:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/17784305/20130514_mjm_ax5_180.0.jpg)
Adam Rosales is a Ranger again, having been claimed off of waivers, again, from the Oakland A's.
If you are keeping score at home, Rosales was designated for assignment by the Oakland A's when they traded for Alberto Callaspo on July 30. Callaspo, if you will recall, was playing for the Angels and against the Rangers that day when he was pulled in the fifth inning because of the deal. His replacement, Thomas Field, went 0 for 4 and misplayed an Adrian Beltre grounder with two outs in the 9th that went for a single and brought home Ian Kinsler as the tying run, en route to a 14-11 Texas victory.
On August 2, the Rangers claimed Rosales on waivers from Oakland.
Rosales sat on the Ranger bench for a three game series in Oakland, never played, and then was designated for assignment on August 5 to make room for the newly traded for Alex Rios promoted Joey Butler
Rosales was claimed on waivers by Oakland on August 8, in the wake of a Callaspo injury that had Oakland concerned about their infield depth.
A day later, with Callaspo checking out okay, Rosales was designated for assignment by the A's to make room on their active roster for Sonny Gray.
And today, the Rangers have claimed Rosales again. Most likely Engel Beltre will be optioned to make room for Rosales on the active roster.
Of course, by this weekend, Rosales could be waived again. Lance Berkman is on a rehab assignment, and there is some suggestion that he may be ready to be activated sometime this weekend. If Berkman is activated, then a position player will be dropped. And the most likely candidate is Rosales.
The reality is that both Oakland and Texas want to keep Rosales, but they want to stash him in the minors. Each team is hoping that they'll be able to run Rosales through waivers, outright him, and then bring him back in September as additional infield depth.
So the question will be whether Oakland will block the Rangers' attempt to outright Rosales next week, or if they're tired of the game and will let him go.