Former Reds pitcher Tyler Mahle finds new home after missing most of 2023 season

Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tyler Mahle has a new home. After missing almost all of the 2023 season following Tommy John surgery, Mahle signed a two-year deal with the reigning World Series Champions.

Mahle inked a two-year/$22-million contract with the Texas Rangers. Mahle will reportedly earn $5.5 million in 2024 and $16.5 million in 2025. According to FanSided's Robert Murray, the deal includes up to $5 million in incentives and a limited no-trade clause as well.

The Reds, of course, traded Mahle in 2022. In exchange, the Minnesota Twins shipped infielders Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Spencer Steer to the Queen City along with pitcher Steve Hajjar.

Former Reds pitcher Tyler Mahle signs with Rangers

While most fans of the Reds are hoping that trade with the Twins will go down as one of the most lopsided in team history, it shouldn't be forgotten how good Tyler Mahle was during his time in Cincinnati.

Mahle was a seventh-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Reds in 2013 and slowly worked his way up through the farm system before making his major league debut in 2017. Mahle, along with Sal Romano and Cody Reed, was expected to be part of the Cincinnati rotation for years to come.

Mahle was, in fact, the only one of the three who actually had a positive impact on the franchise. For five-plus seasons, Mahle was viewed as a back-of-the-rotation starter who would consistently give his manager 5-plus innings.

Throughout his Reds career, Tyler Mahle posted 31-38 record and owned a 4.35 ERA. But from 2020-2021, Mahle was one of the Reds' best starting pitchers. During that two-year stretch, the right-hander was 15-8 with a 3.72 ERA.

However, once it was apparent that Cincinnati was focusing on the future, Mahle became expendable. Along with fellow starter Luis Castillo, Mahle was part of a series of trade deadline deals in 2022.

At the time, Mahle had more than one year of team control remaining, and the Minnesota Twins were desperate to upgrade their rotation.

Unfortunately, last season Mahle suffered an elbow injury and appeared in just five games. But the Texas Rangers, who seem poised to lose Jordan Montgomery in free agncy this offseason, are looking to reload in an effort to return to the World Series in 2024.

Tyler Mahle will slot right in alongside some of the Rangers best starters once he's fully recovered from Tommy John surgery. This is the perfect landing spot for the former Cincinnati Reds hurler.