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Rangers Designate Brady Dragmire

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The Rangers have designated righty Brady Dragmire for assignment, the team announced. His roster spot was needed for the team’s signing of Tyson Ross.

Dragmire, 23, has already been designated once by Texas this winter — and several other times by other organizations. Now, he’ll likely continue his tour of the majors via the waiver wire, unless the Rangers can sneak him through.

As we’ve noted on each of those prior occasions, Dragmire hasn’t yet sniffed the big leagues and worked to only a 4.38 ERA over his 72 Double-A frames in 2016. Despite pedestrian K/BB numbers (5.1 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9), he also carried a 63.6 percent groundball rate that has obviously intrigued quite a few teams.

Rangers Sign Tyson Ross

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JANUARY 19: The Rangers have announced the one-year deal with Ross, who can earn up to $3MM in incentives, per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).

JANUARY 13, 5:04pm: The deal guarantees Ross $6MM and also comes with available incentives, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets.

3:42pm: The Rangers have agreed with free-agent starter Tyson Ross, as Jeff Wade of 105.3 The FAN in Dallas/Fort Worth first reported. Ross’ contract is a one-year deal, per MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan (Twitter link). Salary terms are not yet reported.

Tyson Ross

[Related: Updated Texas Rangers Depth Chart]

Ross is set to turn 30 in April and is coming off a season in which shoulder troubles limited him to one lone appearance — that which he made on Opening Day. Ross attempted to rehab the injury all season without success, ultimately undergoing surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome.

The Padres, not wishing to pay him a repeat of last year’s $9.6MM salary, non-tendered Ross last month. Nearly two-third of the league showed some level of interest in Ross as a free agent, but in recent weeks it’s been reported that the Rangers and Cubd were his two likeliest landing spots, with the Nats also floating on the periphery of his market.

Because of the aforementioned TOS surgery, Ross isn’t a lock to be ready for Opening Day. Durability concerns have long accompanied Ross, but prior to the 2016 season he’d been a largely healthy and effective starter atop the San Diego rotation. From 2013-15, Ross tossed 516 2/3 innings for the Padres, logging to a 3.07 earned run average with 9.2 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 to go along with a superlative 58.2 percent ground-ball rate.

That level of upside is what led to the widespread interest in Ross and is what will likely lead the Rangers to plug him directly into their rotation once he’s healthy enough to take the hill. As it stands, A.J. Griffin is slotted in as the Rangers’ fifth starter behind Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels, Martin Perez and fellow offseason signee Andrew Cashner. However, Griffin tossed 119 innings with a 5.07 ERA last year and seems the likeliest to be ousted from the starting five once Ross completes his rehab. (Alternatively, the Rangers could deploy a six-man unit as a means of keeping everyone in the rotation healthy, though that’s simply speculation.)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Could Rangers Be A Fit For Jay Bruce?

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  • Recent agreements by the Blue Jays (Jose Bautista) and Phillies (Michael Saunders) have caused the Mets’ potential trade options for right fielder Jay Bruce to dwindle, writes Mike Puma of the New York Post. (I’d also note the Orioles’ acquisition of Seth Smith in that list of deterrents to a Bruce swap.) The Giants and Rangers could be the only two remaining plausible landing spots for Bruce, Puma continues, noting that each team has had previous interest in Bruce. However, according to Puma, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson has not yet shown a willingness to absorb any of Bruce’s $13MM salary in a trade, which only further exacerbates the difficulty of trading him in a market flooded with cheaper corner options. Puma speculates that the Mets may be forced to open the season with Bruce on the roster and look to move him early in the regular season, as they did with Ike Davis back in 2014.

Jake Diekman To Undergo Surgery, Miss Significant Portion Of 2017 Season

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Rangers reliever Jake Diekman is expected to miss “at least half” of the 2017 season after undergoing surgery to “help alleviate ulcerative colitis,” according to Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). That’s certainly frightening news for the 29-year-old; MLBTR extends its best wishes to him for a full recovery.

News of the surgery is most unwelcome for both Diekman and the Rangers. It’s a significant blow to the Texas organization’s late-inning bullpen mix. While there’s solid depth overall, Diekman is clearly the team’s top relief southpaw. Alex Claudio now stands as Texas’s top setup lefty.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition that can come with a variety of side effects, ranging from the unpleasant to the debilitating. Diekman has long battled the ailment, and it seems that a surgical course was finally deemed necessary. If you’re interested in learning more about the condition and Diekman’s charitable efforts involving it, click here.

Diekman had just agreed to a $2.55MM salary to avoid arbitration with the Rangers, and he’ll stand to receive all of that unless the team changes its mind before the start of the season. Odds are, Texas will take its chances on a return. The hope is, it seems, that Diekman will make it back in 2017, and he’s controllable for one more year through the arb process. Missing such a lengthy stretch will obviously dent his future arb earnings, it’s also important to point out.

Texas will no doubt miss Diekman’s presence for whatever stretch he is out. Last year, he worked 53 frames and posted a 3.40 ERA. Though he continues to struggle with command at times, Diekman is tough to square up. Relying mostly on a mid-nineties sinker, which he combines with a slider and little-used change, he typically produces plenty of groundballs and strikeouts. Diekman carries nearly a 50% grounder rate to go with 11.0 K/9 for his career.

 

Rangers Re-Sign Josh Hamilton

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12:09pm: Hamilton intends to try his hand at first base, as MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan tweets. Presumably, he could also factor in the corner outfield and DH mix. The organization has been rumored to be pursuing alternatives at first and DH, where Joey Gallo and Jurickson Profar currently rate as the top options on the depth chart.

11:38am: Texas has announced the deal. Hamilton will earn at the league-minimum rate if he makes it to the majors, Heyman tweets. That’s not surprising, of course, as Hamilton’s free-agent deal ran through the 2017 season. Most of his $30MM salary will be paid for by the Angels, though the Rangers did also take on a total of $6MM (for the 2015-17 seasons) when they acquired Hamilton.

11:18am: The Rangers have wrapped up an agreement to re-sign one-time star slugger Josh Hamilton, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). A deal has been expected since late in 2016.

Hamilton’s minor-league pact will give him the right to opt out on April 1 if he has not yet been added to the MLB roster. He’ll obviously hope to earn a spot in the major-league mix during spring camp, but it’s not known whether he’d look to pursue an opportunity elsewhere if Texas doesn’t offer him a big league job to open the year.

There remain many questions facing the 35-year-old Hamilton, who was expected to play a significant role for the Rangers last year but ended up requiring consecutive knee surgeries. The veteran outfielder made a brief and largely uninspiring appearance with Texas in 2015, after he was acquired from the Angels, but hasn’t put together a full season since 2013.

While Hamilton didn’t maintain his All-Star-level production upon leaving the Rangers to join the Angels in 2013, he did manage to put up a .255/.316/.426 batting line — good for a 110 OPS+ — during his two years in Los Angeles. If he can return to that sort of hitting, he’d likely be a solid piece for the Rangers, though talent has never been the lone issue. Hamilton, after all, has long dealt with balky knees and battled substance abuse, and he’ll need to maintain his overall health in order to be a productive member of the organization.

 

Rangers Sign Dillon Gee

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The Rangers have announced the signing of righty Dillon Gee to a minor-league deal. He can earn $2MM if he’s in the majors, with a $1MM incentive package, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter).

Gee is still recovering from thoracic outlet surgery — as is fellow recent signee Tyson Ross. Last year, Gee joined the Royals on a minor-league pact and ended up making 33 major-league appearances, 14 of them as a starter. But even before the surgery, he had struggled. Gee worked to a 4.68 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 over his 125 frames with Kansas City.

Just what Texas can expect from the 30-year-old, given his health concerns and recent performance dip, remains to be seen, but he ought to battle for a roster spot in camp. Assuming Ross isn’t quite ready for the start of the season, Gee could compete with pitchers such as A.J. Griffin, Chi Chi Gonzalez, and Nick Martinez for opportunities.

Rangers May Have Bargain In Luis Yander La O

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  • In an interview with Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (partial audio link), agent Dave Stewart said he had spoken to “four or five teams” about client Chris Carter, including the Rangers and Orioles.  The Athletics haven’t been in touch with Stewart, as the A’s gave the impression that they have moved on from Carter, who played in Oakland from 2010-12.  Stewart doesn’t anticipate Carter signing within the next week or so, as the market for first base/DH types is still rather unsettled, even a few weeks after Edwin Encarnacion signed with the Indians.
  • The Rangers’ $110K signing of Cuban infielder Luis Yander La O could end up being a bargain, Baseball America’s Ben Badler opines.  La O spent almost a full year in free agency before “signing for far less money than other Cuban players who have received bigger bonuses despite having less talent,” Badler writes.  Multiple changes in representation could be one reason for La O’s longer-than-expected stint on the open market, though Badler notes that many scouts see him as a utilityman rather than a potential everyday player.  Still, at the cost of just a $110K bonus, the Rangers are taking little risk in La O’s future.

Rangers Avoid Arb With Seven Players

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  • The Rangers have announced agreement on a deal to avoid arbitration with lefty Jake Diekman. With today’s deadline having passed, the sides did exchange figures — $3.1MM versus $1.9MM — but obviously were already nearing a number. The high-powered southpaw projected at $2.6MM, and will receive $2.55MM, per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
  • Jeremy Jeffress and Jurickson Profar have each avoided arbitration with the Rangers, per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegarm (via Twitter). Jeffress receives $2.1MM, while Profar will receive $1.005MM. Also of note, the Jeffress deal includes incentives that can add up to $250K in incentives, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). He’ll get $50K apiece upon reaching 55, 60, 65, and 70 innings. He had projected for a $2.9MM salary, but his legal issues late last year certainly dented his bargaining power.
  • The Rangers announced that they’ve avoided arb with Tanner Scheppers and Robinson Chirinos. Slated to be the backup catcher in 2017, Chirinos will earn $1.95MM according to the Star-Telegram’s Jeff Wilson (Twitter link). That falls just shy of his $2.1MM projection. Wilson adds that Scheppers will earn $975K — a bit lighter than his $1.1MM projection. Both are controlled through 2018.
  • A.J. Griffin has agreed to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration, the Rangers announced. Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram tweets that Griffin will earn $2MM on the new pact. Griffin, 28, signed a minor league deal last winter and made the club after coming back from Tommy John surgery with the A’s. He logged a 5.07 ERA in 119 innings and could be either the team’s fifth starter or a swingman, depending on how the rest of the offseason and Spring Training play out. He can be controlled through 2018.
  • The Rangers announced that right-hander Sam Dyson agreed to a one-year deal, and Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that he received a $3.52MM contract. Dyson, who emerged as the closer in Texas this season, falls shy of his $3.9MM projection but still lands a nice payday for a first-year reliever that has achieved Super Two status. He saved 38 games with a 2.43 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 70 innings and is controllable through 2020.

Rangers To Sign Luis Yander La O

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The Rangers have struck a minor-league deal with Cuban free-agent infielder Luis Yander La O, according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). He’ll receive a $110K bonus in the contract.

This arrangement finally brings an end to La O’s lengthy time on the open market. Though he has always been free of any international signing limitations, it has been nearly a year since he was cleared to sign. It surely did not help that he was originally represented by Bart Hernandez, who has since been indicted on federal trafficking charges.

Now 25, La O once drew praise as one of his home island’s best prospects. Last we checked in, though, he had failed to impress scouts in a workout. Still, La O has a solid track record of high-contact hitting in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, where he owns a .329/.388/.406 slash over 1,338 plate appearances.

It seems likely, given his age and experience, that La O will report to the upper levels of the Texas farm. There, he’ll need to prove that he can reach base enough to offset a notable lack of power, as Baseball America’s Ben Badler explained in a full writeup when La O left Cuba. While he typically lines up at third base, where he’s said to be a quality defender, it’s also possible that he might be able to transition to second with more dedicated time at that position.

 

Rangers “Check In” On Mark Trumbo

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The Rangers have at least “check[ed] in” on free-agent slugger Mark Trumbo, according to a report from Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. The extent of the team’s interest, though, isn’t yet clear.

Texas had been said to be the favorite to add Mike Napoli, another right-handed power hitter who’d presumably step in at first base and/or DH. But those talks haven’t proceeded as quickly as had seemed likely; per Heyman, the Rangers and Napoli aren’t quite seeing eye to eye on a deal.

That seems to have opened up at least some space for the Rangers to consider alternatives. Trumbo, who’ll turn 31 in a few days, is significantly younger than the 35-year-old Napoli. That had led to expectations that he’d be able to land a lengthier contract, though at present there’s no indication of long-term interest on the market. Of course, despite his prodigious power output — including a league-leading 47 bombs in 2016 — Trumbo also lags Napoli in on-base ability with a career .303 mark. And while the former is theoretically capable of playing the outfield, he has never drawn strong reviews for his glovework on the grass.

Trumbo remains the top unsigned player on MLBTR’s top 50 free agent list. But it’s fair to wonder whether the Rangers are looking mostly for a chance at a relative bargain by opening up a dialogue with his representatives. That’s the course the team pursued last year with Ian Desmond — who required the sacrifice of a draft choice, as would Trumbo — and Texas has shown little inclination to hand out major, long-term contracts this winter. The Rangers hold what’s currently the 26th choice in the 2017 draft.

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