Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Rangers have placed injured right-hander Scott Feldman on outright waivers, which means he’s available to any team willing to claim the remainder of his contract.
However, in addition to being on the disabled list following knee surgery that has kept him out of action since last season Feldman is also owed about $2 million for the rest of this year and $6.5 million for 2012, with a $9.25 million option or $600,000 buyout for 2013.
In other words, odds are he’ll pass through waivers unclaimed and the Rangers can then remove him from the 40-man roster while keeping him in the organization beyond his rehab assignment. They’d probably be thrilled if one of the other 29 teams felt like assuming the $9 million or so he’s still owed, of course, but it’s a long shot even with various contenders in the market for rotation help.
Feldman got the contract extension after winning 17 games in 2009, but even then his 4.08 ERA and 113/65 K/BB ratio in 190 innings made the Rangers’ long-term commitment a questionable one.