Texas Rangers news: Tommy Hanson is a Texas Ranger, officially, as the team has announced that he has been inked to a major league contract.
To make room for Hanson on the 40 man roster, Joe Ortiz, who is recovering from a broken foot, has been put on the 60 day disabled list.
Hanson, 26, had a disastrous 2013 season, putting up a 5.42 ERA in 73 innings for the Anaheim Angels. Hanson had been a rising star in the Atlanta Braves system before a shoulder injury in 2012 de-railed his career.
Hanson was expected to get a minor league deal, so this being a major league contract (previously reports have indicated it is $2 million plus incentives) is eye-opening.
It also indicates that Hanson will, if healthy, start the season in the Rangers' rotation. We've been talking about Hanson battling for a rotation spot, but Hanson doesn't get a major league deal if he isn't expected to be in the rotation. I think that, at this point, it would make sense to expect the Rangers' rotation to consist of Yu, Harrison, Perez and Hanson, with Ogando, Lewis, Tepesch and others battling for the final spot (and Ogando going to the bullpen if, say, Colby Lewis is healthy and productive).
Joe Ortiz, meanwhile, was expected to be on the shelf for must of the first part of the season, after a motorcycle hit him in Venezuela and broke his foot, so this move to the 60 day d.l. is largely procedural in nature.
UPDATE -- Per Evan Grant on Twitter, Hanson is guaranteed only $125,000 if he is released, so my comments above about him being guaranteed a roster spot may be overstated. If the Rangers can release him and not pay him close to the $2 million base that has been discussed, then this is really more like a minor league deal than a "true" major league guaranteed contract.