Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Rangers Rumors

Rangers Designate Drew Stubbs, Activate Carlos Gomez

By | at

The Rangers have designated outfielder Drew Stubbs for assignment, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). His roster spot will go to the just-signed Carlos Gomez, who has been activated.

[RELATED: Updated Rangers Roster]

Gomez will go right onto action for Texas, playing left field and slotting into the eighth spot in the lineup. He is moving across the state after a hugely disappointing run with the Astros, who cut him loose recently. The Rangers are only on the hook for a pro-rated portion of the league minimum, and will surely hope that Gomez can provide a quality glove and at least begin to turn things around somewhat at the plate.

As for the 31-year-old Stubbs, this represents his second trip through DFA limbo this year. He joined the Rangers after being cut loose earlier by the Braves, playing at Triple-A until his recent promotion. Stubbs has been hitting well in his very brief major league stint with the Rangers, putting up an unusual .300/.400/.600 slash in 25 plate appearances.

Marlins Acquire Jeff Francoeur In Three-Team Deal With Braves, Rangers

By | at

The Marlins announced tonight that they have acquired outfielder Jeff Francoeur and cash considerations from the Braves in a three-team deal that also involves the Rangers. The Braves will acquire minor league shortstop Dylan Moore from the Rangers and minor league catcher/first baseman Matt Foley from the Marlins. The Rangers, meanwhile, will receive three international bonus slots — two from the Marlins and one from the Braves — that total $860K in value.

"<strong

Francoeur will give the Marlins a right-handed bat to play in right field in the wake of Giancarlo Stanton’s injury, possibly sharing time with the left-handed-hitting Oswaldo Arcia (whom Miami claimed off waivers from the Rays earlier this week) and veteran Ichiro Suzuki.

While the veteran Francoeur’s overall .249/.290/.381 batting line isn’t especially impressive, his .273/.313/.431 line against lefties is much more palatable, and he regularly draws positive reviews for his presence in the clubhouse. Any alignment featuring regular time from Francoeur and/or Arcia figures to be sub-par from a defensive standpoint, but the pair’s platoon stats (Arcia is a .244/.317/.468 hitter vs. righties) complement each other nicely, and Ichiro still profiles as a useful defender in right even at 42 years of age.

The 32-year-old Francoeur is a free agent at season’s end, making this is a short-term pickup for the Fish. Francoeur inked a minor league pact with Atlanta this offseason that came with a $1MM base salary and another $1MM available via incentives. Presumably, the cash considerations headed to Miami will help cover the remaining $213K on Francoeur’s deal plus any incentives he may have already reached. (The specific nature of his performance bonuses was not reported at the time of his signing.)

As Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News points out (Twitter link), the $860K total value of the international slots in this deal, when paired with the $210K the Rangers acquired in the trade that sent outfielder Ryan Strausborger to the Mariners, mean that Texas has acquired the maximum $1.07MM they were allowed to add to their international signing pool. Per the league’s stipulations, a team can only acquire up to 50 percent of its original bonus pool, and Texas entered the current signing period with a pool of $2,157,400 (per Baseball America).

Neither Moore nor Foley ranked within the top 30 prospects of their respective organizations. The 24-year-old Moore, though, has enjoyed a nice season split between Class-A and Class-A Advanced, hitting .263/.377/.440 with 14 homers and 40 stolen bases. While it should be pointed out that the 2015 seventh-round pick spent most of the season playing at Class-A, where he was a good bit older than the average player in the league, his production didn’t really take off until he was moved up to High-A, where he has slashed .351/.400/.649 with five homers in just 17 games. He’s a bit old for that level as well, but his quick adaptation could prompt further promotion. Beyond that, he’s a jack of all trades in the field, as pointed out by David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Moore has played every position on the field except catcher, and that includes pitcher (though the seven hits he allowed in his lone inning of work probably mean he won’t be spending much time on the mound in the future).

Foley, meanwhile, has spent the season with the Marlins’ Rookie-level affiliate in Arizona before recently being bumped up to short-season Class-A. The 2015 40th-rounder has totaled just 44 plate appearances and batted .257/.386/.257 and caught one of four runners that have attempted to steal against him.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported that a trade between the Braves and Rangers had been agreed to (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post added that it was a three-team deal that would send Francoeur to Miami (links to Twitter). Rosenthal tweeted that international bonus money would go to Texas, and Sherman tweeted that the Braves would send one slot while the Marlins would send two. MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweeted that Foley was in the trade, and 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Could Derek Holland Take #3 Starter Role For Rangers?

By | at

  • While the Rangers lost their third straight ballgame yesterday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News finds a ray of hope: the performance of starter Derek Holland. In his first outing since June 20, the southpaw allowed just one earned run on four hits and a walk, striking out five over six solid frames that required only 73 pitches. When Texas ended up foregoing a starting staff upgrade at the trade deadline, it left the middle and back of its rotation somewhat exposed. But Grant wonders whether Holland might be able not only to solidify things down the stretch, but also win the third spot in a hypothetical but hopeful playoff rotation.

Rangers Place Josh Hamilton On Release Waivers

By | at

The Rangers announced that they have activated outfielder Josh Hamilton from the 60-day disabled list and placed him on unconditional release waivers. Per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (links to Twitter), the move is somewhat procedural in nature, as the club could look to sign him to a minor league deal after the season, and Hamilton has previously expressed a willingness to return in such an arrangement. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, in fact, tweets that Hamilton said last month that he expected to be released and sign a minor league pact this winter.

Hamilton missed the entire 2016 season due to a knee injury that proved to be more serious than initially believed. Hamilton was originally diagnosed with a torn meniscus but ultimately underwent an ACL reconstruction as well. He appeared in 50 games with Texas last season, batting .253/.291/.441 with eight homers in 182 plate appearances.

“We plan to monitor Josh’s progress as he continues his rehab process and is medically cleared this winter,” GM Jon Daniels explained to reporters (Twitter link via Grant). “Given the rules in place, releasing him before the end of this month allows us to keep the door open to extending the relationship in the future.” Had the Rangers waited until the offseason to release him, Hamilton wouldn’t have been eligible to return to the Major Leagues with Texas until May 15 of next season.

Astros Interested In Mitch Moreland

By | at

  • The Astros have a lot of interest in Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland, though Cafardo doubts a trade is likely given Texas’ lack of first base depth in the wake of Prince Fielder’s retirement.  (It would also be very unusual to see a trade between two division rivals in a pennant race, even if Houston has fallen well behind Texas in the AL West.)  The Astros already have a left-handed hitting first baseman in rookie A.J. Reed, though Reed is still a work in progress despite some improved hitting over the last couple of weeks.  While it doesn’t seem like Texas would deal Moreland, he has cleared trade waivers, so he can freely moved to any other club.
  • Carlos Gomez drew interest from several teams before signing with the Rangers, with Cafardo adding the Indians and Blue Jays to the list of clubs already known to have been looking at the veteran outfielder.  Gomez likely would’ve served as platoon partner for Tyler Naquin in center for the Tribe, though despite Michael Brantley missing virtually the entire season, Cleveland’s outfield has actually been pretty solid thanks to unexpected contributions from Naquin, Rajai Davis and (when he hasn’t been at third) Jose Ramirez.  Gomez could’ve filled in the Jays outfield while Bautista and Kevin Pillar are on the DL, though his role would’ve been rather unclear once both returned.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Rangers’ Jon Daniels On Carlos Gomez Signing

By | at

10:14am: Manager Jeff Banister revealed Sunday that Gomez will be the Rangers’ everyday left fielder when he joins the team, tweets Wilson. Profar and DeShields have been platooning there recently.

9:12am: Newly signed Rangers outfielder Carlos Gomez will report to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, but he could join the big league team as early as Thursday, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Unsurprisingly, Rangers president and general manager Jon Daniels would like Gomez to debut with the first-place club in short order.

“We signed him with the hope that he can help us in the big leagues,” Daniels told Wilson. “Probably sooner than later given where we are on the calendar. We want to take a look at it before too much time passes.”

The 73-51 Rangers, who have a six-game lead in the American League West and own the AL’s best record, haven’t yet decided how often they’ll play Gomez or which position he’ll fill. One place he won’t line up is center field, Daniels said. While center is Gomez’s natural position and where he has spent nearly his entire major league career since debuting with the Mets in 2007, Texas has a better option on its roster in Ian Desmond.

Desmond has solidified the Rangers’ outfield up the middle, but they aren’t as well off in the corners – especially given the loss of right fielder Shin-Soo Choo to a fractured forearm earlier this week. Without Choo around, Jurickson Profar, Nomar Mazara, Ryan Rua, Delino DeShields Jr. and Drew Stubbs are the Rangers’ current choices, as their depth chart shows.

Like Gomez, Rua, DeShields and Stubbs are all right-handed hitters. The only one who has fared nicely versus lefties this year is Rua, though the 31-year-old Stubbs does own a .274/.349/.445 line against them in 932 career plate appearances. Historically, Gomez has performed similarly against both left- and right-handers, and that has continued this season. Unfortunately, though, that’s no longer a positive for the erstwhile star, whom lefties have held to a .221/.275/.326 line and righties have limited to a .205/.271/.320 output in 2016. As evidenced by those numbers, and the fact that the wild-card contending Astros released him amid a playoff race, Gomez no longer looks like any kind of a solution. However, Daniels felt Gomez was worth taking a flyer on for the prorated league minimum of $110K.

“The way we’re looking at it is he’s an extremely talented player who is having a down year,” Daniels stated. “He’s 30 years old; he’s still in his physical prime. Sometimes trades don’t work out the way the acquiring club intends. We’re taking a chance on him thinking he’s better than his most recent performance.”

Gomez, of course, was among the majors’ premier all-around players from 2013-14, when the ex-Brewer combined for 13.1 fWAR in 1,234 PAs and slashed .284/.347/.491 with 47 home runs and 74 stolen bases. Gomez’s career went into a tailspin when Houston acquired him last summer. Now, the Rangers are left to hope that a change of scenery serves him well.

Rangers Sign Carlos Gomez

By | at

The Rangers have officially announced that they’ve signed veteran outfielder Carlos Gomez to a minor league deal, as FanRag’s Jon Heyman was first to report (Twitter links). Gomez is expected to play a few games in the minors before being called up. The Astros requested release waivers on Gomez yesterday after previously designating him for assignment. The Astros will be responsible for most of what remains of his $9MM 2016 salary.

Carlos GomezThe Rangers might have had interest in Gomez in part because of Shin-Soo Choo’s recent forearm fracture. They currently have infielder Jurickson Profar listed as their starter in left field, alongside Ian Desmond in center and Nomar Mazara in right. Few would dispute that the 23-year-old Profar is an interesting player, but he has only a handful of games of professional experience in the outfield and might be best utilized elsewhere.

The team also currently has Ryan Rua, Delino DeShields and Drew Stubbs on its active roster (along with Carlos Beltran, who has played in the field only occasionally since the Rangers acquired him). DeShields and Stubbs have not hit particularly well this season, however. Gomez, of course, is only available because he hasn’t hit much this season either, but he does have a more established track record and a still-decent glove. Gomez’s likely role on the Rangers isn’t clear, however — he has typically played center field in his career but isn’t likely to unseat Desmond, who has been successful there. Also, he’s right-handed, as are Desmond, Rua, DeShields and Stubbs. Gomez could potentially play right field against some lefties, spelling the left-handed Mazara.

Gomez once looked likely to land a huge deal in free agency next offseason, but his career has gone way off the rails since the Brewers dealt him to Houston last year. This season, he’s batted just .210/.272/.322, leading to his release from the contending Astros. At 30, it’s surely possible Gomez has upside remaining, but the Rangers will have very limited time to realize it.

Yesterday, MLBTR’s Steve Adams named the Rangers as one of eight potential fits for Gomez. The 30-year-old Gomez had also been connected to the Giants and Marlins.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Matt Kemp, Mitch Moreland Clear Waivers

By | at

In addition to the previously reported Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters, James Shields and Scott Kazmir, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe adds Braves outfielder Matt Kemp and Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland to the list of veterans who have cleared waivers. Like the other four players, Kemp and Moreland are now eligible to be traded anywhere.

Matt Kemp (vertical)[RELATED: Players Who Have Cleared Revocable Waivers]

Kemp is only a few weeks into his stint with the Braves, who acquired him from the Padres in exchange for Hector Olivera on July 30. In doing so, the Braves got rid of an on- and off-field disappointment in Olivera and added Kemp on a $21.5MM salary through 2019. The Braves are on the hook for $18MM of that sum, while the Padres will pay $3.5MM of it for the duration of the deal. Undoubtedly, Atlanta would have to eat quite a bit of money to move Kemp, who hasn’t provided much all-around value since the 2012 season.

Kemp’s best asset is his bat, but he has only produced a league-average line (.259/.291/.475) despite 24 home runs in 505 plate appearances this year. At .265/.312/.443 in 648 PAs last season, Kemp wasn’t overly effective then, either. Even if the former MVP candidate and ex-Dodger experiences an offensive revival, which looks unlikely for a player whose walk rate is at a career-worst 4.8 percent, his defensive woes will continue limiting his value. Long a negative in the field, Kemp currently ranks toward the bottom of the majors in Defensive Runs Saved (minus-6), Ultimate Zone Rating (minus-7.9) and UZR/150 (minus-12.3). Thus, Kemp is likely better off as a designated hitter than an outfielder, yet the 31-year-old has played his entire career in the National League. Given his likely low to nonexistent trade value, Kemp looks primed to continue in the Senior Circuit.

While Kemp is on a last-place team that has no hope of contention in 2016, Moreland is a member of a club with World Series aspirations. In 376 trips to the plate, Moreland has mimicked Kemp in swatting plenty of homers (21) while recording a batting line that’s only slightly better than league average (.251/.316/.481). Those numbers are essentially right in line with Moreland’s career, as the 30-year-old has hit .258/.319/.449 in 2,635 PAs. He’s also amid his third straight 20-plus-HR season, making him one of four Rangers who have achieved the feat this year (excluding midseason pickups Carlos Beltran and Jonathan Lucroy).

Moreland, who’s on a $5.7MM salary, is due to hit free agency in the offseason. While he could leave the Rangers then and perhaps pave the way for the Joey Gallo era, it seems unlikely to happen during a season in which first-place Texas is 73-51 and aiming for a championship.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

More On Rangers' Pre-Deadline Efforts To Acquire Pitching

By | at

  • The Rangers weren’t able to swing a deal for any of the big-name starters they pursued, but that’s in part due to the asking prices they received. The Rays asked the Rangers for Jurickson Profar and other pieces in exchange for Matt Moore, while Rougned Odor’s name was suggested by the Rays in Chris Archer talks and by the White Sox in talks for Chris Sale.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Latest On Jonathan Papelbon

By | at

Former Nationals reliever Jonathan Papelbon remains unsigned, though he hasn’t been on the open market for long and is still assessing his options. While a near-term signing may still be anticipated, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com notes on Twitter that the veteran’s timetable for joining a new organization appears to have shifted back somewhat.

One team that will not be considering the former star closer is the Rangers. According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, via Twitter, Texas has no interest whatsoever.

The Red Sox, though, continue to be linked to a pitcher who made his name in Boston. As Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports, GM Mike Hazen told WEEI’s Lou Merloni and Mike Mutnansky that the club is “just kind of in a wait-and-see” situation after having expressed interest.

Hazen did note that the Sox are looking at ways to bolster their pen, with the idea being to build as much depth as possible. It has seemingly been tough going on the fickle August trade market, making the freely-available Papelbon a more appealing target.

Though questions have understandably been raised not only as to Papelbon’s effectiveness but also whether he’d be a good clubhouse presence, his former employers and teammates haven’t shied away. After a previous statements of support from Cubs lefty Jon Lester, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz says that his former teammate would be a welcome addition, as ESPN.com’s Scott Lauber writes.

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