Sources told FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal that the Rangers have placed Vicente Padilla on waivers.
That the Rangers appear to be open to giving up a pitcher who is 17-11 since the beginning of last season without getting anything in return could be a sign of just how deep owner Tom Hicks’ financial woes run. Padilla has only occasionally pitched up to his talent in his career, but he was quite an asset in two of his first three seasons in Texas and the team is 6-3 in his starts this year, even if two shellings have left him with a 5.57 ERA.
Rosenthal’s report has Padilla on outright waivers, meaning the Rangers would be unable to pull him back if there’s a team willing to take on the approx. $8 million he’s owed for the rest of the year, as well as the $1.75 million buyout of his $12 million club option in 2010. However, it seems unlikely that any club would be willing to spend that much money. If there’s some behind the scenes stuff here and the Rangers are committed to getting rid of him, then a trade seems likely, with the team kicking in at least $3 million-$4 million or taking on a rather expensive player in return. If the Rangers are fine with keeping him in their rotation, then it’s likely that Padilla would hang around after clearing waivers.