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Rangers Place Corey Seager On 10-Day Injured List

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2:46PM: The Rangers announced that Seager has been placed on the 10-day IL due to his right thumb sprain.  Sam Huff was called up from Triple-A to take Seager’s spot on the active roster.  The MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage, Seager told Jeff Wilson and other reporters, so he is hopeful of a return in two weeks’ time.

1:30PM: Rangers shortstop Corey Seager left Friday’s game due to what the team described as a right thumb sprain.  He suffered the injury while diving into second base for a double in the eighth inning, and Seager was removed for a pinch-runner.

Manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (including Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today) that Seager’s x-rays were negative and that the shortstop was considered day-to-day, but Wilson tweeted this afternoon that Seager will undergo an MRI to determine any further damage.  Even if the MRI comes back clean, Wilson writes that “there seems to be an expectation that he will need time on the IL.”

It would mark Seager’s second trip to the injured list this season, as he previously missed about a month of action due to a hamstring strain.  The Rangers can only hope that Seager’s MRI reveals nothing more than inflammation, as the 29-year-old is on pace for the best season of his nine-year MLB career.  Seager is hitting .350/.413/.631 with 15 homers over 298 plate appearances, and was voted as the American League’s starting shortstop for the All-Star Game.

Seager signed a 10-year, $325MM free agent deal with Texas during the 2021-22 offseason, and he delivered 33 homers and a .245/.317/.455 slash line over 663 PA in 2022.  It was an underwhelming performance in terms of bottom-line numbers, but a .242 BABIP and outstanding advanced metrics indicated that Seager was unusually unlucky last year, so it isn’t a surprise that he has bounced back in such tremendous fashion this year.

While pretty much the entire Texas lineup is posting above-average to great numbers this season, losing Seager for an extended amount of time would obviously be a huge blow to a team with World Series aspirations.  The Rangers were already expected to be pretty aggressive at the trade deadline, but if Seager’s availability for the stretch run is now in doubt, the front office might turn some attention from the pitching staff to add another bat to the mix.  Fortunately for the Rangers, Ezequiel Duran already projects as a capable fill-in for Seager at shortstop, as Duran performed well during Seager’s earlier stint on the IL.

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: All Eyes on the Angels, Cardinals Trade Options and Buyers or Sellers

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • Do you feel that the Yankees should be sellers? (17:25)
  • If the Rangers were to acquire Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger from the Cubs, would that make them the favorite in American League? (21:30)
  • What are the Blue Jays going to target at the deadline? (24:00)

Check out our past episodes!

Rangers Designate Taylor Hearn, Select Alex Speas

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The Rangers announced Wednesday morning that they’ve designated left-hander Taylor Hearn for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to right-hander Alex Speas, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Round Rock. Texas optioned lefty John King to Triple-A in order to open a spot for Speas on the active roster.

Now 28 years old, Hearn was acquired in the 2018 deadline deal that sent reliever Keone Kela to the Pirates. The southpaw was a mainstay on the Rangers’ pitching staff from 2021-22, splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen. While the overall 4.89 ERA he posted in 204 1/3 innings during that time hardly stands out, Hearn has pronounced splits between his work as a starter and a reliever.

In 110 1/3 career innings out of the rotation, Hearn has been rocked for a 6.36 ERA. Like many pitchers, he’s had particularly rough struggled when turning a lineup over for a third time; opponents have batted .343/.438/.567 against him in such situations.

Out of the bullpen, however, Hearn has looked like a different and quite serviceable pitcher. He’s tallied 118 2/3 innings of relief work in the big leagues, logging a 3.94 ERA and fanning exactly one quarter of his opponents. His 11.2% walk rate out of the ’pen is well north of the league average, but Hearn has demonstrated an ability to miss bats and limit damage while averaging close to 96 mph with his heater in short stints.

He’s worked primarily out of the bullpen in Triple-A this season, posting a 3.66 ERA and a very strong 30.2% strikeout rate. Command has continued to plague Hearn in Round Rock though, evidenced by a 13.2% walk rate plus another four plunked batters in his 39 1/3 innings there.

Hearn is optionable for the remainder of the current season. That, combined with solid career marks in the bullpen, plus velocity on his fastball and a history of missing bats, could certainly lead to trade interest in the southpaw.

The Rangers will have a week to trade Hearn or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. He’s earning $1.5MM this year and has at least two more seasons of arbitration eligibility remaining, so it’s feasible but certainly not guaranteed that he’d be claimed.

Taking Hearn’s spot on the roster is the 25-year-old Speas, a potential late-inning powerhouse whose trio of plus or better pitches is at times undercut by a lack of command. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen ranked the flamethrowing righty 14th among Texas farmhands earlier this month, touting his “vicious” slider’s “absurd” movement. He’s throwing that slider or his low-90s cutter a combined 85% of the time in the minors this year, Longenhagen notes, due in part because of his struggles locating a four-seamer that can routinely hit 102 mph.

A second-round pick by the Rangers back in 2016, Speas has a ridiculous 1.00 ERA in 36 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season. He’s fanned 40.4% of his opponents against an 11.3% walk rate that represents a career-low. The walk rate would likely be higher if Speas leaned on his heater more regularly, but for now the emphasis on his slider and cutter has proven a recipe for success.

It’s increasingly common for relievers to throw their breaking pitches more than their fastballs, and while Speas is an extreme example of that, his ability to do so with success in the upper minors positions him as a potential late-inning weapon for manager Bruce Bochy.

Rangers To Sign First-Round Pick Wyatt Langford

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The Rangers are set to announce the signing of fourth overall draftee Wyatt Langford at a press conference tomorrow, per Jeff Wilson (Twitter link). According to Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline (on Twitter), the University of Florida product will take home an $8MM bonus.

Despite being a college draftee, Langford gets a signing figure a little above slot value. The fourth pick comes with a bonus allotment of $7.7MM. That reflects Langford’s reputation as a top three talent in the class. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN had him first on his pre-draft board. Keith Law of the Athletic ranked him only behind Dylan Crews, while Baseball America and MLB Pipeline put him behind Crews and Paul Skenes.

Langford dipped out of the top three, but he lands a higher bonus than the $7.7MM that’ll go to #3 selection Max Clark. The righty-hitting outfielder is regarded as perhaps the best offensive player in this year’s class. He hit .373/.498/.784 during his final year in Gainesville. Langford connected on 21 homers, walked at a stellar 18.5% clip and kept his strikeouts to a tolerable 14.5% rate.

He’s also an excellent runner and figures to get a crack in center field in pro ball. Evaluators have suggested he might be better suited for left field — where he spent a decent amount of time for the Gators — as a result of fringy defensive instincts. Even if he does end up in a corner, he’s expected to eclipse the higher offensive bar necessary to be a quality everyday player.

Langford figures to immediately jump towards the top of a strong Texas farm system. McDaniel’s pre-draft writeup noted he’ll immediately slot into pro ball as ESPN’s #9 overall prospect. He ranks 11th on Baseball America’s updated Top 100, one spot ahead of Evan Carter for tops in the Rangers’ organization.

Jack Leiter Moved To Development List

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  • It’s been a frustrating season for the Rangers and 2021 second overall pick Jack Leiter. After his selection in the 2021 draft, Leiter entered the 2022 season as a consensus top-25 prospect in the sport. Since then, however, he’s struggled mightily when pitching at the Double-A level, with a 5.54 ERA in 92 2/3 innings of work last season that saw him fall off many top 100 lists entering the 2023 campaign. Things haven’t gotten better from there, as Leiter has posted an eerily similar 5.52 ERA in 15 starts (65 1/3 innings) this season. Leiter’s struggles culminated in the club moving him to the development list yesterday, taking him off the Double-A active roster. Per Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today, the club hopes to work with Leiter on his mechanics in a more controlled environment than minor league starts can provide, and has offered no timetable for Leiter’s return to game action. It’s a deeply disappointing update for Rangers fans, as the 54-39 club would surely benefit from the front-line production Leiter was expected to provide when he was selected with the second overall pick two years ago.

Rangers Place Josh Sborz On 15-Day Injured List

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  • The Rangers placed right-hander Josh Sborz on the 15-day injured list due to right biceps tendinitis, with a backdated placement date of July 12.  Left-hander John King was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Sborz has been rocked for nine earned runs over his last 9 1/3 innings (four appearances) of work, spoiling what had been a quietly solid season for the righty in the Texas bullpen.  In his previous 34 1/3 innings, Sborz had posted a 2.62 ERA while limiting opposing batters to a .460 OPS.  Texas has already made an early trade for Aroldis Chapman in an attempt to shore up its inconsistent bullpen, and more relief help might be needed by the deadline if Sborz will now miss a significant amount of time.

Ryan Tepera Expected To Opt Out Of Rangers Deal

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Veteran reliever Ryan Tepera has exercised an opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Rangers and is expected to become a free agent, MLBTR has learned. He’d signed there on a minor league pact in mid-June after being released by the Angels.

Signed by the Halos to a two-year, $14MM contract in the 2021-22 offseason, the now-35-year-old Tepera had a solid first year in Anaheim, pitching to a 3.61 ERA with 17 holds, six saves, a 20.3% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate in 57 1/3 innings. Things went off the rails in year two of the contract, as he was hit hard in 8 2/3 innings before being designated for assignment and released. Tepera yielded seven earned runs on 15 hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts during those 10 2/3 innings, and his average fastball had dipped to a career-low 91.8 mph.

It’s been the opposite with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock, however. The veteran righty has rattled off eight scoreless innings, punching out a whopping 37.9% of his opponents against a 10.3% walk rate. He’s picked some of that velocity back up, with his heater now back up to 93 mph — the same level at which it sat from 2020-22, when Tepera tossed 139 1/3 innings of 3.29 ERA ball between the Cubs, White Sox and Halos.

It’s at least mildly surprising that the Rangers apparently don’t feel they have a big league spot for Tepera, given that performance and his broader track record. In parts of nine big league seasons, he’s tallied 363 1/3 innings of 3.59 ERA ball, regularly working in leverage roles — particularly in recent seasons. The Rangers recently acquired Aroldis Chapman to shore up the back end of their bullpen and have also brought familiar faces Ian Kennedy and Matt Bush back to the organization on minor league deals, but given this year’s struggles from expected contributors like Joe Barlow, Jonathan Hernandez, Taylor Hearn and John King, there’s still some need for relief pitching in Arlington. Of course, Texas GM Chris Young is very likely still in the market for additional relief pitching.

However things play out in Texas, it appears Tepera won’t be a part of the solution at this time. He’ll hit the market in search of another opportunity. With upwards of half the league in the market for bullpen help, a nice showing in Triple-A and a strong track record, he ought to draw interest from multiple clubs as he looks for a return to the big leagues. The Angels are on the hook for the remainder of Tepera’s $7MM salary for the current season, so any team that signs him would only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster.

This Date In Transaction History: Rays Acquire Pete Fairbanks

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Just under three weeks from the trade deadline, it’s still a little early for clubs to make moves of consequence. July is trade season but the majority of key acquisitions take place in the final week or so.

On this date four years ago, the Rays and Rangers lined up a deal that was more an interesting swap of young players than a pivotal deadline move. It was a one-for-one that sent reliever Pete Fairbanks to Tampa Bay and second base prospect Nick Solak to Arlington.

Fairbanks had some MLB experience, but neither player was an established big leaguer at the time of the trade. The right-hander had pitched in eight games for Texas. He averaged over 97 MPH on his heater but had allowed 10 runs in 8 2/3 frames. Solak hadn’t yet gotten to the majors; he was hitting .266/.353/.485 with 17 homers in Triple-A at the time of the deal.

Despite being the player without MLB experience, Solak was probably the more well-known of the two at the time. He’d been a 2nd-round selection of the Yankees a few years before. Solak was already involved in one notable trade, going to Tampa Bay in the 2018 three-team deal that sent Brandon Drury from Arizona to the Bronx.

Prospect evaluators consistently raised questions about Solak’s defensive acumen at second base. There was less trepidation about his offensive upside, though. He’d been an accomplished minor league hitter and was on the doorstep of the majors. Fairbanks had high-octane stuff but spotty control and had twice undergone Tommy John surgery as a minor leaguer, a big reason he was still unestablished by his age-25 campaign.

The initial returns looked promising for Texas. Solak debuted a month later and hit .292/.393/.491 over his first 33 MLB contests. He’d get the Opening Day nod in left field the next season. Fairbanks pitched 13 times for the Rays, allowing 10 runs across 12 1/3 frames.

Beginning in 2020, the deal swung definitively in Tampa Bay’s favor. Fairbanks was excellent in the shortened season, working to a 2.70 ERA while fanning a third of opponents in 27 regular season outings. He pitched nine times during the Rays’ run to the pennant, securing three saves and holds apiece in the playoffs. Fairbanks logged a career-high 42 2/3 innings the next year, working to a 3.59 ERA with 14 holds and a 29.7% strikeout rate.

Solak, on the other hand, never built off that strong debut. He hit .246/.317/.354 in a little more than 800 MLB plate appearances from 2020-22. Concerns about his defense were founded and pushed him more frequently to left field. Texas parted with him at the start of last offseason, trading him to the Reds for cash. Solak has consistently hit well in the upper minors but has bounced around via waivers and small trades since the Rangers moved on. He’s currently in Triple-A with the Tigers.

Fairbanks’ durability concerns have presented themselves over the past two years. He lost the first half of last season to a lat strain. He’s battled Raynaud’s syndrome, a condition that can lead to a cold numbness in the fingers, on a couple occasions. Hip inflammation cost him a few weeks earlier this year.

Still, the Rays have to be pleased with the work they’ve gotten out of Fairbanks. He’s one of their top relievers, owner of a 2.78 ERA in 123 regular season innings since the trade. He has allowed only six runs in 15 postseason frames over three seasons. The Rays signed him to a three-year deal in January, guaranteeing him $12MM to buy out his final three arbitration years and secure a 2026 club option.

No one would argue the Fairbanks trade was as impactful as acquiring the likes of Randy Arozarena or Isaac Paredes. It proved an adept pickup, though. Adding an effective late-inning arm for a young hitter who fell a bit short of expectations has paid off. The front office and coaching staff surely hope Fairbanks will continue to play a key role in postseason runs over the years to come.

Rangers, Matt Bush Agree To Minor League Deal

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Less than a year after being traded from Texas to Milwaukee, right-hander Matt Bush is back in the Rangers organization. The 37-year-old Bush, released by the Brewers last week, has signed a minor league deal with the Rangers, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. The Full Circle Sports Management client has been assigned to Double-A Frisco for the time being.

Traded from the Rangers to the Brewers in exchange for utilityman Mark Mathias and lefty Antoine Kellylate last July, Bush never quite found his footing in Milwaukee. At the time of the deal, he boasted a 2.95 ERA (2.77 SIERA), 29.8% strikeout rate and 6.6% walk rate in 36 2/3 innings. Bush’s strikeout rate actually improved a slight bit down the stretch in Milwaukee, but his walk rate crept up two percentage points as well. Most problematically, he became quite susceptible to home runs, yielding six long balls in 23 innings down the stretch.

Bush still posted a serviceable 4.30 ERA in Milwaukee, home run troubles notwithstanding, and his strong strikeout/walk numbers were enough for the team to tender him a contract. The two parties agreed to a $1.85MM salary for the current season, but Bush took a step back in nearly every notable category. After averaging 97.4 mph on his fastball in 2022, the right-hander sat at 94.8 mph in limited work with the Brewers this season. That’s perhaps attributable to tendinitis in his right rotator cuff, which sent him to the injured list for nearly two months, but whatever the reason, the results were grim.

In 12 appearances this year, Bush pitched just 10 1/3 innings while allowing 11 runs on 11 hits and five walks.  Five of those 11 knocks were homers, and Bush’s strikeout rate plummeted nearly 10 percentage points (from 30.3% to 20.8%) while his walk rate spiked more than five percentage points (from 7.4% to 12.5%).

The Rangers have been searching for bullpen upgrades for some time — they acquired Aroldis Chapman from the Royals in the only notable trade of deadline season thus far — so it’s not altogether surprising that they’d take what’s basically a free look at a pitcher they know quite well. Bush regularly worked in high-leverage spots with the Rangers from 2016-22, totaling 177 2/3 innings of 3.34 ERA ball with a 24.8% strikeout rate, 7.6% walk rate, 46 holds and 12 saves in that time. He won’t be viewed as any kind of definitive solution for the Rangers, who’ll presumably remain in the market for relief upgrades even after acquiring Chapman, but Bush could be a second-half option if he can get back on track in the minors.

Latest On White Sox’s Deadline Plans

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The White Sox could be one of the most interesting sellers of this year’s deadline. Chicago lost their last two heading into the All-Star Break and sit 16 games under .500 at 38-54. They’ve fallen eight games back of Cleveland in the AL Central, in which they now occupy fourth place.

Chicago has a number of players who are relatively close to free agency whom they could market in trade. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports the Sox are prepared to seriously consider offers on all but four players: center fielder Luis Robert Jr., ace Dylan Cease, first baseman Andrew Vaughn and left fielder Eloy Jiménez. Heyman suggests that while no one on the roster might be categorically untouchable, Chicago’s “clear intention” is to retain those four players.

Last month, Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic wrote that Chicago was telling rival clubs they were focused on retaining players under control beyond this season. Genuinely considering offers on everyone aside from Cease, Robert, Vaughn and Jiménez would represent a change in direction, although the Sox would still resist moving any of their most valuable long-term assets.

Chicago has a number of likely impending free agents who are apparent trade candidates. Starter Lucas Giolito and relievers Keynan Middleton and Reynaldo López are pure rentals; all three appeared among MLBTR’s top 20 trade candidates last week. So did starter Lance Lynn, whose contract contains an $18MM team option that appears likely to be bought out for $1MM. Reliever Joe Kelly, controllable for next season via $9.5MM club option ($1MM buyout), also ranked highly on that list.

The Sox have a few more players with relatively pricy 2024 options. Closer Liam Hendriks has a $15MM option that comes with a matching buyout figure. That seems likely to be exercised, as buying Hendriks out would only allow the Sox to defer that payment over a 10-year span. Tim Anderson’s deal contains a $14MM team option or a $1MM buyout. Anderson is having a terrible season (.223/.259/.263 over 290 plate appearances) that could at least force the organization to reconsider an option that looked like an easy call a few months ago. The Mike Clevinger deal contains a $12MM mutual provision which the club will probably buy out for $4MM.

Yasmani Grandal and Elvis Andrus are the other impending free agents on the roster. Grandal is hitting at a decent .251/.317/.374 clip, but trades of catchers midseason are fairly rare and he’s making an $18.25MM salary that’d be difficult to move. Andrus isn’t producing, hitting .208/.286/.266.

The White Sox considering offers on anyone in that group isn’t too surprising. The majority are unlikely to be on the South Side beyond this season. It’d be an inopportune time to deal Anderson or Hendriks (currently on the injured list with elbow inflammation), although the front office could look into it if they’re contemplating declining next year’s option on either player.

Giolito, in particular, seems all but assured to change uniforms. MLBTR’s #1 trade candidate has tossed 112 1/3 innings of 3.45 ERA ball across 19 starts. He’s striking out over a quarter of opponents and looks the part of a durable #2/3 starter on a playoff team. He’s on track for a nine-figure contract that’d be larger than any in White Sox’s franchise history. Chicago should get more in trade this summer than the value of the draft choice they’d receive if they allow him to depart in free agency after declining a qualifying offer.

Heyman suggests the Reds and Rangers could check in Giolito. Cincinnati GM Nick Krall has gone on record about a desire to add pitching. The NL Central-leading club is very likely to upgrade a starting staff that’s presently without Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo. Texas has gotten strong results out of their rotation but could look to add depth as they try to maintain a two-game lead in the AL West. They’ve reportedly checked in on Lynn as well, though Giolito would be the more impactful and costlier (in terms of prospect capital) addition.

One controllable player whom the Sox seem at least somewhat willing to consider moving: starter Michael Kopech. Heyman writes the Sox would be more amenable to relinquishing Kopech than anyone from the Robert, Cease, Vaughn, Jiménez group.

While the 6’3″ right-hander is only in his second full season as a big league starter, he’s not all that far off free agency. Kopech will soon surpass four years of MLB service and is eligible for arbitration through the 2025 campaign — the same control window as Cease. He’s playing this season on a $2.05MM salary.

Kopech landed on the 15-day injured list last week with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. He’s generally expected back not long after the Break, however, so he could have multiple starts before the August 1 deadline. If he’s in form, he’d surely generate interest.

Through 16 starts and 86 innings, Kopech has worked to a 4.08 ERA. He’s striking out 26% of opponents on a solid 11.4% swinging strike percentage while averaging over 95 MPH on his fastball. There’s clearly plenty of promise with the 27-year-old righty, but he has not yet established himself as the top-of-the-rotation arm some evaluators had envisioned. That’s largely due to spotty control, as his 13.1% walk rate is the highest of any pitcher with at least 15 starts.

There’s obviously far less urgency for general manager Rick Hahn and his staff to move Kopech than with any of the impending free agents. Chicago isn’t going to embark on a full teardown and rebuild, so they figure to hold firm to a lofty asking price on their controllable mid-rotation starter. Still, the front office seems more amenable than they were a few weeks ago to consider moving players besides their collection of talented rentals.

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