Rick Bauer DFA'd, Adam Fox (yes, Adam Fox) added to 40 man roster

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 26, 2007 8:01 PM CDT in News Comment 12 comments

Rick Bauer has been designated for assignment, with the Rangers purchasing the contract of minor league infielder Adam Fox.

Bauer being DFA'd isn't exactly news...the whole reason the Rangers didn't non-tender him this winter was so that they could try to deal him this spring.

The Rangers now have 10 days to trade Bauer, waive him, or release him.

So, the question is...why today? And why purchase the contract of Fox?

On the first part, I am guessing that it is timing...the Rangers, I think, want to have a few days to try to negotiate with teams and cut a deal, and if they don't find something appealing, see if they can sneak him through waivers in the first couple of days of the season, when teams have set their final 25 man rosters and are presumably less inclined to put in a waiver claim.

On the second...well, there are a couple of possibilities.

First, there is a rule that to DFA a player, the 40 man roster must be full. If Alexi Ogando was already on the restricted list, that would put the 40 man roster at 39. Thus, to DFA Bauer (and have 10 days to make a move), the Rangers would have to add Adam Fox.

Of course, the Astacio claim would bump the Rangers to 41, necessitating a move, but presumably, the Rangers wouldn't have known that they won the waiver claim when they did the Bauer/Fox do-see-do. Also, it seems like they could have purchased the contract of Sammy Sosa or Jerry Hairston, Jr., instead, since both those guys are making the roster.

Secondly, Fox could be making the 25 man roster as a backup infielder. The possibility of that seems remote.

Third, there could be some other arcane situation I'm not aware of.

Really, though, I think it is #1 that led to Fox's contract being purchased. The Rangers did something similar with Jeff Pickler a few years ago, purchasing his contract to DFA another player, then putting Pickler through waivers. Fox is unlikely to be claimed, so it is a safe move.

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BWAH-HAHAHAHAHA!

</evil genius laugh>

The good times are killing me.

by trza on Mar 26, 2007 8:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Doesn't make sense

Why wouldn't you just put Sosa or Hairston on the roster?

Of course, Bauer shouldn't have been DFA'd in the first place, but that's another issue.

by BurntOrange on Mar 26, 2007 8:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Meh

I don't see how he'd make the team.

You've got Gagne, Otsuka, Benoit, Mahay, and Wilson in the pen.

Even if you release Chen and Wright, and thus Loe is in the rotation instead of the pen, you've got Feldman, Littleton, and Francisco for those last two slots, plus Mike Wood, who is apparently ahead of Bauer in the pecking order.

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 26, 2007 8:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bullpen

Two of the three of Feldman, Littleton, and Francisco are going to start in AAA.

Wright is going to be on the team, either as a starter or reliever. Who would you rather have, Bauer or Wright?

Mike Wood doesn't even belong in the discussion.

by BurntOrange on Mar 26, 2007 8:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bauer

He was pretty good in relief last year, but his peripherals weren't that great, and he's a 30 year old with a track record of blahness.

He's been awful this spring, which wouldn't be that big a deal, except there are a ton of other viable options for the long relief role.

I don't see that him being DFA'd is any particular loss.

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 26, 2007 8:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bauer

Which is better:

A) 5th starter = Wright, Long-man = Loe

-- or --

B) 5th starter = Loe, Long-man = Bauer

If we were keep, say, Feldman and Littleton, I wouldn't be that worked up. But he was an effective reliever last year, he's above average for his career, and he's the kind of guy that if you sit him in the bullpen as the long-man, it's not going to impact his development.

by BurntOrange on Mar 26, 2007 8:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Adam Fox is a beast

Athens, Ohio and Ohio U represent!

There's one word that describes baseball - `You never know.' - Joaquin Andujar

by jbooth17 on Mar 26, 2007 8:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

JD just confirmed

Adam is right, it was possibility 1.

by pblack on Mar 26, 2007 9:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Bauer & waivers

Don't count on anything good coming out of a waiver move. Bauer has been outrighted before, so even if he clears waivers he can take free agency.

by Jamey Newberg on Mar 26, 2007 10:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If he does that...

...doesn't he give up the $850K guaranteed that he gets this year?

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 26, 2007 10:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

re:

Doesn't that depend on whether he has enough service time to refuse to go to the minors?

I know that's definitely the case if you are optioned, but there has to be something similar for getting outrighted, in order to prevent team from DFA'ing horrible contracts, waiving them through the league, and then telling them to head to low-A ball.

by BurntOrange on Mar 26, 2007 10:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It was option #4

The reason they added Adam Fox to the roster for just a few days was to get him enough service time in the majors so he could qualify for MLBPA pensions, retirement, etc. JD talked about it today with BaD Radio.

by lone23star on Mar 28, 2007 5:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs