The last-place Rangers have started to sell off veterans, trading reliever Jason Frasor to the Royals for minor leaguer Spencer Patton.
Frasor has a lengthy track record as a solid setup man with a sub-3.70 ERA in five of the past six years, including a 3.34 ERA and 30/14 K/BB ratio in 30 innings this season at age 36. He’s owed around $750,000 for the remainder of this season as part of a cheap one-year deal.
Patton is a 26-year-old Triple-A reliever, so there isn’t a whole lot of upside to be had, but he does have 60 strikeouts in 47 innings this season and 303 strikeouts in 225 innings as a pro. He could potentially step into Frasor’s old role in the Rangers’ bullpen and give Texas some value in 2015 and beyond.
Expect the Rangers to shop left-hander Neal Cotts next, as he’s another impending free agent reliever who could help contenders down the stretch.