The Rangers have designated lefty Chris Rearick for assignment, according to club executive VP of communications John Blake. Texas will promote a fellow southpaw relief option in 22-year-old Andrew Faulkner.
The move comes just one day after Rearick was claimed off waivers from the Padres and optioned to Triple-A. It is certainly possible that the Rangers added the 27-year-old with hopes of slipping him through waivers themselves. That would allow the team to hold him in its minor league system while not occupying a 40-man spot.
Really excited about Faulkner. The numbers he’s put up out of the pen in the minors this year have been filthy. 1.40 ERA, 12.3 K/9, .405 OPS against, what’s not to like? I used to cringe whenever the Rangers bullpen took over a game because it was filled with guys like Phil Klein, Spencer Patton, and Tanner Scheppers. Now, it’s turning into a force to be reckoned with, thanks to Kela, Dyson, Diekman, and Tolleson. Hopefully Faulkner will be a big part of this new look Rangers pen.