Rangers trade Solak to Cincy for cash

The Texas Rangers have traded infielder/outfielder Nick Solak to the Cincinnati Reds for cash considerations, the team just announced. Solak had been on the 60 day injured list.

With this move, the Rangers’ 40 man roster, including players who are on the 60 day injured list and have to be activated today, should be at 39, although the Rangers may have already placed some guys on waivers, but haven’t announced it yet. So technically, it could be less.

Solak is one of the guys who seemed like an obvious 40 man roster casualty this offseason. Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in 2019 in exchange for relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks, Solak was seen at the time as a bat-first guy who played second base but didn’t really have a defensive home.

As it turned out, Solak never did really find a defensive home, but also didn’t hit while with the Rangers. Bat-first guys with no defensive homes who don’t actually hit usually find themselves without a roster spot, eventually.

Solak slashed .252/.327/.372 in 253 games for the Rangers with a 0.6 bWAR, though his .293/.393/.491 slash line as a rookie inflated the numbers significantly. Since the start of the 2020 season Solak has slashed .246/.317/.354, and spent most of 2022 in AAA.

Solak turns 28 in January, and he clearly did not have a future with the Rangers. He will now get a chance to see if he can turn things around for a rebuilding Reds club.