Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Rangers Rumors

Rangers Name Doug Mathis, Brendan Sagara Co-Pitching Coaches

By | at

OCT. 26: Mathis and Brendan Sagara will serve as co-pitching coaches, TR Sullivan of MLB.com was among those to report. Sagara was previously the Rangers’ Triple-A pitching coach.

OCT. 23: The Rangers plan to name bullpen coach Doug Mathis as their pitching coach, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Mathis will take over for Julio Rangel, whom the Rangers said goodbye to earlier this month.

Mathis will grab the helm of a pitching staff that struggled for two seasons under Rangel, combining for the majors’ fifth worst-ERA (5.07) and its seventh-highest FIP (4.85). In fairness to Rangel, though, the Rangers weren’t exactly teeming with talent on his watch. However, they did at least get back-to-back solid seasons from right-hander Lance Lynn (whom they could trade during the winter), while Jonathan Hernandez blossomed in their bullpen this year.

The 37-year-old Mathis has long been familiar to the Rangers, who spent a 13th-round pick on him in 2005 before he was part of their coaching staff. As a player, Mathis didn’t have an extensive career with the team, though all 87 1/3 innings during his MLB tenure came with Texas. He logged a 4.84 ERA with the club from 2008-10.

Rangers Claim Art Warren

By | at

The Rangers announced Wednesday that they’ve claimed right-hander Art Warren off waivers from the division-rival Mariners. The move brings Texas’ 40-man roster to a total of 39 players and drops Seattle’s to a count of 33.

Warren, 27, has just 5 1/3 big league innings under his belt, all coming in 2019 with Seattle. He averaged just north of 95 mph on his heater in that time and drew 70 grades on the pitch when he was rising through the system after being selected in the 23rd round of the 2015 draft. Warren worked almost exclusively with a four-seamer and a slider — his most frequently used offering — in that tiny sample of work.

Had their been a conventional minor league season in 2020, Warren likely would’ve been ticketed for Triple-A — a level at which he still has yet to pitch. He jumped straight from Double-A to the Majors when making that 2019 debut. In a total of 47 1/3 frames of Double-A ball, Warren carries a 1.71 ERA and has averaged a dozen strikeout per nine innings, although he’s also averaged five walks per nine. He still has a minor league option remaining after spending the 2020 season in the Mariners’ player pool at their alternate training site. Warren did get a call to the big leagues with Seattle this past season but didn’t get into a game before being optioned back out.

As Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times points out, via Twitter, the Mariners have a whopping eight players on the 60-day injured list who’ll either need to be reinstated or designated for assignment, so it’s not much of a surprise to see some continued roster maintenance. That group includes Tom Murphy, Mitch Haniger, Gerson Bautista, Matt Magill, Andres Munoz, Taylor Guilbeau, Carl Edwards Jr. and Nestor Cortes Jr. Not all are locks to stick on the roster — Edwards, in particular, could be on shaky ground — but Murphy, Haniger, Magill and perhaps Munoz are all ticketed for notable roles next year.

AL Notes: Astros, Kiermaier, Orioles, Bannon, Rangers

By | at

Some notes from the American League:

  • George Springer and Michael Brantley will be two of the top free agents on the market this offseason. Astros general manager James Click confirmed the organization will look into bringing both players back, but he also cautioned that the club has to “balance the present and the future” (via Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). Click pointed to the broad financial uncertainty throughout the sport thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, while expressing a more general desire to avoid “a series of short-sighted moves that (would) put us in a bad position for the long term.” If Springer and/or Brantley were to depart, the outfield would have to be addressed in some way, with Kyle Tucker the only in-house replacement locked into an everyday role. Houston will certainly make a qualifying offer to Springer, at least guaranteeing themselves draft compensation if the sides don’t agree on a deal. The QO decision on Brantley will be a tougher call.
  • There’s more certainty on the Astros’ coaching staff than there is in the outfield. Manager Dusty Baker confirmed to reporters (including Jake Kaplan of the Athletic) the entire staff is invited back for 2021. Baker himself is under contract next season by virtue of Houston’s exercising his club option in July. Bench coach Joe Espada, hitting coaches Álex Cintrón and Troy Snitker, and pitching coach Brent Strom headline Baker’s assistant group.
  • Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier suffered a wrist injury when he was hit by a pitch in Game 3 of the ALCS. He’ll be a full-go for the World Series, he told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). That’s not particularly surprising, since the 30-year-old returned to Tampa Bay’s starting lineup for Game 7 against Houston. The three-time Gold Glove winner has been an integral part of the Rays’ superlative team defense this postseason.
  • The Orioles will have to decide whether to add infielder Rylan Bannon to their 40-man roster in advance of this winter’s Rule 5 draft. In an effort to improve his chances of cracking the roster, Bannon is expanding his defensive repertoire, as Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball details. “I’m (at instructional league) to work on second base stuff, and kind of surprising, (Friday) was my second day of working on a little bit of catching stuff,” Bannon said. The 24-year-old started 37 minor-league games at the keystone in 2019, compared with 84 starts at third. He has never lined up behind the plate. Part of the five-player return from the Dodgers in the Manny Machado trade, Bannon combined for a .266/.345/.421 line between Double-A and Triple-A last season.
  • The Rangers hope to fill their pitching coach vacancy by the conclusion of the World Series, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. That individual is expected to come from within the organization, Sullivan adds. Texas parted ways with former pitching coach Julio Rangel earlier this month.

International Signings: 10/7/20

By and | at

A couple of notable international signings:

  • The Pirates announced they have signed 19-year-old pitcher Po-Yu Chen. The Taiwanese righty will receive a $1.25MM signing bonus, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Chen has evidently been on the organization’s radar for quite some time, with GM Ben Cherington noting the club has scouted him extensively over the past three years (via Rob Biertempfel of the Athletic). Notably, the Bucs’ only trade at this summer’s trade deadline netted them additional international pool space, as outfielder Jarrod Dyson was dealt to the White Sox for $243,300 in bonus availability.
  • The Rangers signed 17-year-old outfielder Alejandro Osuna out of Mexico, per Baseball America’s Ben Badler (via Twitter). As Badler notes, Osuna is the brother of Astros’ reliever Roberto Osuna. Alejandro Osuna also has a twin brother, Pedro Osuna, who also plays outfield, but bats and throws right-handed, unlike Alejandro, who bats and throws lefty.

Rangers Part Ways With Pitching Coach Julio Rangel

By | at

Rangers pitching coach Julio Rangel and catching coordinator Hector Ortiz won’t be returning to their positions in 2021, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.  Rangel’s contract won’t be renewed, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram adds, and Ortiz has been offered another role in the organization but it isn’t yet known if he will accept.

During Rangel’s two seasons as pitching coach, Texas hurlers combined for a 5.09 ERA in 2019 (24th of 30 teams) and a 5.02 ERA in 2020 (23rd).  While ERA isn’t the sole determining factor in a pitching staff’s effectiveness, and the Rangers hadn’t been getting consistent results from their arms for years prior to Rangel’s arrival, clearly the club felt a change was necessary.

The next pitching coach will likely be charged with developing some younger pitchers, as GM Jon Daniels is on record as saying the 2021 team will look to incorporate more “youth and energy on the field.”  With this mindset and a lower payroll in mind, it appears as though the Rangers are viewing at least next season as something of a rebuilding year.

Prior to joining the Rangers, Rangel was a coach in the Indians organization from 2007-17 and then worked as the Giants’ minor league pitching coordinator.  His first official big league job was technically with the Reds as their bullpen coach, though Rangel was hired by Cincinnati after the 2018 season but never actually suited up for the team, as the Rangers came calling with the pitching coach offer (Rangel had the blessing of Reds manager David Bell, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal detailed).

Ortiz’s final Major League games came in a Rangers uniform in 2002, and he has spent the last 15 seasons working in a variety of coaching and managerial roles at the major and minor league levels.  2020 was his first season as catching coordinator, after previously working on the big league staff as a first base coach and bullpen coach since 2015.

Minor MLB Transactions: 10/3/20

By | at

A trio of players appear ticketed for free agency this offseason after being outrighted off clubs’ rosters yesterday, per the MLB.com transactions log:

  • Cubs’ reliever Josh Osich cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. Chicago acquired Osich from the Red Sox at this year’s trade deadline, although he only wound up pitching in four games for them down the stretch. Osich combined for a 6.38 ERA in 18.1 innings for the two teams this year, although he did rack up an impressive 24:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
  • White Sox reliever Alex McRae also passed through the wire after being designated this week. McRae spent the first six seasons of his professional career in the Pirates’ organization before joining the Sox last offseason. He tossed three scoreless innings for the South Siders this year. McRae has a 7.50 ERA/7.09 FIP in 36 career MLB innings.
  • Also passing through waivers was Rangers’ infielder Yadiel Rivera. The 28-year-old utilityman was reported to have been designated for assignment in early September, but he instead reverted to the injured list after being diagnosed with an elbow injury. Rivera wound up having surgery to repair a torn ligament in his elbow, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reported late last month, and is expected to be out for five to six months. Rivera has just a .175/.244/.217 line in 319 MLB plate appearances across six seasons.

Rangers To Reduce Payroll In 2021

By | at

Like many or most other teams, the Rangers are planning to trim their payroll in response to the revenues lost during the shortened 2020 season.  In a session with media earlier this week, managing partner Ray Davis told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News and other reporters that “two major factors” will contribute to less spending next year.

“The first is how much baseball is going to lose [financially] in 2020.  And also, the life cycle of our club,” Davis said.  “We have some high-paid contracts rolling off our payroll.  We will have some minimum salary players coming on.  So, it gives a justification, if you will, to not to spend as much.  The economics of baseball has been so sad this year and there is uncertainty about what 2021 will bring.”

The Rangers were projected to have a payroll in the $153MM range heading into the season, before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and the season was reduced to 60 games (thus reducing Texas’ outlay to roughly $65MM).  Grant figures the club won’t go much, if at all, beyond the $100MM figure in 2021, though as Davis noted, some of that reduction was already baked into the future plans.  Approximately $47.1MM will come off the books in the form of departing free agents, most notably Shin-Soo Choo and Corey Kluber — Texas holds a $14MM club option on Kluber for next season but that will surely be declined in the wake of Kluber’s injury-plagued year.  It’s also worth mentioning that 2020 was the final year of the Rangers’ outstanding obligation to retired slugger Prince Fielder.

Assuming Grant’s $100MM projection is correct, that leaves Texas GM Jon Daniels with some room to maneuver, as Roster Resource has just under $62MM in payroll commitments on the Rangers’ books for the coming season.  However, as Daniels has already publicly committed to a “youth movement” year in 2021, major expenditures don’t seem likely.  The Rangers had already taken a generally more conservative approach to free agent spending in recent years, most notably their strategy of signing veteran pitchers (such as Lance Lynn, Mike Minor, Jordan Lyles, and Kyle Gibson) to multi-year deals that didn’t break the bank.

It remains to be seen if the Rangers will consider even those modest types of contracts this winter, though Davis did make it clear that Daniels will be the one continuing to weigh those decisions.  Daniels has been running the team’s baseball operations department for 15 seasons, and though the Rangers have suffered through four straight losing seasons, Davis still believes in Daniels’ track record.

“Jon has demonstrated that he and his team can put together winning ballclubs,” Davis said.  “If you thought about going out and replacing him, all you have is a question mark.  We have a known entity.  We have a group of guys that know how to get it done and I think they are going to get it done again.”

Rangers’ Jon Daniels On Rotation, Infield

By | at

On the heels of another disappointing season, one that saw the Rangers finish 22-38 and extend their playoff drought to four years, general manager Jon Daniels spoke to media, including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and TR Sullivan of MLB.com.

With their starters having ended 2020 with the majors’ seventh-worst ERA (5.32), Daniels said the Rangers are interested in bringing in a veteran rotation member during the offseason. The only starter on the team who provided high-end production across a large number of innings in 2020 was Lance Lynn, who’s only signed for another year and whom the Rangers could trade for a solid haul. Kyle Cody gave the team outstanding results, albeit over a small number of innings, and the Rangers traded Mike Minor to the A’s before the Aug. 31 deadline.

Texas has Lynn, Cody, Jordan Lyles and Kyle Gibson (he and Lyles had rough years) among their most proven starters going into next season. Two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber’s still on the roster, but as someone who missed nearly the entire season with shoulder troubles, he seems like a shoo-in to be bought out for $1MM (as opposed to guaranteeing him $18MM).

Turning to the offensive side, the Rangers aren’t planning on gifting starting spots to second baseman Rougned Odor or shortstop Elvis Andrus going forward, per Daniels. Frankly, neither player deserves one. Both players could be trade candidates in the coming months, and if that’s the case, the Daniels-led Rangers are confident they won’t have to eat any of their contracts. That may be wishful thinking, as Odor has two more seasons and $27MM left on his contract, while Andrus has $28MM over two years remaining.

Odor has three seasons of two-plus fWAR in his past, and he’s someone the Rangers signed to a six-year, $49.5MM guarantee entering 2017, but his production has been terrible of late. Despite 10 home runs in 148 plate appearances, the 26-year-old ended 2020 with a .167/.209/.413 line. His 51 wRC+ ranked second to last among 223 hitters who racked up at least 140 PA this season.

Andrus was even worse than Odor this year, as he logged a 48 wRC+ in 111 trips to the plate. Like Odor, Andrus looked like a cornerstone for the Rangers in his earlier days, which is why they extended him to an eight-year, $120MM contract in early 2013. However, his production has fallen flat over the past few seasons.

Rangers Activate Shin-Soo Choo From Injured List

By | at

The Rangers have activated outfielder/DH Shin-Soo Choo from the 10-day injured list, and the veteran slugger will be in the lineup for what might be his last game in a Texas uniform.  To create roster space for Choo, infielder Sherten Apostel was placed on the 10-day IL with lower back tightness.

A right hand has kept Choo out of action since September 7, and the 38-year-old has a .229/.317/.394 slash line over 126 PA for Texas this season.  While Choo has said that he wants to keep playing in 2021, today’s game could serve as something of a final bow on his seven seasons with the Rangers.  Choo signed a seven-year, $130MM free agent contract during the 2013-14 offseason that ultimately didn’t provide the return Texas was looking for in such a big investment.

Choo has hit a decent but unspectacular .260/.363/.428 over 3479 PA for the Rangers, good for an 109 OPS+ and 111 wRC+.  This production was rather offset, however, by subpar defense in the corner outfield, and Choo spent quite a bit of time as a designated hitter.  All told, Choo has generated 8.8 fWAR as a Ranger.

It remains to be seen if a player of Choo’s age and somewhat limited skillset will be able to catch on with another team in 2021, but his left-handed bat is still quite potent against right-handed pitching.  Choo has consistently mashed righties over his career, and even in this down year still has a .766 OPS in 88 PA against right-handers.

AL Notes: Cabrera, Choo, Twins

By | at

Miguel Cabrera’s contract extension with the Tigers runs through 2023, and the legendary hitter made clear he’s hoping to play out the deal. “I’ve got three years on my contract,” the 37-year-old told reporters (including Evan Woodbery of MLive) when asked how much longer he planned to play. “I don’t know what’s going to happen after my contract’s over. I’m focused on my contract and three more years and we’ll see what happens.” That’s not too surprising, given that Cabrera’s still due another $102MM after this season (including an $8MM buyout of his 2024 vesting option). The future Hall of Famer discussed the injuries that have weighed him down in recent years, as well as his hope of returning to first base after serving exclusively as a designated hitter this season. His full interview is a worthwhile read for Detroit fans.

More out of the American League

  • Rangers designated hitter Shin-soo Choo is hoping to play in 2021, per MLB.com’s TR Sullivan (via Twitter). The 38-year-old is wrapping up a seven-year, $130MM deal with Texas. A longtime productive hitter, Choo has taken a big step back offensively this season as he nears free agency. He’s amassed just a .229/.317/.394 line. It’s the first year Choo has been below-average at the dish since he established himself as an everyday player back in 2008.
  • The Twins saw a pair of key players leave last night’s game with injuries. Third baseman Josh Donaldson departed with a right calf cramp, while center fielder Byron Buxton suffered a head contusion, per Dan Hayes of the Athletic. Neither player is in tonight’s starting lineup. Ehire Adrianza stepped in at the hot corner yesterday, while Jake Cave came in to man center. Donaldson’s situation is particularly notable; he’s got a lengthy history of calf troubles and only just returned from an IL stint due to a calf strain. Buxton, meanwhile, was hit in the head by a Lucas Sims pitch, prompting his early exit. Minnesota is a game up on both the Indians and White Sox in the AL Central. [UPDATE: Buxton is dealing with mild concussion symptoms, relays Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. Donaldson is feeling better today and being held out as a precautionary measure, per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com].
  • In better injury news for Minnesota, second baseman Luis Arraez has been activated from the injured list in advance of this evening’s contest. Arraez garnered some Rookie of the Year support last year thanks to his precocious bat-to-ball skills, as he hit .334/.399/.439 over 366 plate appearances. The 23-year-old hasn’t been as productive in his sophomore effort, but he remains one of the league’s toughest players to strike out.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top