Recent Guardians playoff Game 1 starter signs with another AL postseason hopeful

At one point, it looked like Cal Quantrill was going to be a part of the future of the Guardians’ rotation. 

Now he’s looking to resurrect his career with an American League rival, as Quantrill signed a minor league contract with the Rangers on Thursday after a disastrous 2025 season where he pitched for the Marlins and Braves.

Former Guardians starter Cal Quantrill signs minor league deal with Rangers 

After being acquired from the Padres at the 2020 trade deadline as a part of the return for Mike Clevinger, Quantrill had a genuine star turn for the Guardians in 2021 and posted a 2.89 ERA in 142 2/3 innings thanks to a stellar second half. 

While his counting took a minor step back the next season (3.38 ERA), he was still an extremely valuable piece for the Guardians. Not only did he end up throwing 186 2/3 innings (the third-most on the team), but he also went 9-0 in starts at Progressive Field and got the start in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Yankees. 

That ended up being the beginning of the end for Quantrill, as he struggled with injuries in 2023 and was eventually traded to the Rockies after the season. 

He had a 4.98 ERA with the Rockies, which led to him settling for a one-year deal with the Marlins for 2025. He struggled out of the gates (8.10 ERA) but seemed to settle in during the summer. 

That momentum went sideways in August, however, as he allowed 12 runs in 15 innings in August before being designated for assignment. 

The Braves claimed him on waivers but cut him after two disastrous starts. In total, he posted a 5.50 ERA in 109 2/3 innings with a measly 17.4% strikeout rate. 

He made two starts for the Rangers at Triple-A at the end of last season, which apparently was enough for Texas’ brass to want to roll the dice on him again for 2026. 

When Quantrill was at his best with the Guardians, he was able to keep hitters off balance thanks to a deep arsenal that included five pitches he had no problem throwing. 

That wasn’t the case last season, as hitters hit .268 or better on all four of his pitches with the highest usage. 

Although he’s only going to be on a minor league deal with the Rangers, he should still have a solid chance to make the team thanks to the fact they don’t have a ton of pitching depth behind Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and new addition MacKenzie Gore.

Quantrill will have an uphill climb thanks to his rough 2025, but it’s hard to believe that he won't be able to find at least a modicum of the success he had with Cleveland.