Texas Rangers transactions: Jimmy Herget has been claimed off of waivers from the Cincinnati Reds by the Rangers, the team announced today. To make room for the righthanded reliever on the 40 man roster, the Rangers have designated lefthanded reliever Jeffrey Springs for assignment.
Herget, 26, was a 6th round pick of the Reds out of the University of South Florida in 2015. He had a 4.26 ERA and an 8.74 FIP in 6.1 IP in the majors in 2019. Out of the 26 batters he faced, he struck out none, walked 3 and allowed 2 home runs. In 58.2 IP for Louisville in the International League, he walked 36 and struck out 68, putting up a 2.91 ERA. In parts of three seasons at AAA, he has a 3.17 ERA in 150.2 IP over 126 outings, with 161 Ks, 66 walks and 16 home runs allowed.
Herget was #17 on the Fangraphs ranking of the Cincinnati Reds prospects prior to 2019, noting that he’s a sidearmer who throws in the low- to mid-90s and mixes in a nice changeup with a quality slider. Herget has two options remaining.
Springs, 27, was a 30th round pick of the Rangers in the 2015 draft out of Appalachian State. The lefty made the majors in 2018 and put up a 3.38 ERA and a 4.25 FIP in 32 IP, earning him a spot on the major league roster to start 2019, but he spent time on the injured list and wasn’t good (6.40 ERA/4.98 FIP) when he was healthy. He was mentioned as a potential 40 man roster casualty, though I thought he would survive until the spring.
The Rangers now have seven days to waive, trade or release Springs.
Meanwhile, the 40 man roster is still at 40, and the Rangers still will need to make a move to open a roster spot for Kyle Gibson.