Baumler was selected by Pittsburgh from Baltimore in today’s Rule 5 Draft
Here’s a polished, press-ready rewrite of your announcement:
ARLINGTON, TX – The Texas Rangers today announced the acquisition of right-handed pitcher Carter Baumler from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jaiker Garcia and cash considerations. Baumler, selected by Pittsburgh from Baltimore in the Major League phase of today’s Rule 5 Draft, has been added to Texas’ 40-man roster, which now stands at 35 players.
Baumler, 23, excelled across three levels of Baltimore’s system in 2025, going 2-0 with two saves and a 2.04 ERA (9 ER/39.2 IP) in 28 relief appearances for the Rookie-level FCL Orioles, High-A Aberdeen, and Double-A Chesapeake. He did not allow a home run while posting a 10.4 strikeouts-per-nine ratio and a 1.084 WHIP, the seventh-lowest among Orioles farmhands with at least 30.0 innings pitched. Drafted by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of Dowling Catholic High School (Iowa), Baumler owns a career 7-1 record with two saves, a 3.05 ERA (30 ER/88.2 IP), and 104 strikeouts over 49 games (10 starts) from 2022–25. He missed the 2021 season following Tommy John surgery performed by Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister.
Garcia, who turns 21 on December 23, appeared in 18 games for the Rookie-level ACL Rangers in 2025, going 3-3 with two saves and a 4.66 ERA (10 ER/19.1 IP). The Venezuela native carries a career 5-8 record with a 7.22 ERA in 37 appearances (10 starts) since signing with Texas in 2022. Garcia began his professional career as a position player before converting to pitching full-time in 2023.
In the minor league (Triple-A) phase of Wednesday’s Rule 5 Draft, Texas selected right-handed pitcher Jonathan Brand from Boston’s Double-A roster. Brand, 25, posted a 3.16 ERA (18 ER/51.1 IP) with five saves and 59 strikeouts across 33 relief outings in 2025, splitting time between High-A Greenville (12 games), Double-A Portland (20 games), and Triple-A Worcester (1 game). An eighth-round pick by Boston in 2022 out of Miami (Ohio) University, the Columbus, Ga. native has compiled a 3.05 ERA over 49 games (10 starts) in four minor league seasons.
Two Rangers pitchers were selected by other clubs in the minor league phase: Jackson Kelley (Chicago-AL, 1st round) and Kyle Larsen (Pittsburgh, 3rd round). Kelley, 25, spent most of 2025 with Double-A Frisco, recording a 2.40 ERA (8 ER/30.0 IP) in 20 relief appearances. A 12th-round pick in 2022 out of Mercer University, he is 13-4 with a 3.23 ERA in 103 career minor league games. Larsen, drafted in the 18th round in 2021 from TNXL Academy (Fla.), posted a 4.09 ERA (15 ER/33.0 IP) in 20 outings between the ACL Rangers and Single-A Hickory in 2025. Over three seasons, he is 6-5 with a 4.59 ERA in 41 games (15 starts).
The Rule 5 Draft allows clubs with open 40-man roster spots to select eligible players from other organizations. Major League phase selections require a $100,000 payment to the player’s former club, with draftees required to remain on the 26-man roster for the full season or be offered back for $50,000. Minor league phase selections remain with their new organization, with a $24,000 payment made to the player’s former team.
