The Rangers have announced the acquisition of outfielder Alex Rios and cash considerations from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
There are unofficial reports coming out of Chicago that utility infielder Leury Garcia will be the player to be named, and if you read this morning’s TROT COFFEY, you understand why he’s not yet identified. Since Garcia is on the 40-man roster (even though he’s in the minor leagues), he needs to pass through league-wide waivers (just as Rios did) – but he can be traded to the White Sox if they place the prevailing waiver claim once Garcia hits the waiver wire, if that hasn’t already happened.
And that’s not a huge hurdle, as we discussed this morning. The only team ahead of Chicago in terms of waiver claim priority on AL players is Houston. So if the Astros place a claim on Garcia – not out of the question – it means that Garcia (if in fact he’s the player the two teams have agreed upon) will simply remain on the farm and not return to Arlington this season, and will be conveyed to the White Sox when the season ends. But if Houston doesn’t place a claim, Chicago will, and he’ll go to the White Sox as soon as that waiver process is complete.
I may not have the time to write this trade up for a couple days, but the bottom line for me is that Texas has acquired an everyday corner bat – one who cannot be expected to produce like Nelson Cruz, but who gives the club a much better bet in right field than an Engel Beltre/Joey Butler platoon – in exchange for a player who I really like but whose usefulness to this franchise was always going to be as a bench player or a secondary piece in a bigger trade than this one.
Tip of the cap to Rangers ownership, and while it’s been a relatively slow trade season all around baseball, this club has now added the best available starting pitcher and one of the more established bats that have been traded the last few weeks.
Jamey
Dallas attorney Jamey Newberg has been commenting on Rangers from the big club down through the entire farm system since 1998.
Scott Lucas was born in Arlington, Texas, to Richard and Becky Lucas. He lived mostly in Arlington before moving to Austin, where he graduated from The University of Texas. Scott works for Austin Valuation Consultants, Ltd., and has published several boring articles about real estate appraisal and environmental contamination. He makes a swell margarita and refuses to run longer than ten kilometres.
Eleanor grew up watching the AAA Mudhens in Toledo, Ohio. A loyal Ranger fan since 1979, she works "behind the scenes" at the Newberg Report.
