The Rangers have designated outfielders Steven Duggar and Steele Walker for assignment, per a club announcement. The moves clears space on the 40-man roster for Cole Ragans and Bubba Thompson, whose promotions have each been previously reported. To open space on the active roster, Texas placed outfielder Kole Calhoun on the 10-day injured list and reliever Dennis Santana on the 15-day IL.
Duggar spent a bit more than a month on the Texas roster. Acquired from the Giants in late June in a one-for-one swap with Willie Calhoun, the lefty-hitting outfielder appeared in only eight MLB games with the Rangers. He collected three hits (all singles), with 12 strikeouts and two walks in 19 plate appearances. Duggar spent 11 contests with Triple-A Round Rock, hitting .184/.360/.316.
The 28-year-old hasn’t played much this season, as he lost a good chunk of the year to a severe oblique strain. He’s combined for just 20 big league games between San Francisco and Texas, an unfortunate follow-up to a 2021 season that saw him log a career-high body of work. Duggar appeared in 107 games and picked up 297 trips to the plate last year, hitting .257/.330/.437 with eight home runs and seven stolen bases. Paired with strong center field defense, that made him a valuable contributor to the 107-win Giants club, but he struck out at a near-30% clip along the way.
Swing-and-miss has been an issue for Duggar throughout his career, as he’s fanned in 30.2% of his 824 trips to the dish at the big league level. He’s a career .240/.296/.373 hitter. That’s obviously underwhelming production, but Duggar’s only making a hair above the league minimum salary and is a strong defender at all three spots on the grass. That could draw him some attention from rival clubs, who’ll have an opportunity to add him for minimal cost in the next few days. With the trade deadline passed, Texas has no choice but to place Duggar on waivers. If another team were to claim him, they could stash him in Triple-A for the remainder of this season — his final minor league option year.
Walker was acquired from the White Sox while he was a prospect over the 2019-20 offseason, heading over in the trade that sent Nomar Mazara to Chicago’s South Side. The former second-round pick has spent the bulk of his time in the organization in the upper minors, although he did earn a cup of coffee at the big league level in June. Walker was selected onto the MLB roster and appeared in five games, collecting one hit (a home run off Cal Quantrill) through 16 plate appearances.
The 26-year-old has otherwise spent the year in Round Rock, hitting .277/.353/.435 in 215 trips to the plate. He’s connected on seven homers and is only striking out at a 16.3% rate there while splitting his time between the corner outfield spots. Like Duggar, Walker will hit the waiver wire in the next few days. He’s only in his first option year, so a claiming team could keep him in the upper minors for the foreseeable future if willing to give him a 40-man roster spot.
Kole Calhoun, signed to a $5.2MM over the offseason, has struggled during his time in Arlington. The veteran corner outfielder has hit 11 longballs but is hitting only .211 with a .269 on-base percentage. He’s now dealing with right heel irritation and will miss at least a week and a half. Calhoun’s contract contains a $5.5MM club option for next season, but the Rangers figure to give additional reps to younger players like the newly-promoted Thompson down the stretch before declining Calhoun’s option.
Santana has a left ankle sprain, so he’ll miss a couple weeks at minimum. The hard-throwing righty owns a 5.09 ERA through 40 2/3 innings on the season, but he’s inducing ground-balls at a strong 51.6% clip.
Steele Walker sounds like a jobber from WWF in 1991.
Blue Sleele Walker
Hopefully the giants can claim him!
Zaidi probably already looking at bringing Duggar back and sending Johnson back to AAA.
Rangers will DFA literally anyone before Calhoun or Allard.
Or Culberson
Culberson does exactly what he is supposed to do, play defense, pinch run and occasionally hit against lefties.
Culberson has a defensive WAR of -0.3, which obviously is below average.
Culberson has 2 stolen bases, while being caught stealing 3 times.
Culberson has an OPS against lefties of .672
League average is .708
Culberson is a below average player.
But you are exactly right. The Texas Rangers, as an organization, have accepted below average for years now. Culberson does exactly what he is supposed to do.
Sadly, some fans are supportive of below average.
Culberson is a backup utility player who plays about once every 6th day. who on earth were you expecting in that role?
Culberson has pitched and closed out innings. He can play any position amd sometimes give you an at bat
You should expect somebody that, at the least, does something well. Usually, it’s defense. Somebody that brings something to the table to help the team. With Duran, Smith, Solak, Semien, Seager, and Miller on the roster, the position flexibility of a below average utility infielder is not needed. But, since we are going to play the name game, here’s a list of guys from AAA that deserve Culberson’s spot:
Mark Mathias
Ryan Dorow
Andy Ibanez
Nick Tanielu
Yohel Pozo
And that’s just off the AAA roster.
Texas shouldn’t waste the back end roster spot on a young guy who is better served with At-bats at AAA. None of these players fall into that category.
You have become accustomed to accepting mediocrity. Too many in the Rangers organization have done the same. The team can always get better.
I like you. You’re a funny guy! 6.1 career innings and now pitching is part of his value? You’re hilarious! Fact is, he may be a better pitcher than position player. He has a 1.42 career ERA. With the players on the Texas pitching staff, Culberson couldn’t have done worse. I wish the Rangers had pitched him more.
And “sometimes give you an at bat?”
Congratulations. Mopping up on the mound in lopsided games, and sometimes give you an at bat, are literally jobs any MLB player can do. Also, being able to play any position poorly is different from being able to play any position.
But seriously, funny stuff NINCOMPOOP
We should chat more
or you could be just wasting those AAA guy’s development opportunities. Or you end up having to DFA guys off of the 40 man when they produce no better than Culberson against left-handed pitching, Ibanez has been up before, didn’t go well.
You’re not wasting development opportunities of guys who have nothing left to prove at AAA, you are giving them a chance. Culberson has had his. He’s shown what he can do. There is no need to roster him. Somebody else deserves a chance to show they can contribute in that role.
Kole def should’ve went before walker, dumb dumb dumb
Meh, Walker fell off the prospects list this year pretty hard after the power went away. I am not terribly surprised by this one. Calhoun went on the DL, who knows what happens when he gets back.
Walker, Texas Ranger
Kinda odd how pretty much every Giant forgot how to hit this year compared to last. The Giants are kinda like the Mets of this year.
Watching Brandon Belt run the bases (& I hesitate to say “run”) is a horrifying experience.
And despite the fact that he spends half the year on the IL (which he always has) and isn’t even productive when he’s healthy, Giants’ fans will cry their eyes out when Zaidi lets him walk after the season. The beauty of it is there’s no buyout since he’s playing on the QO this season.
I’m a Giants fan, I won’t cry a singles tear when Farhan lets Belt sail into the sun. Do you know any actual Giants fans? No one will cry after this season to see old, used up vets graciously being shown the door.
That he still hasn’t been called up tells you the change of scenery is still a work in progress.
Steele Walker is another great Texas name.
Old West gunslinger.
Not any more.
Bubba Watson isn’t a Texas name.
Neither is Bubba Thompson, who I’m assuming you meant to say.
A’s need to take a flier on Walker. A starting OF with Skye Bolt and Steele Walker NEEDS TO HAPPEN!!
Add in the old Cubs farmhand Rock Shoulders and we have a big time winner
I mean it’s one thing to explore your sexuality in the clubhouse but there’s no real reason to do it in the bullpen. I get that you’re out there sitting for hours with nothing to do and you’re tired of the constant chewing of sunflower seeds but maybe take a nice book out there with you and perhaps a bowl of a granola based cereal. Personally I would avoid dairy as it’s highly inflammatory but you can use a cashew, almond, or my personal favorite, Macadamia.
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I forgot the Giants acquired Calhoun
Years ago, I was upset the Tigers didnt give Andres Torres much of a chance. The Giants came by Torres late in his career and he was a valuable member of their World Series teams.
I think Derek Hill would be perfect in the Giants OF. He’s an even better defender than Steven Dugger. He will improve his hitting if given more ABs.
I have an unhealthy hatred for Kole Calhoun. Maybe it’s because he carries himself like he’s a perennial All Star, but actually lives in DFA territory with every team he’s been on. The wrist wraps. The pimping the homer trot. He’s that loud guy at the video arcade. Like I said, unhealthy hatred.
Stumper trivia for people at Oracle Park: name 6 Giants