The Rangers announced on Wednesday that they’ve claimed right-hander Adrian Sampson off waivers from the Mariners. Sampson, who turned 25 in October, had elbow surgery this past June and is expected to open the 2017 season on an injury rehab program, per Rangers executive vice president of communications John Blake. At the time of the operation, Sampson explained to the Tacoma News Tribune’s Bob Dutton that he didn’t require Tommy John surgery but still had a Grade 3 strain in his flexor bundle that required surgical repair.
Sampson, a Seattle native, will leave his hometown organization after spending only a year there. He was acquired by the Mariners in July 2015 in the trade that sent J.A. Happ to Pittsburgh and showed well in his Triple-A time with the M’s this year, tossing 80 1/3 innings of 3.25 ERA ball with 6.8 K/9 against 1.3 BB/9. The Mariners likely hoped to be able to sneak him through waivers due to his injury in order to keep him in the organization while freeing up a 40-man roster spot, but the Rangers snagged him off waivers and will now need to carry him on their own 40-man roster throughout the offseason or attempt to pass Sampson through waivers themselves.
