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Rangers Release Blake Swihart

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The Rangers announced that they’ve released catcher/outfielder Blake Swihart. He had been at the Rangers’ alternate training site as part of their 60-man player pool.

Formerly a high-end prospect with the Red Sox, Swihart appeared in the majors with the club from 2015-19 before it traded him to Arizona last year. The Diamondbacks outrighted Swihart late in the summer, but he stayed with the organization through the end of the season. Swihart then elected free agency over the winter and wound up with the Rangers on a minor league contract.

Back when the Rangers signed Swihart, they were coming off a year in which their catchers were perhaps the least productive in the majors. Their backstops have continued to struggle this season, but Swihart still wasn’t able to make his way to their big league roster. The 28-year-old will return to the open market as the owner of a .243/.301/.355 line with 12 home runs and 10 stolen bases in 696 plate appearances.

Rangers Reportedly “Entertaining” Offers For Lance Lynn

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The Rangers began 2020 with playoff aspirations, but almost halfway through the campaign, it appears they’ll fall short of their goal. Texas will enter Tuesday’s action a dismal 11-17, 3 1/2 games out of wild-card position and well on its way to a fourth straight season without a playoff berth. Consequently, the Rangers could end up as sellers prior to the Aug. 31 trade deadline. If that’s the case, they may have one of the game’s most appealing trade chips in right-hander Lance Lynn. Although he still has another year of control left after this one, the Rangers are at least “entertaining” offers for Lynn, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes (subscription link).

Of course, just because the Rangers are willing to listen to teams’ proposals for Lynn doesn’t mean they’re ready to move him. However, there’s a case the Rangers should sell high on Lynn, a former Cardinal, Twin and Yankee who has been brilliant in Texas.

Since signing a three-year, $30MM contract with the Rangers before 2019, Lynn has pitched to a 3.30 ERA/3.17 FIP over 253 2/3 innings. Lynn was an American League Cy Young contender during his first season in Texas, and it appears he’ll be in the thick of the race this year. Through a major league-leading 45 1/3 innings in 2020, Lynn has recorded a 1.59 ERA/3.35 FIP with 9.93 K/9 and 2.78 BB/9.

With only a few weeks left in the regular season, teams may be loath to surrender significant value for most players available around the deadline, as the majority are pending free agents who aren’t vying for major awards. But Lynn’s a Cy Young hopeful who would be able to help a team this year and next, when he’ll be due an affordable $8MM salary, so the Rangers should be in position to land a quality haul for the 33-year-old if they do part with him in the next several days.

Rangers Designate Rob Refsnyder

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The Rangers have designated utilityman Rob Refsnyder for assignment, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. In other moves, the Rangers recalled outfielder Leody Taveras and activated catcher Robinson Chirinos from the injured list.

The well-traveled Refsnyder, 29, joined the Rangers on a minor league contract last offseason. He has been on the Rangers’ roster throughout the season, but Refnsyder was unable to justify his spot on the team over 34 plate appearances, in which he slashed a subpar .200/.265/.233 with no home runs. It continued a run of below-average production in the majors for Refsnyder, owner of a .217/.305/.297 line in a career 457 trips to the plate.

Refsnyder has hit well in the minors, and he is a defensively versatile performer, so perhaps yet another club will take a chance on him. However, the fact that he’s out of minor league options won’t help his cause. In any event, the Rangers will have a week to trade, release or pass Refsnyder through waivers.

60-Man Player Pool Additions: D-backs, Rangers, Brewers

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The latest 60-man player pool moves from around the league, all via team announcements…

  • Outfielder Kristian Robinson is now in the Diamondbacks’ pool (not the one at Chase Field just yet). The club signed the Bahamian for a $2.5MM bonus in 2017, and he’s now the Diamondbacks’ No. 1-ranked prospect at MLB.com, which also ranks him 47th overall in the sport. MLB.com calls the 19-year-old “a physical specimen” who could develop into a “revered” slugger in the majors. Robinson divided last year between low-A and Single-A, slashing .282/.368/.514 with 14 home runs in 291 plate appearances.
  • The Rangers have added second baseman Justin Foscue, their first-round pick this year, to their pool. The 21-year-old Foscue joined the Rangers as the 14th overall choice after an outstanding run at Mississippi State. Texas locked him up for a below-slot bonus ($3.25MM) in late June.
  • Catcher Payton Henry is now at the alternate training site of the Brewers, who used a sixth-round pick on him in 2016. The 23-year-old Henry, who hit .242/.315/.395 with 14 home runs in 482 plate appearances at Single-A last season, possesses “considerable raw power” and has made enough progress behind the plate to stick as a catcher, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs writes.

Rangers Place Willie Calhoun, Elvis Andrus On IL; Select Yadiel Rivera

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6:50pm: Calhoun has a low-grade strain that will keep him out at least three weeks, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

5:54pm: The Rangers have placed outfielder Willie Calhoun (left hamstring strain) and shortstop Elvis Andrus (lower back strain) on the 10-day injured list, the team announced. They also selected infielder Yadiel Rivera’s contract and recalled right-hander Kyle Cody.

Calhoun and Andrus are notable names for the Rangers, though neither has produced as hoped for the 10-13 club so far in 2020. Calhoun finally began realizing the potential he had as a prospect last season, but the 25-year-old has stumbled to a line of .172/.206/.224 (5 wRC+) with no home runs in 63 plate appearances. He has mostly alternated with Shin-Soo Choo in left field and at DH, but the Rangers have also mixed in several other players in those spots.

Andrus, 31, has been a high-end contributor for the Rangers at times, but he’s now in the throes of a third straight abysmal offensive season. Eighty-two plate appearances in, he has batted .184/.244/.250 (28 wRC+) and joined Calhoun in failing to hit a homer. Andrus played every game for the Rangers through Aug. 16, but Isiah Kiner-Falefa has taken the helm at short since then.

The 28-year-old Rivera, who signed a minor league deal with the Rangers last offseason, brings some major league shortstop experience to the table. He lined up there with the Brewers and Marlins from 2015-19, but if history’s any indication, he won’t provide an upgrade over Andrus. Rivera has hit a meager .178/.248/.221 (33 wRC+) with one HR over 314 trips to the plate in the bigs.

Ian Gibaut, Chris Woodward Suspended Over Machado/Tatis Incident

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AUG. 19: Gibaut’s suspension was reduced to two games and he has dropped his appeal, the Rangers announced. He’ll begin serving the ban tonight.

AUG. 18: Major League Baseball has suspended Rangers right-hander Ian Gibaut three games and manager Chris Woodward one game for a controversial incident Monday that saw Gibaut throw behind Padres star Manny Machado.  Gibaut and Woodward were also both fined.  Gibaut is appealing his suspension while Woodward will serve his suspension for today’s game.

During Monday’s game, the Padres were leading the Rangers 10-3 in the eighth inning when Fernando Tatis Jr. came to the plate with the bases loaded.  Tatis swung on a 3-0 pitch from Juan Nicasio that resulted in a grand slam, prompting Gibaut to replace Nicasio on the mound.  Machado was the next batter up after Tatis, and Gibaut’s first pitch to Machado was behind the third baseman’s back.  No ejections or warnings were issued after the pitch, though the umpiring crew did meet on the field to discuss the situation.

After the game, Woodward told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell and other reporters that wasn’t pleased by Tatis’ swing.  “There’s a lot of unwritten rules that are constantly being challenged in today’s game.  I didn’t like it, personally,” Woodward said.  “You’re up by seven [runs] in the eighth inning; it’s typically not a good time to swing 3-0.  It’s kind of the way we were all raised in the game.  But, like I said, the norms are being challenged on a daily basis, so — just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s not right.”

Even Tatis’ own manager Jayce Tingler wasn’t entirely pleased, noting that Tatis missed a take sign on the pitch.  “He’s young, a free spirit and focused and all those things. That’s the last thing that we’ll ever take away. But it’s a learning opportunity,” Tingler said.

Woodward and Tingler each received widespread criticism for their comments, with Woodward’s citation of baseball’s “unwritten rules” drawing particular derision.  Many current and past players (including such legends as Reggie Jackson and Johnny Bench) have defended Tatis, with Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty providing perhaps the most succinct counterpoint: “Don’t like it… don’t fall behind 3-0, pretty simple.“

The suspensions to both Gibaut and Woodward indicate a clear feeling on the part of the league that the pitch to Machado was intentional, and to that end, it is somewhat surprising that Woodward only received one game (if the league felt he directed Gibaut to throw behind Machado).  MLB has taken a generally stricter line for on-field discipline this year as part of their health and safety procedures, though this particular incident didn’t lead to anything like a brawl or even an open argument between the two teams.

Rangers Select Luis Garcia, Place Juan Nicasio On Restricted List

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The Rangers have selected right-hander Luis Garcia’s contract from their alternate training site, per a team announcement. To make room for Garcia, the Rangers placed righty Juan Nicasio on the restricted list.

The 33-year-old Garcia may now get a chance to pitch in the majors for an eighth straight season. He divided 2013-19 between the Phillies and Angels, with whom he combined for a 4.17 ERA/4.29 FIP with 8.22 K/9, 4.64 BB/9 and a 55.4 percent groundball rate. At his best, the hard-throwing Garcia gave the Phillies 71 1/3 innings of 2.35 ERA/3.12 FIP ball in 2017, but he struggled mightily over the previous two seasons. As a result, Garcia had to settle for the Rangers’ minor league offer over the winter.

Nicasio, also 33 and another veteran reliever whom the Rangers inked to a minors pact, is down for “personal reasons.” He made his first two Rangers appearances Sunday and Monday, but those outings were disastrous. Nicasio combined to give up six earned runs on five hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings in a pair of Texas losses.

Quick Hits: Trade Deadline, Boras, Lynn, Smith, Padres, Burger

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There’s no doubt the 2020 trade deadline will be the most unusual in baseball history, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required) looks at some of the many unique aspects of the lead-up to August 31.  Everything about how teams evaluate their own rosters, decide on being buyers or sellers, scout other teams’ talent, and potentially spend to acquire that talent will be in flux, plus there are some factors unique to the threat of COVID-19.

For instance, there might have to be some back-channel negotiations with trade candidates to ensure that a player wouldn’t opt out of the season rather than be dealt to an undesirable location.  Just the idea of changing locations whatsoever also carries issues, as Rosenthal notes that intake testing could delay a new acquisition’s arrival to his new team by a few days (no small amount of time in a shortened season), and there is inherent risk in travel and in introducing the health x-factor of an unfamiliar player into a new clubhouse.

In regards to the latter concern, agent Scott Boras contacted Rosenthal with the following message (Twitter link): “So that deadline deals are not impacted by COVID, I am letting all owners know if any of our players are traded and asked to leave their existing teams’ protocols, we have arranged a private jet protocol to allow players to be safely transported (between clubs).”

More from around the baseball world…

  • Rosenthal’s piece also notes that the Rangers have been getting trade interest in Lance Lynn, though a move doesn’t seem likely with Texas battling for a playoff spot.  Lynn theoretically would be a good trade candidate if the Rangers were to fall out of the race, as the veteran is under contract for $8MM in 2021 and has been one of the sport’s best pitchers this season.  After yesterday’s complete-game victory over the Rockies, Lynn has a sparkling 1.11 ERA, 3.00 K/BB rate, and 11.0 K/9 over a league-best 32 1/3 innings.
  • Athletics reliever Burch Smith suffered a right forearm strain during Saturday’s game with the Giants.  (Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle was among those to report the news.)  The hurler will undergo an MRI on Monday and an injured list placement seems inevitable, though the A’s are hopeful that the injury isn’t structural in nature.  Smith allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings of work tonight, boosting his ERA to 2.25 after he delivered scoreless work over his previous 10 1/3 frames for Oakland.  Smith was dealt from the Giants to the A’s back in February.
  • Tommy Pham and Wil Myers both made early exits from the Padres’ game with the Diamondbacks tonight.  Pham left during the second inning due to cramping in both calves, while Myers left in the fifth inning due to lower back tightness.
  • White Sox prospect Jake Burger is now represented by The Bledsoe Agency, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Picked 11th overall in the 2017 draft, Burger’s young career has been waylaid with injuries, as two torn Achilles tendons and a severe heel bruise have kept him off the field since 2017.  Burger’s switch has been noted in MLB Trade Rumors’ updated Agency Database.

Rangers Select Juan Nicasio; Greg Bird Elects Free Agency

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The Rangers have announced a few roster moves. Righty Juan Nicasio is headed back to the majors after his contract was selected. The club will bid adieu to first baseman Greg Bird, who elected free agency after clearing outright waivers.

In other news, the team has placed backstop Robinson Chirinos on the 10-day injured list due to a sprained right ankle. Fellow catcher Jose Trevino was called up to fill in behind the dish.

This makes a decade’s worth of MLB seasons for Nicasio, who’ll soon turn 34. He struggled to a 4.75 ERA in 47 1/3 frames last year with the Phillies.

Bird will head back to the drawing board after only a single game in a Rangers uniform. He never even saw a chance to swing a bat with the Texas club, having landed on the injured list shortly after his promotion.

Rangers Place Edinson Volquez On 45-Day Injured List

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The Rangers announced Thursday that right-hander Edinson Volquez has been placed on the 45-day injured list after suffering a right oblique strain in his most recent appearance. With only 47 days remaining in the regular season, that will likely put an end to his 2020 campaign.

Volquez, 37, returned to Texas on a minor league deal this winter after pitching 16 innings for them in 2019. He openly pondered the possibility of retiring last summer, suggesting that he hoped to get back on the mound with the Rangers late in the season and then call it a career. At the time, it seemed Volquez was simply hoping to go out on his own terms, but he clearly felt strong enough last September to give things another go in 2020. He cracked the club’s Opening Day roster and has pitched 5 2/3 innings while allowing three runs, although virtually all the damage against him came in one ugly outing.

What’s next for Volquez isn’t clear. The right-hander has been limited to just 21 2/3 big league frames over the past three seasons after undergoing his second career Tommy John surgery late in the 2017 season while pitching for the Marlins. To this point, he’s amassed 1546 1/3 Major League innings while pitching to a 95-89 record with a 4.45 ERA and 1323 strikeouts. Volquez was an All-Star in a 2008 campaign that saw him finish fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting, and he’s pitched in parts of three postseasons — including as a key member of the Royals’ World Series-winning rotation in 2015.

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