Rangers DFA pitcher they just acquired

The Rangers announced they’ve designated righty Daniel Duarte for assignment. That move and Friday morning’s trade of J.P Martínez to the Braves clear the necessary 40-man roster spots for reliever David Robertson and outfielder Travis Jankowski, each of whom have officially signed one-year deals.

Texas acquired Duarte last week, sending cash to the Reds after Cincinnati had DFA him. His stay on the Rangers’ 40-man only lasted 10 days. Signing Robertson strengthened the relief corps, nudging Duarte off the roster bubble. As was the case when he was designated by the Reds, he’ll be traded or placed on waivers within a week.

Duarte, a 27-year-old righty, has pitched for Cincinnati in each of the past two seasons. He only made three appearances during his debut campaign but got into 31 contests last year. The 6-foot hurler turned in a solid 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings, but mediocre strikeout and walk numbers explain why he has found himself in DFA limbo twice. Duarte issued a free pass to nearly 15% of opposing batters while striking hitters out at a below-average 16.9% rate.

While he didn’t miss many bats, Duarte kept the ball on the ground on half the batted balls he allowed. He averaged a little above 94 MPH on his sinker and nearly 96 MPH when throwing a four-seam fastball. The grounder rate and decent velocity could again lead to a minor trade or waiver claim. Duarte has one option year remaining, so any team that acquires him would be able to keep him in Triple-A for another season.