Rangers Release Cody Allen, Add John King To 60-Man Pool
The Rangers announced today that they have released veteran reliever Cody Allen. His spot in the 60-man player pool will go to lefty John King.
Allen, 31, has had a rough go of things since he hit a wall in the 2018 season. His effort to bounce back last year with the Angels fell short and he’s now struggling to earn his way back to the majors.
The 25-year-old King is now in a position to clamor for his first call to the majors. He still hasn’t appeared above the High-A level, but was quite effective there last year. Over 71 frames, the former tenth-round pick turned in a 2.03 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9.
Multiple Teams Reportedly Interested In Josh Harrison
Infielder Josh Harrison returned to the free-agent market when the Phillies released him Tuesday, but he may not be without a team for long. The Braves, Reds, Yankees and Rangers have all shown interest in Harrison, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.
If Harrison does land another contract, it’s likely to be a minor league deal, as his pact with the Phillies was. Now 33 years old, Harrison earned two All-Star trips as a Pirate from 2011-18, but his production in Pittsburgh plummeted during his final season with the club and continued to decline in Detroit in an injury-shortened 2019 campaign. Harrison managed a horrid line of .175/.218/.263 (22 wRC+) in 147 plate appearances last year, leading the Tigers to release him in August despite handing him a guaranteed $2MM before the season.
At best, Harrison would likely be a bench option at second and third for any of the teams eyeing him. The Braves have Ozzie Albies at the keystone and Austin Riley at the hot corner. Harrison’s native Cincinnati boasts big-money offseason pickup Mike Moustakas at second and 49-home run man Eugenio Suarez at third. Meanwhile, the Yankees look to be in good shape at the two positions with DJ LeMahieu (who should soon return after a coronavirus-caused absence) and Gio Urshela/Miguel Andujar. So, Texas could arguably present the best opportunity for Harrison, considering second baseman’s Rougned Odor‘s immense struggles in 2019 and the lack of a clear solution at third.
Rangers Select Gibaut, Refsnyder, Volquez
The Rangers have settled on their roster mix to begin the season. Righties Ian Gibaut and Edinson Volquez have made the team along with outfielder Rob Refsnyder. All will be selected to the 40-man roster.
A roster spot was opened when the team outrighted lefty Yohander Mendez. The club also announced that hurlers Rafael Montero and Joely Rodriguez will begin the season on the injured list.
Rangers To Select Ian Gibaut, Rob Refsnyder; Leody Taveras Makes Team
The Rangers have finalized their 30-man roster for the start of the season, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Right-handed relievers Edinson Volquez and Ian Gibaut and infielder/outfielder Rob Refsnyder have all made the club, per Grant. Nobody from that trio is on the Rangers’ 40-man roster, which has only one opening at the moment. Outfield prospect Leody Taveras, who is on the 40, has also earned a spot in Texas.
It was already known that the Rangers would select Volquez’s contract, but the same wasn’t true for either Gibaut or Refsnyder. The team signed both players to minor league deals last offseason, but Gibaut does have previous experience with the Rangers. They acquired the 26-year-old Texas native from the Rays last July and he went on to throw 12 1/3 innings with a 5.11 ERA and 10.2 K/9 against 5.8 BB/9 in his Rangers debut. He’s the owner of a much more palatable 2.75 ERA with 12.1 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 72 Triple-A innings.
Refsnyder has also fared nicely in Triple-A, having slashed .296/.372/.436 in 1,804 plate appearances. However, the 29-year-old – once a promising prospect – hasn’t been able to put it together in the majors. As a Yankee, Blue Jay and Ray from 2015-18, he batted .218/.308/.302 with just four homers in 423 PA. Now, after spending last season with the Reds’ and Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliates, he’ll get another shot in the bigs.
Taveras has been in the Rangers organization since they signed him out of the Dominican Republic for a $2.1MM bonus in 2015. So far, the switch-hitter hasn’t played above Double-A, where he batted .265/.320/.375 in 293 trips to the plate last season. While that’s not earth-shattering production, Taveras is still just 21 years old, and he’s widely regarded as one of the Rangers’ top prospects. MLB.com ranks Taveras third in the Texas system and likens him to Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte, who has carved out a nice career.
Brett Martin Cleared To Rejoin Rangers
- Rangers left-hander Brett Martin has been cleared for Summer Camp following a positive COVID test. Manager Chris Woodward told MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan and other media members Sunday that Martin will still begin the season on the injured list since “he’s not there yet. So we’re going to keep monitoring him, have him throw bullpens and maybe some live [batting practices] to get him ready.” Martin posted a 4.76 ERA, 3.44 K/BB rate, 53.8% grounder rate, and 8.95 K/9 over 62 1/3 innings in 2019, his debut season in the big leagues.
Edinson Volquez Makes Rangers’ Opening Day Roster
Right-hander Edinson Volquez will break camp with the Rangers and be part of the 30-man Opening Day roster, manager Chris Woodward told MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan and other reporters. It will be Volquez’s 15th Major League campaign, and his fifth in a Rangers uniform.
Volquez re-signed with Texas on a minor league deal last winter, following an abbreviated season that saw him post a 6.75 ERA over 16 innings. It was Volquez’s first action since July 2017, as Tommy John surgery and then another elbow injury kept the righty on the shelf for over two full seasons’ worth of games. The frustration had Volquez considering retirement last summer, though returning to the mound seemed to reinvigorate him for one more season beyond his final few appearances in September 2019.
Woodward pointed to Volquez’s recent success against left-handed batters (holding them to .670 OPS in 2019) as a reason for keeping him on the roster. “First and foremost, the stuff is there,” Woodward said. “I wasn’t going to keep him unless he showed he can get people out….The fact that he has been pitching a long time. He has pitched in big games. The leadership aspect in the clubhouse is second to none.”
Volquez turned 37 earlier this month, though the longtime starter could find a second act to his career by moving into a full-time relief role for the first time (while being durable enough to offer the Rangers a potential multi-inning or long relief option). Volquez’s good numbers against lefty hitters could make him something of a reverse-splits candidate for a Texas bullpen that is somewhat thin on southpaws, as Brett Martin will miss the start of the season recovering from a COVID-19 diagnosis.
Latest On Willie Calhoun, Robinson Chirinos
- Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun suffered a Grade 1 right hip strain and probably won’t be available for the team’s season opener July 24, according to general manager Jon Daniels (via Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Fortunately, though, the Rangers don’t expect Calhoun to miss much time. Likewise, they’re of the belief catcher Robinson Chirinos shouldn’t be out long. Chirinos suffered a right ankle injury Monday, but Texas is optimistic he won’t need an IL stint.
Willie Calhoun Undergoes MRI On Hip
The Rangers are awaiting MRI results on outfielder Willie Calhoun, per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Calhoun left the team’s practice Tuesday with tightness in his right hip flexor, leading the Rangers to fear he has a strain that could shelve him for Opening Day, Wilson writes. That would be a blow to the Rangers’ offense, which benefited from Calhoun’s .269/.323/.524 line and 21 home runs last season, as well as the second notable injury he has dealt with in recent months. The first one was much scarier, though, as Calhoun suffered a fractured jaw on a hit by pitch during spring training.
Brian Flynn Elects Free Agency
- Left-hander Brian Flynn has elected free agency after the Rangers didn’t add him to their player pool, Steve Adams of MLBTR reports. Flynn joined the Rangers on a minor league contract in the offseason after appearing in the majors in each of the previous four years with the Royals. Thanks in part to a sprained UCL, Flynn could only muster 29 1/3 innings of 5.22 ERA pitching a season ago. To his credit, though, Flynn still managed a respectable overall mark of 3.76 during his 162 2/3-frame KC tenure.
Robinson Chirinos Questionable For Opening Day
JULY 14: Chirinos has improved since Monday, but his status for Opening Day is up in the air, according to Woodward (via Wilson).
JULY 13: Catcher Robinson Chirinos suffered a potentially worrisome injury at Rangers Summer Camp on Monday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Chirinos departed after teammate Scott Heineman slid into his right ankle.
The images Chirinos underwent after he exited came back negative, but manager Chris Woodward acknowledged that “it’s concerning to say the least” whenever a catcher rolls his ankle. Woodward and the Rangers should know more about Chirinos’ status Tuesday.
Chirinos was one of the notable offseason acquisitions the Rangers made, as he parlayed an effective 2019 with the division-rival Astros into a one-year, $6.75MM contract. This isn’t the first Rangers go-around for the 36-year-old Chirinos, who was a member of the club from 2013-18.
Defense isn’t Chirinos’ calling card, but he has been one of the game’s steadiest offensive catchers over the past half-decade. Dating back to his 2015 breakout, Chirinos has slashed .234/.340/.452 (110 wRC+) with 71 home runs in 1,615 plate appearances. That type of production would certainly be welcome for the Rangers, whose catchers provided little to nothing at the plate last season. Primary option Jeff Mathis struggled more than anyone else in the mix, registering a .158/.209/.224 line and a stunningly poor 2 wRC+ in 244 trips to the plate.
In the event Chirinos misses time this year, Mathis could once again end up in the lineup on a regular basis. Jose Trevino also figures to make the roster, and Wilson notes that Nick Ciuffo could open 2020 as the team’s third catcher if Chirinos lands on the shelf.