The Rangers have non-tendered three players, headlined by righty Alexi Ogando, the club announced. Also being set loose are lefty Michael Kirkman and utilityman Adam Rosales.
Ogando, 31, has tantalized with his ability but failed to failed to maintain his health. And 2014 was a rough year even before he was shut down with elbow issues, as he threw to a 6.84 ERA (albeit with a 3.81 FIP) on the back of 7.9 K/9 against 5.4 BB/9. Ogando’s decision not to play winter ball may also have had an impact on the team’s decision, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explains.
Ogando was projected by MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz to earn $2.6MM through arbitration. Paying that price tag would be easy if Texas felt it was getting the All-Star starter it had in 2011, or even the effective reliever it enjoyed in 2012. But that no longer seemed a safe bet.
Kirkman, 28, has been a sort of backup relief option for the Rangers for the last five years, seeing time in every campaign but never throwing more than 35 1/3 innings. He is not yet arbitration eligible. Rosales, meanwhile, has been one of the better-traveled names in the game over the past few seasons. His projected $1MM hit landed above his value as a utility piece.
