The Texas Rangers are reportedly discussing whether to re-sign Drew Stubbs and add him as an outfield depth option. Stubbs opened the 2015 season with the Colorado Rockies but was released in August and signed with the Rangers less than a week after the former cut him loose.
The outfielder is currently a free agent as the deal already expired. It seems that the Rangers are interested in bringing him back, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. However, it would likely be a minor league deal, similar to the one he signed with the team last season.
Stubbs, 31, spent 27 games with the Rangers them last season playing some outfield and a bit of designated hitter. He hit an .095, but with such a small sample size it does not really improve his stats significantly. Stubbs did have an excellent 2014 in Colorado, with 15 home runs, batting .289 and .821 OPS, but he got released by the team during the 2015 season after a .216/.286/.431 over 51 games. Between Rockies and the Rangers, Stubbs hit a combined .195/.283/.382 with five home runs and 10 RBI in a total of 140 plate appearances.
Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers have signed free agent right-handed pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, formerly of the Kansas City Royals, to a minor league contract on Sunday. He is also given an invitation to spring training camp and will compete for a spot in the Rangers rotation.
Guthrie started Game 7 of the 2014 World Series for the Royals and had spent the last three seasons with the Royals. During his stint in Kansas City from 2013 to 2015, he averaged 12 wins and 188 innings. Guthrie spent majority of the 2015 season in the rotation for the World Series champion Royals, where he posted an 8-8 record with a 5.95 ERA across 148 1/3 innings in 30 games, 24 of which he started.
The 36-year-old pitcher has a career record of 91-108 and a 4.37 ERA. He appeared in over 300 major league games for four clubs: Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies and Kansas City Royals.
The former Royals posted a picture (see below) on his Instagram account on Sunday with a note expressing how much Kansas City has meant to him and his family. The photo was apparently posted a few hours prior to reports of his Rangers deal surfaced online.
"THANK YOU. No other way to express the feelings of my heart or articulate what Kansas City means to my family & me," Guthrie wrote. "You are a part of the Guthries forever & we hope we have left you a little better than we found you in 2012. The future will take us on many new adventures but we will always consider KC home. #ForeverRoyal."
