Texas Rangers release 37 minor-leaguers, including ABD and Adrian Beltre’s nephew
The Texas Rangers joined most other MLB teams Monday when they released 37 minor-league players as uncertainty about the 2020 season continues.
Those players likely would have been let go during spring training or later in the season as new talent came into the organization through the draft. There is also doubt a minor-league season will be played.
MLB teams were paying their minor-leaguers $400 a week via an agreement reached in March to stem pay during the coronavirus pandemic, and the Rangers have said they will pay theirs at $400 a week through at least June.
They will be paying fewer of them this month, and there were some noteworthy players among the cuts. Here’s a look at some of them:
RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx
The journeyman who made his MLB debut in 2017 with the Rangers was looking for another chance at age 34. (He’s since turned 35.) His career highlight came in 2017, when he outdueled Max Scherzer by allowing one run in seven innings at Washington. He’s a hard person to not like.
OF Eric Jenkins
One of the fastest players in the organization was a second-round pick in 2015, but he’s 23 now and has been joined by other outfielders who have performed much better than his .604 career OPS.
RHP Arturo Reyes
Reyes is the only player among the 37 who saw time this year in big-league spring training as a non-roster invitee. The 28-year-old has never pitched in the major leagues.
RHP Nick Gardewine
Consecutive seasons with elbow and shoulder injuries derailed the 26-year-old who pitched briefly for the Rangers in 2017 and 2018 but appeared to a potential long-term bullpen piece.
LHP Brandon Mann
The left-handed version of Bibens-Dirkx, Mann was a journeyman who made his MLB debut with the Rangers in 2018. He went back to Japan last year for a second stint there. He turned 36 last month.
RHP Taylor Jungmann
The 2011 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year was a first-round pick that year by the Milwaukee Brewers and pitched well for them in 2015 as a rookie. He pitched the past two seasons in Japan, though only had a combined 70 innings of work.
RHP Scott Williams
The Rangers raved about his work ethic after he earned a non-roster invite to big-league spring training in 2016 following a breakout year in Low A Hickory. He also had a promising season in 2017 at High A Down East before having Tommy John surgery in 2018. He pitched only briefly last season.
INF Stanley Martinez
His claim to fame is that he is Adrian Beltre’s nephew. Unfortunately, he never hit or played defense anything like his uncle, a future baseball Hall-of-Famer, and at age 23 did not have a future in the organization.
All cuts
RHPs Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Shane Carle, Alex Carrillo, Juan Castillo, Alex Eubanks, Nick Gardewine, Cal Hehnke, Sam Hellinger, George Janca, Taylor Jungmann, Billy Layne, Jeifry Nunez, Arturo Reyes, Luis Rosario, Scott Williams; LHPs Brandon Baker, Justin Lewis, Brandon Mann, Zack Penrod, Francisco Villegas; Cs Alex Kowalczyk, Kevin Mendoza, Isaias Quiroz, Josue Rodriguez; INFs Andretty Cordero, Yaniery Guzman, Tyler Depreta-Johnson, Stanley Martinez; OFs Luis Asuncion, William Jeffry, Eric Jenkins, Starling Joseph, Franklin Rollin, Chad Smith, Hasuan Viera; UTLs Josh Altmann, Rafy Barete.
