José Leclerc DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

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.