The Texas Rangers have signed catcher Kyle Higashioka to a two-year contract. the team announced Monday evening.

The deal includes a mutual option for 2027, according to the Rangers. According to Jeff Wilson of DLLS SportsHigashioka is owed $5.75 million in 2025, $6.75 million in 2026, then $7 million in 2027 with a $1 million buyout.

Higashioka spent last season with the San Diego Padres, after a seven-year stint with the New York Yankees. He was one of five players sent to the Bronx in exchange for Juan Soto and Trent Grisham last December, along with Jhony Brito, Michael King, Drew Thorpe and Randy Vásquez.

The 34-year-old catcher had a career year in 2024, hitting .220 with 17 homers, 45 RBIs, a .739 OPS and a 1.4 WAR in 84 games. Higashioka got even hotter in October, posting a .263 batting average with three home runs, five RBIs and a 1.062 OPS in seven postseason appearances.

Higashioka is a career backup, never appearing in more than 92 games in a single major league season. He shared time with Gary Sánchez, Jose Trevino and Austin Wells in New York, then worked in rotation with Luis Campusano and Elias Díaz in San Diego.

In Texas, Higashioka will support Jonah Heim. After hitting .258 with a .755 OPS, a 2.9 WAR, a Gold Glove and an All-Star appearance in 2023, Heim hit .220 with a .602 OPS and a 1.1 WAR in 2024.

Heim has averaged 16 homers, 67 RBIs and a 2.1 WAR per season since 2022, appearing in an average of 130 games per year, so he’s still worthy of the starting reps behind the dish. But after a lackluster campaign, the 29-year-old will be better served with a more reliable backup than journeyman Carson Kelly and Andrew Knizner -0.9 WAR.

Higashioka is a lifetime .212 hitter with a .668 OPS and a 2.2 WAR, averaging 23 home runs and 68 RBIs per 162 games. On defense, he’s known for his framing far more than his suspect blocking skills or lackluster pop speed.

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