May 26, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Gerson Garabito (58) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Target Field. Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

Former Rangers Veteran Reliever Signs With Historically Successful KBO Team

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI
By Jeremy Trottier | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Texas Rangers have had a tough start to their 2025 campaign, with their record sitting at 36-39 after their game on June 19.

This is certainly not where the team wanted to be when it comes to the first few months, and it seems as though they have not really gained much momentum despite a plethora of roster changes being made over the early portion of the year.

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One of the roster changes they ended up making was releasing veteran reliever Gerson Garabito.

After a somewhat difficult start to his MLB career and minimal playing time being provided to him, it was reported that he was interested in heading overseas, specifically to Korea, to pursue an opportunity there instead.

In what was his last stint with the Rangers, he made three appearances and put together a 9.00 ERA and 2.000 WHIP, allowing 15 hits, one home run while striking out eight batters in 8.0 innings pitched.

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Unfortunately, he did not receive another chance, and after spending a year and a half in the Texas system, he will now move on to a new team in a different league.

Shortly after being released by the Rangers, Garabito was announced as the newest signing of the Samsung Lions in the KBO.

Welcome, No.60 Gerson Garabito pic.twitter.com/FqMZQcnOXT
— 삼성 라이온즈 (@twittlions) June 19, 2025

This move was one that had been rumored multiple times in the days leading up to the official announcement, but it has now been finalized with a team post to confirm the deal.

With the original reports after his release indicating a move to Korea was coming, this does not come as a surprise.

The Lions are historically one of the better teams in the KBO, having won eight Korean Series Championships and nine League Championships in their 43 years of history. But they have struggled in recent years, with their last Korean Series Championship coming in 2014.

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As of June 20, they sit in fifth place among the 10 KBO teams, with a 38-34-1 record to their name. That puts them four and a half games back from the Hanwha Eagles, who lead the league.

This should provide a good opportunity for Garabito to get his career back on track. Additionally, this should give him a chance to get some more playing time than he had in the MLB, so hopefully he will be able to improve during this stint.

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This article first appeared on Texas Rangers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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