Rangers' Jose Leclerc: Bochy not naming closer yet

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Sunday that "there is no pecking order" between Leclerc and the other members of the team's bullpen, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Bochy did indicate, however, that he hopes a closer will emerge during spring training and "we will have a guy who will get closing opportunities" come Opening Day. Leclerc rebounded from a sluggish start last season to finish with a 2.68 ERA and 67:28 K:BB over 57 innings. He notched four saves during the Rangers' postseason run and was unscored upon in three World Series appearances. The other prime candidate beyond Leclerc is David Robertson, whose 2023 season was basically the opposite of Leclerc's in that he started strong with the Mets (2.05 ERA, 14 saves) before struggling with the Marlins (5.06 ERA, four saves). Robertson has by far the most closing experience in the bullpen with 175 career saves, but he'll also turn 39 in April. Josh Sborz and Kirby Yates could also potentially be in the mix.