Heaney opts in for $13M to stay with Rangers, and World Series champs exercise option for Leclerc

Updated Nov. 4, 2023 7:19 p.m. ET

Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney exercised his $13 million player option to remain next season with the World Series champions, who also Saturday exercised a $6 million club option for right-handed reliever Jose Leclerc.

Heaney had a career high in wins by going 10-6 with a 4.15 ERA in 34 games (28 starts) in his first season for Texas. The 32-year-old started three of the five games he appeared in during the postseason, and his lone career playoff win came in Game 4 of the World Series against Arizona when he allowed one run over five innings.

With his 147 1/3 innings in the regular season, Heaney came up just short of the 150 innings that would have increased the value of his option to $20 million. There would have been a $500,000 buyout had Heaney not exercised his 2024 option.

Leclerc was 1-1 with four saves and a 3.29 ERA while appearing in 13 of the Rangers' 17 playoff games. He was 0-2 with four saves and a 2.68 ERA over 57 relief appearances during the regular season. He would have gotten a $750,000 buyout if his option wasn't exercised by the Rangers.

Texas also has a $6.25 million option for 2025, or a $500,000 buyout, for the pitcher who turns 30 next month. Leclerc has appeared in 286 regular-season games for Texas since his big league debut in 2016, but missed most of 2020 with a shoulder injury and all of the 2021 season after ligament reconstruction elbow surgery that delayed the start of his 2022 season.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb