Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Texas Rangers have acquired righty reliever Nate Jones, $1M in international slot money, and cash considerations from the Chicago White Sox for pitchers Joe Jarneski and Ray Castro.
Jones is out for the season following May surgery to repair a flexor mass tear in his right forearm. He’s under contract this year for $1.5 million and has a $3.75M option for 2020 with a $1.25 million buyout. That seems a lot to pay for a reliever coming off of major surgery. Almost makes me wonder if the idea here isn’t to just pay the buyout, take some cash from the Sox and, effectively, launder the $1 million on Jones for some international cap money. I suppose weirder things have happened. I also suppose that the Rangers could very well imagine Jones -- who was a very good reliever before his injury -- will be fine next year and worth three and three quarter million.
Anyway, it’s a trade.