in 18 games.

After moving up to Triple-A Round Rock, he played in 82 games and batted .209 with six home runs and 32 RBIs.

To stay sharp this season, Johnson played for the Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican Winter League, where he hit .222 with three RBIs in limited action.

Johnson was a sixth-round pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2019 and has a career batting average of .210 with 32 home runs and 151 RBIs throughout his professional career.

For more in-depth coverage of the Texas farm system and every schedule change this winter, stay tuned to The Prospect Times. Make sure you sign up for our free newsletter so you never miss an update from us.

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