Rangers Notes: DeShields Earns Texas Rookie Honors

Delino DeShields stole 25 bases for Texas last season while leading the ballclub with 10 triples.

Outfielder Delino DeShields was named the 2015 Texas Rangers Rookie of the Year by the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the BBWAA, wrapping up a breakthrough campaign in which he emerged as an everyday player and helped spark the top of the lineup.

Acquired last winter as a Rule 5 Draft pick from Houston, DeShields started the season on the bench behind incumbent center fielder Leonys Martin. By the beginning of May, however, Martin’s playing time had become more sporadic, and DeShields saw his batting average climb as he received more starts.

Martin made what turned out to be his final start in a Texas uniform on Aug. 2, and he had just one more at-bat the rest of the season.

DeShields, meanwhile, saw action in a total of 121 games for the American League West champion Rangers, hitting .261 with 25 stolen bases, 22 doubles and a team-high 10 triples.

He also drove in 37 runs and showed terrific plate discipline by drawing 53 walks, the most by an A.L. rookie last year and trailing only National League rookies Joc Pederson (101) and Kris Bryant (77).

Other than a mid-summer stint on the disabled list with a strained hamstring, the 23-year-old DeShields spent the bulk of the season as Texas’ regular leadoff batter, allowing Shin-Soo Choo to move further down in the lineup.

Mazara Headlines Roster Additions

The Rangers added four players to their 40-man roster Nov. 20 – outfielder Nomar Mazara and three pitchers – in order to protect them from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.

Mazara is considered to be the team’s top minor-league prospect after Joey Gallo reached the majors last summer while Jorge Alfaro and Jake Thompson were traded to Philadelphia.

Joining Mazara as first-time 40-man roster additions were left-hander Yohander Mendez and righties Jose Leclerc and Connor Sadzeck.

Texas also traded right-hander Spencer Patton to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for 19-year-old middle infielder Frandy Delarosa.

Profar, Brinson Named to All-AFL Squad

Former top prospect Jurickson Profar was one of two players from the Rangers’ system selected for the All-Arizona Fall League Team by MLB, along with 21-year-old outfielder Lewis Brinson.

Profar was in line to succeed Ian Kinsler at second base when Texas traded Kinsler to Detroit, but he spent much of the last two seasons coming back from a right shoulder injury instead.

Limited to designated hitter duties in the AFL, Profar hit .267 across 20 games for the Surprise Saguaros with six doubles and 20 runs batted in.

Brinson, who was the Rangers’ first-round pick in the 2012 draft, batted .300 for Surprise and connected for three triples with five stolen bases.

Gimenez Signed; Jones, Tepesch Non-Tendered

The Rangers and catcher Chris Gimenez agreed to a one-year, $975,000 contract this week while outfielder James Jones and right-hander Nick Tepesch were non-tendered by the ballclub, thus becoming free agents.

The 32-year-old Gimenez spent the first four months of last season at Triple-A Round Rock, but he joined the big-league club down the stretch when Carlos Corporan went down with a bruised thumb.

In another roster move, third baseman/outfielder Patrick Kivlehan was acquired from Seattle to complete the November trade that sent Leonys Martin to the Mariners.

Rangers Notes: Hamels Acquired in Eight-Player Deal

Cole Hamels pitched into the eighth inning but received a no-decision in his first Texas start on Saturday.

The Rangers reeled in the biggest catch of last week’s non-waiver trade deadline when they acquired starter Cole Hamels as part of an eight-player swap with Philadelphia.

The Phillies also sent relief pitcher Jake Diekman and cash to Texas in the deal, while the Rangers’ return package included Matt Harrison and five minor-leaguers – Jorge Alfaro, Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson and Nick Williams.

The trade, which was agreed to on Wednesday but not finalized until Friday, came only after Hamels used his limited no-trade clause to block a potential deal with the Astros.

“I have a lot of catching up to do,” Hamels said after joining his new team Friday, “but with this group of guys I think it’s going to be pretty easy because they’re true competitors, and it’s fun to watch them on the field and know that those are guys that are going to be behind me.”

A three-time National League All-Star, Hamels posted a career record of 114-90 with a 3.30 ERA across parts of 10 seasons for the Phillies, throwing a no-hitter on July 25 against the Cubs in his final start with Philadelphia.

Making his A.L. debut in a Texas uniform two nights ago, Hamels pitched into the eighth inning and was lifted with a 7-4 lead, but Tanner Scheppers allowed three consecutive run-scoring hits as San Francisco rallied to tie the game.

After a scoreless tenth inning, Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt each connected for solo home runs in the top of the eleventh to lead the Giants to a 9-7 comeback victory.

Although the Rangers’ bullpen faltered and denied Hamels a chance at a win in his first game with Texas, manager Jeff Banister was still pleased with the results put forth by the club’s new No. 1 starter.

“Given everything involved,” Banister said, “coming off the no-hitter, the volume of pitches he threw in the no-hitter, everything swirling around the trade and the travel getting here … I really felt like he threw the ball well.”

Following Hamels in the Rangers’ revamped rotation, left-hander Martin Perez delivered the best performance of his injury-shortened season on the way to a 2-1 win in Sunday’s rubber game. He retired the first 14 batters he faced before Brandon Belt and Justin Maxwell reached, respectively, on an error and an infield single in the top of the fifth.

Perez was pulled after allowing a one-out double to Angel Pagan in the ninth, and the Texas bullpen had to work around trouble before Hunter Pence grounded into a game-ending double play.

Dyson, Wilson Added to Roster

While the trade for Hamels grabbed most of the headlines, Texas also made a pair of under-the-radar moves Friday aimed at strengthening the team’s relief pitching and catching corps.

Right-hander Sam Dyson was acquired from Miami in exchange for backstop Tomas Telis and minor-league lefty Cody Ege, and veteran catcher Bobby Wilson was picked up on a waiver claim from Tampa Bay.

Dyson, 27, was activated Saturday and made back-to-back appearances against the Giants, including a scoreless outing Sunday in which he earned his first career save. The 32-year-old Wilson, meanwhile, had two hits and caught all 11 innings in his Texas debut on Saturday.

Shoulder Strain Sends Chirinos to DL

Both of the Rangers’ Opening Day catchers are now on the disabled list after Robinson Chirinos was placed on the 15-day DL Saturday (retroactive to Friday) with a strained left shoulder.

Backup catcher Carlos Corporan has also been on the disabled list since mid-July with a sprain in his left thumb, leaving the ballclub’s pitch-calling duties to Chris Gimenez – who had his contract purchased Friday from Triple-A Round Rock – and Bobby Wilson.

In other roster moves, both Wandy Rodriguez and Ross Ohlendorf were designated for assignment by Texas over the past week, and Ohlendorf was placed on unconditional release waivers on Friday.

In the bullpen, late-inning reliever Keone Kela was optioned to Double-A Frisco Saturday in an effort to limit his workload. Kela had averaged a total of 44 innings pitched in each of the past two seasons in the minors, and he has already thrown 43 and two-thirds innings for the Rangers this year.

Rangers Notes: Texas Reaches Deals with Top Four Picks

In his first full season as a starter, Dillon Tate went 8-5 with an earned run average of 2.26 and 111 strikeouts for UC-Santa Barbara this year.

The Rangers have agreed to terms with each of their top four selections from this month’s amateur draft, including right-handed pitcher Dillon Tate, who was officially signed on Jun. 12 and received a bonus of $4.2 million.

Outfielder Eric Jenkins (second round, $2 million), right hander Michael Matuella (third round, $2 million) and right-hander Jake Lemoine (fourth round, $528,000) also agreed to terms on deals with Texas.

Tate, 21, was the first pitcher selected in the draft after shortstops were taken with each of the first three picks, and he has been assigned to the short-season Class-A Spokane Indians.

“I’m really excited and [blessed] to have this go as smoothly as it did,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of work to do and I’m ready to get to work on things. You often hear pitchers talk about fastball command. That’s the first step for me.”

After working out of the bullpen his freshman and sophomore seasons at UCSB, Tate moved into the starting rotation this spring and struck out 111 batters in 103-plus innings pitched.

“You’ve got a guy with a fresh arm, an electric arm and a guy willing to put in the work and ask the right questions to improve,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “No doubt, a definite starter for us.”

Jenkins and Lemoine, meanwhile, were both assigned to the Arizona Summer League Rangers while Matuella was added to the Spokane roster but will stay in North Texas as he recovers from reconstructive Tommy John surgery.

Odor Recalled as DeShields Hits DL

Infielder Rougned Odor was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock last Monday when outfielder Delino DeShields was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring, an injury he suffered during the previous day’s loss to Minnesota.

DeShields appeared to strain the hamstring while chasing down an eventual triple by Shane Robinson in the left-center field gap.

On Thursday, right-hander Anthony Ranaudo was called up from Triple-A to make a spot start against the Dodgers, with infielder Kyle Blanks heading to the DL (Achilles tendinitis) in a corresponding roster move.

Ranaudo was optioned back to Round Rock the following day as left-hander Alex Claudio was recalled, and Jake Smolinski was designated for assignment when outfielder Ryan Rua was activated from the 60-day disabled list.

Smolinski, who batted .133 (8-for-60) with 12 runs scored in 35 games for Texas this season, was then claimed off waivers by the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.

Alfaro Likely Out for Season

Catching prospect Jorge Alfaro will is expected to miss the rest of the year after suffering a “significant left ankle injury”, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.

Alfaro, 22, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in the Rangers’ organization behind infielder/outfielder Joey Gallo and right-handed pitcher Jake Thompson heading into this season.

Grant reports that Alfaro has been wearing a walking boot, and Texas director of player development Mike Daly said “he could be out for some significant time.”

Rangers Notes: Soria Sent to Tigers for Young Arms

Former All-Star reliever Joakim Soria had converted 17 of his 19 potential save opportunities for the Rangers this season.

The Rangers traded closer Joakim Soria to Detroit on Wednesday in exchange for right-handed pitchers Corey Knebel and Jake Thompson, both of whom are highly-regarded prospects from the North Texas area.

Soria took over as the Rangers’ closer after the offseason departure of Joe Nathan, who signed a two-year deal with the Tigers in December but has struggled thus far with effectiveness and consistency.

In 40 appearances out of the Detroit bullpen this season, Nathan has already blown five save chances while posting an ERA (5.73) far higher than his 2.88 career average. Although he will retain the closer’s role for now, the addition of Soria could put Nathan’s status in jeopardy.

With Soria out of the picture in Texas, the early choice to replace him appears to be right-hander Neftali Feliz, who was the Rangers’ closer during their pennant-winning seasons of 2010 and 2011.

Feliz had been the favorite to take over for Nathan this spring, but the job instead went to Soria when Feliz was hampered by command issues and Tanner Scheppers moved into the starting rotation.

As for the players Texas acquired in return for Soria, Knebel is a 22-year-old University of Texas product who will report to Triple-A Round Rock while Thompson is a native of Rockwall who will join the rotation at Double-A Frisco.

“Corey Knebel is a big physical right-handed guy with back-of-the-bullpen speed and demeanor,” Texas general manager Jon Daniels said. “A power fastball-curveball combo, a lot of success at [Texas.]”

Daniels described the 20-year-old Thompson as a “physical kind of guy, built for innings, a four-pitch mix … Good life on the fastball and a good slider. A good makeup.”

Taking Soria’s spot on the active roster was right-hander Nate Adcock, who had his contract purchased from Round Rock before Thursday’s game in New York.

Yankees, A’s Take Series from Texas

The Rangers continued their summer-long free fall in the American League West standings by losing five out of seven games over the last week, winning the openers against New York and Oakland before losing both series.

Joakim Soria earned what would be his final save in a Texas uniform last Monday, closing the door on a 4-2 victory in which Miles Mikolas pitched into the eighth inning and benefitted from a three-run rally in the sixth.

Neither team scored through the first 12 frames of Tuesday’s game, and while the Rangers briefly went ahead on a solo homer from J.P. Arencibia in the thirteenth, the Yankees tied it in their half of the inning before capturing a 2-1 walk-off win in the fourteenth.

New York won by the same score in a rain-shortened affair on Wednesday, then secured the series victory by beating Texas, 4-2, in Thursday afternoon’s finale.

The Rangers welcomed the division-leading A’s to Arlington with a 4-1 win Friday at Globe Life Park, buoyed by a strong performance from spot-starter Jerome Williams as well as the first big-league save by Neftali Feliz in nearly three years.

Oakland pounded four homers on the way to a 5-1 win over Texas on Saturday, and Mikolas was roughed up Sunday as the Athletics took the finale by a 9-2 score, improving upon what was already the best record (65-39) in baseball.

Nadel Receives Ford C. Frick Award

Radio voice Eric Nadel was honored in Cooperstown on Saturday as the 2014 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, given annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum to recognize excellence in broadcasting.

Nadel, who has been the team’s primary radio announcer for the past 35 seasons, becomes the first member of the Rangers organization to receive the award, and he expressed gratitude to both the ballclub and its fan base in his acceptance speech.

“As a team, we still haven’t won the big one, but we won this award together,” Nadel said. “And the pain and frustration we have experienced has brought us closer together … I can honestly say that I am proud to be a Texas Ranger, and I know you are proud to be Texas Rangers fans.”

Also honored on Saturday were writer Roger Angell and broadcaster Joe Garagiola, and Sunday’s induction ceremony included Bobby Cox, Tom Glavine, Tony La Russa, Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas and Joe Torre.

Soto Back to DL; Adduci, Martinez Return

Continuing to make injury-related roster moves at an historic rate, the Rangers were forced to place both catcher Geovany Soto and outfielder Jake Smolinski on the 15-day disabled list over the last week.

Soto, who had just returned from the 60-day DL on July 22 following knee surgery this spring, was sent back to the disabled list Tuesday with a right groin strain, and right-hander Nick Martinez was activated in order to make the start that evening in New York.

The day before, outfielder/first baseman Jim Adduci had been activated from the DL while right-handed reliever Matt West was optioned to Triple-A, and veteran starter Jerome Williams had his contract purchased from Round Rock on Friday as Jake Smolinski was put on the disabled list with a bone bruise.

Right-hander Justin Marks was released in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Williams, and southpaw reliever Joe Ortiz was activated from the 60-day DL and optioned to Double-A Frisco.