The Rangers have acquired outfielder Zack Granite from the Twins for minor league pitcher Xavier Moore and cash, Phil Miller of the Star Tribune tweets. Texas has placed outfielder Scott Heineman on the 60-day injured list to create 40-man room for Granite, per a team announcement.
The 26-year-old Granite had been in limbo in Minnesota since Feb. 25, when the club designated him for assignment after signing free agent Marwin Gonzalez. Granite had been a member of the Twins since they used a 14th-round pick on him in 2013. The fleet-of-foot Granite was successful at times during his tenure with the Minnesota organization, including during a 56-steal season with its Double-A affiliate in 2016 and an outstanding offensive campaign (.336/.392/.475 in 313 plate appearances) with its Triple-A team in 2017.
Unfortunately, last season was an injury-shortened nightmare for Granite, which helped seal his fate with the Twins. The lefty batted a horrid .211/.282/.245 in 263 attempts at the Triple-A level and wasn’t much better in his first major league action, as he slashed .237/.321/.290 in 107 tries. To Granite’s credit, though, he walked (12) more than he struck out (nine) during his brief run in the majors last year, and he has consistently managed low K numbers in the minors. However, he hasn’t shown much power at any level.
With a minor league option remaining, Granite figures to serve as depth for Texas, which is rebuilding and in position to use a 40-man spot on a player of his ilk. In doing so, the Rangers will wave goodbye to Moore, whom they selected in the 16th round of the 2017 draft. Now 20 years old, the right-handed Moore has pitched exclusively in the low minors in his short pro career. Moore divided last season between the low-A and rookie levels, where he combined to throw 18 2/3 innings and log a 5.30 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9.
JJB
OMG I THOUGHT IT SAID ZACK GREINKE AT FIRST BECAUSE l ONLY READ THE FIRST FEW WORDS AND NOTHING ELSE OMG
thetruth 2
Me too lol
stug14
Me 3
canocorn
Me 28
murphydog
Me too on first glance.
blueblood1217
Yup, I thought the same thing
Yankeedynasty
Same
deweybelongsinthehall
Reminds me of the news bite teasers to get you to watch a specific local channel only to wait and realize it’s a non story.
WideWorldofSports
Me 99
Robertowannabe
What am I, me 2348? … Lol that we all thought the same thing at seeing the headline for a couple of seconds till the mind comprehended that it was the other Zach…..
SFgiantsUK
Me 14,958
braveshomer
same
Meow Meow
Well I’m glad it wasn’t just me
MWeller77
Jon Daniels was hoping everyone would think that
CursedRangers
I just thought I read ‘Jack Daniels was hoping everyone would think that’.
nymetsking
I just read your UN as CursedStrangers.
matzacski
Me
raysfan1234
Same tho
DrDan75
Zack Granite sounds like a star player for the Bedrock Braves.
El Kabong
Yes, alongside Roger Marble.
“Hit a home run, Roger.”
“Anything you say, Mr. Flintstone.”
Al Jab
A lot of us did
Cashford64
I didn’t.
(Just kidding, I did)
eli_b_wcl
Did anyone else see this as Zach Greinke?
sisseton
I didn’t
jakec77
Yes.
Can anyone explain why this website would create an entry like this with “more to come” in the initial post for such a minor transaction? I thought that was usually reserved for big moves.
Unless of course the idea is to foster that initial confusion…
(I know, too conspiratorial)
RunDMC
Because they knew there would be an increase in traffic because of the obvious similarities to a much more popular former Cy winner who has been rumored to be traded this off-season.
Cat Mando
jakec77……….
For years MLBTR has covered everything from rumors to minor signings, overseas signs, injuries, agency changes…..most anything baseball except the scores.
The often report a “happening”, major or minor, and then fill in details as time and available info allows.
KingRyan227
Anyone else think that said Zack Greinke at first?
thetruth 2
Yes.
sisseton
Not me
Robertowannabe
Who’s on first 🙂
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
That’s twice now that an initial look at the headline read “Zack Greinke” to me.
Old man problems…
canocorn
AKA OMS (Old Man Syndrome)
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
I wish wish wish I could laugh at this, but I’d probably throw my back out…
walls17
When I first saw this I thought it said “Zack Greinke” Jesus I was so shook for a second
therealryan
I think everybody was in that same boat. I know I was.
CoolKidJoeXBL
Thought it was Greinke for a quick second. Whoops.
Bart
Thought it was Zach Greinke for a sec.
The Ranger Fan
We signed Zach Greinke, we now have an ace.
southbeachbully
Read again.
southbeachbully
I was like “that’s bold of Texas to acquire Greinke considering their rebuilding”.;All I saw was Zack Gr***e and ran with it.
koldjerky
Did anyone else think Zack Granite when you read this???
sisseton
I did
murphydog
Thought it was Zack and Cody! That would be the suit life.
Cup'ojoe Simpson
Sue did.
They should run some kind of experiment on this and just see if baseball fans read it like that..
I mean the dudes even wearing a twins jacket in the pic and we all still seen what our brains conditioned to see.
bhambrave
Sue who?
tim4
That’s a rock solid acquisition!
Joe Kerr
beat me to it, nicely done!
bhambrave
I hope they don’t take him for granite.
canocorn
That’s enough of *that* schist.
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
This is a ‘Rock’ Solid Move by the Rangers
bhambrave
Wishing the best for both Zack and Xavier with their new teams.
Houston We Have A Solution
Round rock is a Texas Minors team right?
MWeller77
According to Wikipedia, they just switched back to affiliation with the Astros this year, but I still like what you did there
The Ranger Fan
Round rock was my Rangers for the last few years but the Nolan Ryan family owned it,The Ranger contract expired and being that Reid Ryan is the head man of the Astros they took it back for the Astros farm team and the Rangers moved to Nashville or Memphis. Gotta look that one up myself now.
The Ranger Fan
The Nashville Sounds
nmendoza7
I hope they don’t take him for Granite
JJB
I actually thought it said Mike Trout.
agentx
if the Town of Bedrock had an MLB franchise, Zack Granite would definitely be it’s ace.
Best Flintstones name since Stony Curtis.
nentwigs
You forgot Gary Granite (or was it Cary Granite?)
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
Okay, it’s obvious… Followers of MLBTR need to start a petition to get Zack Granite to change his name. There might be more transactions involving him…
luckyh
All this granite activity is keeping this site rocking.
TheAdrianBeltre
Rangers going for all the marbles. At least he can start off with a clean slate with his new organization…
Rickey O'Sunnyvale
Zack Granite. A great baseball name.
wjf010
Wait, Rangers fans, until you see him throw. Ben Revere 2.0.
fathead
he’ll fit in with Revere who is also in Rangers camp
TheAdrianBeltre
It must be tough to have that name and borderline roster-ability. Chalk it up to bad luck.
Aircool
Not going to lie, but like many others, I read it as Greinke….. But then I did a double take because I was like, “WHY WOULD TEXAS TRADE FOR GREINKE?”…. We all know they aren’t taking that contract hahaha rebuilding or not.
madmanTX
I wonder if this move means bad news for Hunter Pence?
MWeller77
Hitters will rock him in that ballpark
KingSall77
Yup I did too lol
slugger82685
If you are going to post a pun, at least read the 20 other posts of the same pun first…..thanks
KCJ
Whatever happened to Stone Phillips?
jmgreenia24
Me 3014. I saw Zack Gr… pop up on my phone and totally overreacted.
kiddhoff
Learn to read guys. Geez! And then to publicly admit you cant read well? Yankees fans must be bored. BTW,Great article by Condor Bird.
Grizalt
The move rocks my world!
nymetsking
OMG I thought it said Kimbrel to the Cardinals.
gomerhodge71
Zack Granite sounds like some Flintstones heartthrob.
Oxford Karma
He was on rocky ground for awhile.
Boogaloo
The Twins should sign bin ladens son, that state would love it.
wjf010
What a stupid comment. Would love to know where such ignorance flourishes.
HubertHumphrey
Believe-it-or-not, as a Twins fan, I think “Zach Granite,” when I see the name “Zach Grienke.”
wjf010
I’m a twins fan, and when I see Zach Granite to the rangers, I just say “thank god”
nymetsking
I’m a Mets fan, when I see “Zach Granite,” I think the Mets’ll sign him in 9 years.
Jjbeach
I liked Zach, but I knew the Twins had no place for him, so I expected that some team like the Rangers would trade someone or cash for him. And I see the Twins almost immediately traded away who they got to the Orioles for International Pool money.
Anyway, good luck to you in Texas, Zach. I hope you get a chance to play.
jrowe1979
Wonder if he becomes the “Cornerstone” of the Rangers staff