Texas Rangers outright Biddle, Granite

Texas Rangers transactions: Jesse Biddle and Zack Granite have cleared waivers and been outrighted to AAA Nashville, the Rangers announced today. In addition, Logan Forsythe, Hunter Pence and Edinson Volquez are all officially free agents.

Biddle was on the 60 day injured list prior to being activated and waived, so this move doesn’t impact the current number of players on the 40 man roster. The removal of Forsythe, Pence, Volquez and Granite would drop the 40 man roster from 40 to 36, except the Rangers also have acquired Wellington Castillo (a deal that I am writing up separately), meaning that the 40 man roster stands at 37 right now, prior to anyone (other than Biddle) being activated from the 60 day injured list. Joey Gallo, Jesse Chavez, Taylor Hearn and Nate Jones are all on the 60 day injured list currently.

Biddle, a lefthanded pitcher who was a first round pick of the Phillies in 2010, was claimed by the Rangers off of waivers from the Mariners in June. He appeared in four games for Texas, threw 5.1 IP, allowed 8 runs, and then went on the injured list, where he stayed the remainder of the season. He will now be a minor league free agent.

Granite, a centerfielder, was acquired from Minnesota in spring training for Xavier Moore and cash. He had, I believe, one day on the active roster when the Rangers needed a bench guy, but didn’t appear in a game in the majors this year, toiling in AAA instead. He seemed like a likely 40 man roster casualty when we looked at this a few weeks ago, and will also be a minor league free agent.

Forsythe, Pence and Volquez become free agents by virtue of their major league deals ending at the end of the 2019 season, which occurred when the World Series ended yesterday.