The Texas Rangers signed free agent right-handed pitcher Jeremy Guthrie to a minor league contract on Sunday with an invitation to spring training camp.
Guthrie, who turns 37 on April 8, joined the Rangers in Surprise, Ariz., and completed a physical.
Guthrie has spent the last three-plus seasons with the Kansas City Royals, averaging 12 wins and 188 innings from 2013-15. He spent the bulk of the 2015 season in the rotation for the World Series champion Royals, posting an 8-8 record with a 5.95 ERA over 148 1/3 innings in 30 games (24 starts). He was not on the team’s postseason roster last year but made a pair of World Series starts in 2014, including a Game 3 win in San Francisco.
A mutual option for 2016 was declined by the Royals on Nov. 4, making Guthrie a free agent.
Guthrie has a career 91-108 record with a 4.37 ERA in 305 games (272 starts) with Cleveland (2004-06), Baltimore (2007-11), Colorado (2012) and Kansas City.
Guthrie wrote a goodbye note to Kansas City’s fans on his Instagram account:
“THANK YOU. No other way to express the feelings of my heart or articulate what Kansas City means to my family & me. You are a part of the Guthries forever & we hope we have left you a little better than we found you in 2012. The future will take us on many new adventures but we will always consider KC home. #ForeverRoyal.”