Smart move by Jon Daniels tonight, as the Rangers acquired out of options pitcher Dustin Nippert from the Diamondbacks for minor league reliever Jose Marte.
Nippert, 27 in May, was said to have "top of the rotation stuff" by Baseball America in their ’07 handbook. The 6’7" TJ survivor throws in the mid-90s with a strong curve. He hasn’t had any big league success, but there’s upside here. The Rangers can afford to stash Nippert on the active roster and let him struggle in ’08; the D’Backs couldn’t.
I can’t tell you much beyond stats about Marte – he’s a 24 year-old relief prospect with huge strikeout rates. He struggled with his control as a High A ball closer last year. Better than nothing, which was Josh Byrnes’ alternative if he tried to pass Nippert through waivers.
