Rangers acquire Alex Rios to make up for Cruz loss
The American League West could not get any closer than it was Saturday with the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics just percentage points apart for the lead in the division.
Oakland is 4-6 over its past 10 games nevertheless is still in first place by .001 with a 65-49 overall record. The Rangers have won five straight games and 9 of their past 10 overall to overcome a recent 6 game deficit. The Rangers are now 66-50 on the season.
Texas went out and acquired veteran slugger Alex Rios to shore up their batting order for their stretch run for the playoffs. The Rangers added Rios’ bat to their lineup and on a discount.
Rios said he looked forward to playing with Texas and instantly is in the playoff hunt, moving over from the last place Chicago White Sox. The Rangers gave up cash and a player to be named later and that should be Leury Garcia said sources.
On Thursday, the Rangers put a waiver claim on Rios. He did not play Friday, but when he is put into the Rangers lineup by manager Ron Washington, he will play right field and bat sixth.
Jon Daniels the general manager for the Rangers said Rios was a good fit and interested the Rangers even before Nelson Cruz was suspended this week for 50 games for performance enhancing drugs.
Rios’ contract gave him the opportunity to block being traded to six teams. However, the Rangers were not part of that list. He will be due $13 million in 2014 and what is left of his $12 million for this season. Rios has a buyout of $2 million for 2015.
The White Sox management said trading Rios was another step in their process of rebuilding the team. They said letting someone like Rios go was difficult, but something the team had to do for its future.
Prior to the non-waiver deadline, both teams discussed multiple times the possible trade, but could not come to terms on a trade.
Rios thanked everyone in Chicago for his time there but was looking forward to a new beginning.
Rios does not just bring a bat, he is sixth in the AL with 26 steals and defensively he is fifth in assists from the outfield with eight.
Texas manager Washington described Rios as a complete player. He is solid in the outfield, is a very good base runner and has a good bat.
Teams quite often put players through waivers in August, but can pull them off if a team claims them. Each player that makes it through waivers unclaimed is then eligible to be traded like prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.
However, Texas claimed Rios and therefore only the Rangers and White Sox could negotiate a deal.
Rios this season, in 110 games played has 12 home runs, 55 RBIs, 57 runs and a .277 batting average.
After losing Cruz, the Rangers needed help offensively and feel they found that in Rios.
Time will tell if the Rangers pickup of Rios worked out to their benefit, but one thing is certain however, the race is as tight as it can get and the Rangers have made up for Cruz’s loss, at least on paper.
