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Rangers Place Robbie Grossman, Travis Jankowski On Outright Waivers

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The Rangers have placed outfielders Robbie Grossman and Travis Jankowski on outright waivers, reports ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. Both are free agents at season’s end. Grossman and Jankowski can continue to play for Texas while on waivers, as neither was designated for assignment prior to his placement. However, outright waivers are irrevocable, so if either player is claimed when the 48-hour waiver period expires on Saturday, he’ll head straight to his new club with that team taking on the remainder of his contract.

In Grossman’s case, that’s the final 30 days of his prorated $1.5MM base salary — about $242K overall. For Jankowski, who’s on a $1.7MM base, the price would jump to about $274K. Either player would be postseason-eligible for a new team if claimed. If either goes unclaimed, he can remain with the Rangers and does not need to be removed from the 40-man roster. Waiver priority is determined based on the reverse order of MLB-wide standings and — unlike the now-defunct August trade waiver system — is not league-specific.

Grossman, 34, started the season with the White Sox but was traded to Texas just a few weeks into the year. He’s slashed a combined .225/.333/.318 between the two teams — production that’s about 9% below league-average, by measure of wRC+. That looks at his overall production this season, however, and his production is skewed by sub-par output against right-handed pitching. Against lefties, the switch-hitting Grossman has been has typically productive self: .279/.388/.430 (136 wRC+) in 103 plate appearances.

Grossman has made a career out of tormenting left-handed pitchers. He’s usually more productive against righties than he has been this season, but a strong split against lefties has been a hallmark throughout his career. Dating back to his 2013 MLB debut, Grossman’s ultra-patient approach has resulted in a .282/.382/.427 batting line versus lefties, with the switch-hitter drawing a free pass in nearly 14% of his plate appearances from the right side of the dish. A playoff contender seeking a boost against left-handed pitching could definitely have interest in Grossman’s track record and 2024 production against lefties — and the minimal acquisition cost can’t hurt his chances of being claimed, either.

No team is going to claim the 33-year-old Jankowski for his bat. He’s turned in a bleak .195/.257/.234 batting line in 167 plate appearances, rendering him as one of the league’s least productive players at the plate. That said, Jankowski is an above-average defender across all three outfield spots who ranks in the 84th percentile of MLB players in terms of sprint speed.

Jankowski hasn’t been productive at the plate this season, but he’s only a year removed from a decent showing. He hit .263/.357/.332 for the Rangers’ World Series-winning club last year — including a solid .269/.365/.333 slash against right-handed pitching. Jankowski is a typical speed-and-defense focused fourth outfielder who can provide a late-game defensive replacement and/or pinch-running weapon off the bench for a new club. He’s 8-for-9 in stolen base attempts this season and went 19-for-20 in 2023.

The Rangers’ Surprising Problem

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Each week at MLBTR, it seems we're covering a development that further tanks the Astros' chances of competing for a playoff spot. We've devoted less attention to their in-state rivals, but the Rangers are in no better a situation. Texas and Houston have identical 33-40 records after the Rangers' five-game losing streak. They're only four games clear of the Angels for fourth place in the AL West.

Texas starting the season slowly isn't a huge surprise in itself (even if the extent of their struggles is). The eye-opener is in the way the team has underperformed. The Rangers opened the season without Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle. They were largely trying to stay afloat for the first couple months before welcoming that trio of starters back throughout the summer. The early-season rotation was the big question -- the main reason the Rangers might find themselves closer to the bottom of the AL West than the top more than halfway into June.

Starting pitching has not been the problem. Texas is middle-of-the-pack in that regard, solid work from a staff without three of its most talented arms. The collapse has been on the other side of the ball. The Ranger offense hasn't performed. An outfield that looked like one of the game's most talented groups has been a disaster. It's not the easiest problem for GM Chris Young to address at the deadline -- if the Rangers find themselves in position to add at all next month.

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Rangers Sign Travis Jankowski To One-Year Deal

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The Rangers announced the signing of outfielder Travis Jankowski to a one-year major league deal. He is reportedly guaranteed $1.7MM on a deal that also includes unspecified performance bonuses.

Jankowski, 32, parlayed a minor league deal with the Rangers last offseason into a role of significance on their World Series-winning roster. The veteran speedster appeared in 107 games for Texas and hit .263/.357/.332 with a 12.2% walk rate and just a 14.6% strikeout rate. Jankowski connected on only one homer but went 19-for-20 in stolen bases and provided the Rangers with above-average defense in all three outfield positions, becoming a key backup on a deep Texas roster.

That marked the first time since 2018 that Jankowski had reached 100 games played or 200 plate appearances in a season. While he’s appeared in the majors every year dating back to 2015, he’s been an oft-optioned and twice-DFA’ed player who hasn’t always held a firm grip on a roster spot. Last year’s impressive blend of speed, plate discipline, contact and defense clearly made a favorable impression on the Rangers, however, and it seems he’ll have an opportunity to reprise that role in 2024.

The Texas outfield won’t have much change in 2024 when compared to the end of the 2023 season. Star right fielder Adolis Garcia will look to build on last year’s 39-homer campaign. Leody Taveras is expected to return as the primary center fielder. Top prospect Evan Carter seized the left field job with a big showing late in the season and, particularly, in the playoffs. If any of that trio struggles or falls to injury, 2023 No. 4 overall pick Wyatt Langford is on the cusp of big league readiness himself. Langford will get a chance to earn an Opening Day roster spot this spring, and if he succeeds in doing so, he could form an outfield/DH rotation with the other three starting outfielders.

Jankowski will once again serve as a backup across all three spots, providing the potential for a late-game defensive replacement or pinch-running appearance on any given day. As a career .254/.343/.333 hitter against righties with just a .186/.256/.237 slash against lefties, any starts for Jankowski will likely be limited to those against right-handed opponent on the mound. The emergence of Carter and perhaps Langford could leave him with a more limited role than he saw in ’23, but Jankowski has the makings of a valuable bench piece who could step into a more prominent role for a short term, should injuries necessitate (as was the case with Garcia during the World Series).

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News first reported the Rangers and Jankowski were discussing a reunion. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported the $1.7MM guarantee and the inclusion of performance bonuses.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Rangers Place Ezequiel Duran On 10-Day Injured List; Travis Jankowski Activated

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The Rangers announced a series of roster moves this afternoon, most notably the news that Ezequiel Duran has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 24) due to mild discomfort in his right oblique.  Outfielder Travis Jankowski was activated from his own 10-day IL stint and will take Jankowski’s place on the active roster.  Left-hander Cody Bradford was also called up from Triple-A to take the spot of Dane Dunning, as Dunning is going on the paternity list.

One of many contributors to the red-hot Texas lineup this season, Duran has made the most of some extended playing time when Corey Seager went on the 10-day IL.  Duran became the Rangers’ top choice as the fill-in shortstop, and since Seager returned last week, Duran had been getting some DH time in order to keep his bat in the lineup.  After a modest .643 OPS over 220 plate appearances in his 2022 rookie season, Duran has broken out with seven homers and a .301/.340/.515 slash line over 144 PA this year.  While Duran’s 2.8% walk rate is near the bottom of the league and he has benefited from a .358 BABIP, he has still been making a lot of hard contact, and his plus speed has contributed to that good fortune with balls in play.

Duran missed the last few games with what was initially described as rib soreness, and while the new designation of an oblique problem isn’t exactly good news, the injury does seem to be relatively mild.  If all goes well, he might just miss only a minimal amount of time, plus he already has a few days banked via the retroactive IL placement.

Jankowski returns after missing just shy of three weeks due to a right hamstring strain.  Signed to a minor league contract during the offseason, the veteran has hit well (.309/.382/.412) over 77 PA while seeing time in mostly in left and center field.  Left field has been a relative weak link in the Texas lineup, with the Rangers juggling Jankowski, Robbie Grossman, Bubba Thompson, Josh H. Smith and even Duran in and out of the position.  This could be a regular spot for Duran when he returns from the IL, or the Rangers might look for a bigger left field upgrade at the trade deadline.

Rangers To Select Ian Kennedy, Travis Jankowski; Place Glenn Otto, Jake Odorizzi On 60-Day IL

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The Rangers announced to reporters, including Kennedi Landry of MLB.com (Twitter links), that they are selecting right-hander Ian Kennedy and outfielder Travis Jankowski to their 40-man roster. In corresponding moves, right-handers Glenn Otto and Jake Odorizzi will be placed on the 60-day injured list.

Kennedy, 38, spent many years as an effective starter but has made the transition to relief work recently. He started the 2021 season on a minor league deal with the Rangers and eventually made 32 appearances with the club, posting a 2.51 ERA while striking out 27.8% of batters faced. He got flipped to the Phillies and saw his ERA tick up to 4.13 after the deal but it was still a solid enough season that the Diamondbacks gave him a deal for $4.75MM plus incentives. Unfortunately for both sides, that didn’t work out, as he posted a 5.36 ERA last year with a 19% strikeout rate, 9.5% walk rate and 24.4% ground ball rate. He had to settle for a minor league deal this offseason but fared well in spring, registering a 2.25 ERA in eight innings, striking out eight opponents and walking three. He’ll give the Rangers an experienced hurler to add to their bullpen mix.

Jankowski, 32 in June, is a veteran outfielder who has appeared in each of the past eight major league seasons. He’s never really been much of a threat at the plate, as shown by his .236/.319/.310 career batting line. That amounts to a wRC+ of 77, indicating he’s been 23% below league average. However, he provides value on the basepaths and in the field. He’s stolen 72 bases in his 470 career games. His work in the outfield has been graded as worth +21 Outs Above Average, +16 Defensive Runs Saved and he has a mark of 11.0 from Ultimate Zone Rating. Leody Taveras was slated to be the club’s regular center fielder between Adolis García and Robbie Grossman but Taveras recently suffered an oblique strain. The club has some younger outfielders on the roster like Bubba Thompson and Ezequiel Durán but adding Jankowski will give them an experienced glove-first option.

The news on Otto isn’t terribly shocking, as it was recently reported he would be shut down for the next three weeks due to a lat injury and is still getting further testing. Even if that three-week shutdown period returned him to health, he would then need a few more weeks to ramp back up to game shape. As for Odorizzi, during that same update on Otto, general manager Chris Young gave the vague but ominous report that he’d be out “longer than shorter” due to arm fatigue. While no firmer diagnosis has been provided, it seems the club doesn’t expect him back in the next two months.

With Otto and Odorizzi both facing extended absences, starting depth will likely be an ongoing focus for the club. The rotation has plenty of talent in Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, Jon Gray and Martín Pérez, but there’s also plenty of injury history in that group. For the next couple of months, the club’s rotation depth is probably going to be topped by Cole Ragans and Dane Dunning, though both of those hurlers seem set to start the season in the big league bullpen.

Rangers Notes: deGrom, Center Field, Carter

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New Rangers ace Jacob deGrom threw 35 pitches while facing several of his teammates in a simulated game setting yesterday, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The two-time Cy Young winner sat 98-99 mph with his heater and reached triple digits on his final pitch of the day. It’s possible that’ll be the only tune-up he needs before stepping into a Cactus League game sometime next week. Whether that’s the next step or whether deGrom needs to face live hitters once more, it’s good news that the righty came away from the session without incident. Rangers fans were holding their breath when deGrom had some tightness in his side and had his throwing program slowed early in camp, but it seems he’s now progressing without restrictions.

Signed to a five-year, $185MM contract over the winter, deGrom has pitched just 156 1/3 innings over the past two seasons due to a forearm injury and a stress reaction in his right shoulder blade.

A bit more on the Rangers…

  • Texas still isn’t sure whether center fielder Leody Taveras will be ready to start the season, as he was been diagnosed with a low-grade oblique strain earlier in the week and won’t even attempt to resume baseball activities until next week, at the earliest. If Taveras is to open the season on the shelf, there are three fairly clear alternate plans in center field: give fleet-footed Bubba Thompson the bulk of the workload while Taveras mends, move Adolis Garcia over from right field, or select the contract of a non-roster player like Travis Jankowski to begin the season (which would require a corresponding 40-man move). Of the bunch, MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry writes that GM Chris Young implied Thompson is the likeliest short-term solution, noting that he’s “ready for the challenge” even if his offensive approach still needs further refinement. It’s a different tone than he struck with regard to the possibility of moving Garcia, on which he stated: “…we’ll have to work through how much it makes sense to move Adolis over at all.”
  • One player who’s not under consideration for an Opening Day roster spot at this time, unsurprisingly, is 20-year-old top prospect Evan Carter, manager Bruce Bochy confirmed to Levi Weaver of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 2020 second-rounder erupted with a combined .295/.397/.489 batting line between High-A and six games at Double-A last year, vaulting himself onto to top prospect rankings at Baseball America (No. 25), MLB.com (No. 41) and Baseball Prospectus (No. 22). However, advanced as Carter’s approach at the plate is — he walked in 13.5% of his plate appearances last year despite facing far older and more experienced competition — Bochy indicated that a leap right to the Majors “would be pushing a kid too much.” Carter has all of 28 plate appearances above A-ball and isn’t on the 40-man roster, so he never seemed a particularly likely option, but it’s still of some note that Bochy confirmed as much. It still stands to reason that if Carter opens the year in Double-A, he could play his way into consideration for a call to the big leagues later in the 2023 campaign.

Rangers Sign Danny Duffy, Clint Frazier, Travis Jankowski To Minor League Contracts

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The Rangers announced this evening that left-hander Danny Duffy and outfielders Clint Frazier* and Travis Jankowski have signed minor league deals with non-roster invitations to big league camp. Texas also confirmed previously-reported minor league deals for Reyes Moronta and Ian Kennedy.

Duffy is the most notable addition as a 12-year MLB veteran. A longtime starter with the Royals, he was a key part of Kansas City’s pennant-winning clubs in 2014-15 (put together by former Royals GM and current Texas special advisor Dayton Moore). Duffy was at his best during the first of those two seasons, when he provided Kansas City 149 1/3 innings of 2.53 ERA ball over 31 outings.

The veteran hurler posted mid-rotation production through 2017 before a trio of 4.00-plus ERA showings in 2018-20. He looked on his way to a bounceback in 2021, working to a personal-best 2.51 mark in 61 innings during the season’s first half. Duffy unfortunately then hit the injured list with a flexor strain in his forearm. The Dodgers acquired him at that summer’s deadline while he was on the shelf with an eye towards a late-season return. Duffy had a setback and didn’t pitch for Los Angeles before hitting free agency.

Over the offseason, Duffy underwent surgery that was expected to sideline him into June. The Dodgers nevertheless rolled the dice again, signing him to a $3MM deal with a 2023 club option. The hope was he would return as a reliever for the second half while building back to a starter’s workload for the following season. Yet again, those plans were dashed by a summer setback that ended his season. The Dodgers declined his option and sent him back to the open market.

While he spent a year and a half with the L.A. organization, Duffy has never thrown an MLB pitch for a team other than the Royals. He and the Rangers will look to change that in 2023, though he’ll first have to earn his way back onto an MLB roster. Duffy hasn’t appeared in an MLB game since July 2021 and has just 117 1/3 innings over the last three seasons thanks to the abbreviated 2020 schedule and his recent injuries. That raises an obvious question about how large a workload he can shoulder, with a relief or hybrid starter role perhaps under consideration. Regardless of the specific goal the organization has in mind, there’s obvious appeal in bringing in a respected veteran with a career 3.95 ERA in 234 MLB outings to gauge his form in Spring Training.

Frazier, now 28, was the fifth overall pick of the 2013 draft by Cleveland. Lauded for his electric bat speed and significant power potential, the right-handed hitter was traded to the Yankees as a prospect. He appeared among Baseball America’s list of the 50 most talented minor leaguers in 2014, ’16 and ’17. Frazier got off to a solid start, albeit in sporadic playing time, over his first four years with the Yankees.

Between his MLB debut late in 2017 and the end of the shortened season, he tallied 589 plate appearances across 160 games. In the rough equivalent of one full season, Frazier hit 32 doubles and 24 home runs with a .258/.331/.475 line. Despite some defensive miscues and a higher than average propensity for strikeouts, he looked like a potential regular right fielder thanks to his power and plate discipline.

Things have gone downhill over the past two campaigns though. Frazier limped to a .186/.317/.317 line across 218 plate appearances for the Yankees in 2021. He walked at a massive 14.7% clip but only connected on five home runs. More concerning than his on-field struggles, Frazier battled symptoms of vertigo and missed the season’s second half. The Yankees released him at the end of that year.

Frazier inked a $1.5MM contract with the Cubs at the start of last offseason. He only got into 19 MLB games, missing some time with appendicitis. The Cubs designated him for assignment in mid-June. Frazier went unclaimed on waivers and spent the rest of the year at Triple-A Iowa on an outright assignment. He had a disastrous .190/.283/.302 showing with an untenable 34.7% strikeout percentage in 66 games there before hitting minor league free agency.

Texas will hope that a change of scenery can help him rediscover some of his early-career success. Frazier still has a minor league option year remaining, meaning the Rangers could send him back to Triple-A Round Rock even if he lands a 40-man roster spot at some point.

Jankowski, 31, has played for five different clubs while suiting up at the major league level in each of the past eight seasons. A left-handed hitter, he’s walked at a quality 10.4% clip against an average 22.6% strikeout rate in his career. Jankowski’s solid strike zone awareness has been negated by a lack of power, as he’s connected on just nine homers in a little more than 1200 plate appearances.

The Stony Brooks product has gotten a decent amount of run as a speed and defense oriented depth outfielder despite lacking much offensive punch. He played in 44 games last season (all but one of those as a member of the Mets), primarily as a defensive substitute and pinch runner. Jankowski has stolen 72 bases in 470 career games and can play all three outfield spots. Public defensive metrics have graded him positively at all three positions, making him a potential center field depth option behind Leody Taveras in Arlington.

* While Frazier played the 2022 season under the name Jackson Frazier, the Rangers announced his signing as Clint Frazier in their press release.

Mets Re-Sign Travis Jankowski To Minor League Deal

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The Mets have re-signed outfielder Travis Jankowski to a minor league deal, reports Andy Martino of SNY.

Jankowski, 31, now returns to the organization where he began his season, as he and the Mets also agreed to a minor league deal in March. He made the team on Opening Day and spent six weeks on the active roster, largely serving as a bench outfielder. Since he has a better reputation for his speed and defense than for his bat, he was largely entering games for pinch running and defensive replacement duty.

Unfortunately, at the end of May, he required hand surgery that was expected to keep him out of action for 6-8 weeks. Jankowski returned on the low end of that spectrum, spending just over six weeks on the IL. A couple of weeks later, the Mets designated him for assignment, as their trade deadline acquisitions squeezed him from the roster. He was claimed off waivers by the Mariners, but got into just a single game before getting designated again. His second DFA of the year resulted in him clearing waivers and electing free agency.

The Mets don’t have an immediate need for an outfielder at the big league level, as they have Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Tyler Naquin and Mark Canha rotating through the playing time on the grass. However, there’s no harm in bringing aboard some depth to have on hand, should a need arise in the future. Jankowski has a .164/.281/.164 batting line on the year, between the Mets and Mariners. That’s not huge offensive production, but he has positive defensive metrics and three stolen bases in limited playing time this season.

Travis Jankowski Elects Free Agency

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The Mariners announced that outfielder Travis Jankowski has passed through waivers unclaimed. He’s refused an outright assignment to Triple-A Tacoma in favor of free agency. As a player with five-plus years of MLB service time, Jankowski can head to the open market while still collecting the remaining guarantees on his contract.

Jankowski had a very brief stint in the Seattle organization. The Mariners claimed him off waivers from the Mets on August 1. He appeared in one game, striking out in his only plate appearance, before being designated for assignment after the club bolstered its bench at the trade deadline. Now that he’s gone unclaimed on waivers, he’ll set out into free agency in search of a new opportunity.

Before landing in the Pacific Northwest, Jankowski had spent the year in Queens. He hit .167/.286/.167 without an extra-base hit in 63 plate appearances over 43 contests. The 31-year-old has never been a huge offensive threat, but his career .236/.319/.310 line is more acceptable than his 2022 production. Paired with elite speed and quality defense across all three outfield spots, that’s been sufficient to get Jankowski frequent action as a fourth outfielder with the Padres, Reds and Phillies before this season.

It’s possible Jankowski will have to settle for a minor league offer during this trip to the open market. He should draw some interest as an outfield depth option for clubs, particularly within the next couple weeks. Players have to be in an organization (although not on a 40-man roster) by September 1 to be eligible for postseason play.

Mariners Designate Travis Jankowski For Assignment

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The Mariners announced they’ve designated outfielder Travis Jankowski for assignment. The move opens an active roster spot for corner infielder/outfielder Jake Lamb, who has reported to the club. Seattle acquired Lamb from the Dodgers in the hours leading up to the trade deadline. The M’s 40-man roster count falls to 39.

Jankowski was just claimed off waivers from the Mets on Monday. He made a lone appearance as a Mariner, striking out in his one at-bat. The left-handed hitter worked primarily as a defensive specialist and pinch runner in Queens, seeing action in 43 games but only walking up to the plate on 63 occasions. He didn’t produce much offensively, hitting .167/.286/.167 without an extra-base hit.

The 31-year-old has appeared in parts of eight big league seasons, also spending time with the Padres, Reds and Phillies. He’s a career .236/.319/.310 hitter, showing solid plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills but very little power. Jankowski’s an elite runner who’s capable of playing all three outfield positions, leading clubs to give him opportunities as a fourth or fifth outfielder.

Lamb was already on the 40-man roster, but the Mariners had to designate Jankowski for assignment if they wished to take him off the big league club. As a player with more than five years of major league service time, he’d have the right to refuse any optional assignment to Triple-A Tacoma in favor of a trip to free agency. Seattle will now place him on waivers over the next few days, where another team could bring him aboard if they’re willing to assume the remainder of his $1.25MM salary (approximately $426K) and keep him in the majors.

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