Kyle Higashioka signs contract with the Rangers

The Rangers have acquired one of the top catchers on the free-agent market, announcing Monday that they have agreed to a two-year deal with Kyle Higashioka. The deal also includes a mutual option for 2027.

A seventh-round pick of the Yankees in 2008, Higashioka spent more than 15 years in the organization before being traded to the Padres along with Michael King, Jhony Brito, Drew Thorpe and Randy Vásquez as part of the blockbuster Juan Soto deal .

He’s coming off his best power season to date – despite a .220 batting average, Higashioka hit 17 home runs in 84 games and finished the year with a .476 batting average. His bat also came up big in October; He homered in both games of the Padres’ Wild Card Series against the Braves and hit another in the NLDS against the Dodgers.

Although his power made him a viable short-term starter, Higashioka functioned primarily as a backup catcher with a particular aptitude for pitch-framing, ranking in the 90th percentile in catch-framing runs in 2023. His block work and running game management has been much less consistent in the past – his -20 blocks above average since the start of the 2023 season is the second fewest in the MLB, and his average pop time fell into the 10th qualified percentile in 2024 Catcher.

In eight major league seasons, Higashioka is a .212/.255/.412 hitter with 57 home runs and a lifetime 81 OPS+.