Rangers trade Montero, sign Dahl

MLB Trade Rumors: Rafael Montero is going to the Seattle Mariners from the Texas Rangers, per Jeff Passan on Twitter.

Montero, 30, took over the closer role early in 2020, and ended the year with a 4.08 ERA in 17.2 IP over 17 games with 8 saves, and with a 3.70 FIP. Montero, who was signed as a minor league free agent after the 2018 season by Texas, put up a 2.48 ERA in 22 games and 29 innings in 2019 for Texas.

Montero has two years of team control remaining, and was rumored to be available at the trade deadline in August. As a closer on a bad team with a limited amount of team control left, Montero is the type of pitcher the Rangers would be expected to move, and it appears he is headed out west.

No word yet on the return, but we will update this when more info is available.

UPDATE — T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers are getting a pitching prospect back in the deal.

UPDATE II — 17 year old Jose Corniell, a righthanded pitcher, is coming to the Rangers, along with a player to be named later, per Evan Grant.

UPDATE III — Corniell is the #24 ranked prospect in the Mariners’ system, per MLB Pipeline. He doesn’t turn 18 until June, and received a $630,000 bonus to sign as part of the 2019-20 J-2 class.

UPDATE IV — The Rangers have officially announced the signing of free agent outfielder David Dahl, as well as that Rafael Montero has been traded to the Seattle Mariners for Jose Corniell and a player to be named later.

Dahl’s deal is for $2.7 million plus $300,000 in playing time incentives.

The roster remains at 40.