Last time we looked at guys like Cliff Lee and Vlad Guerrero who've moved on. Now let's complete the list and round out the departures from 2010.
Cristian Guzman - SS/2B - Unemployed
Guzman didn't do much with the Rangers after being traded at the deadline. He rode the bench of most of his time here and did not factor in during the playoffs. He has not hooked on with another team as of the start of Spring Training.
Doug Mathis - RHP - Cleveland Indians
Mathis was one of those guys on the shuttle between Oklahoma City and Arlington when the Rangers needed an extra arm due to injuries or double headers, but never really caught on here. He signed a minor league contract with the Indians.
Brandon McCarthy - RHP - Oakland Athletics
McCarthy was supposed to be a good young pitcher when the Rangers traded John Danks to the White Sox to get him, but that deal is one of the ugliest on Jon Daniels' resume' to date. He was hurt more than he was healthy, and while he showed flashes of brilliance, he couldn't stay on the mound long enough to build up any steam. He was in AAA for all of 2010, then signed a deal with the A's after the season. He'll compete for their fifth starter job in camp.
Max Ramirez - C - Chicago Cubs
Ramirez lost his prospect status, then his job. As he was passed over on the depth chart, the Rangers designated him for assignment and eventually he was claimed by the Red Sox. The Cubs later claimed him from Boston, and he will compete to be the backup catcher in Chicago.
Brandon Boggs - OF - Milwaukee Brewers
Boggs was the outfielder version of Doug Mathis, just getting his chances when players higher on the depth chart were hurt, then going back to AAA. He snagged a big league contract with the Brewers and will try to get a spot on their bench this season.
Guillermo Moscoso - RHP - Oakland Athletics
What's up with the A's signing all of our pitchers? I don't like how that looks. Anyway, to be technical, Moscoso was traded to the A's after being designated for assignment. Moscoso was acquired in the Gerald Laird trade a few years ago, and got some bullpen opportunities, but was mostly just a farmhand for Texas.
Clay Rapada - LHP - Baltimore Orioles
Rapada was part of the playoff bullpen, but was designated for assignment and release after the Rangers signed fellow southpaw Arthur Rhodes. Rapada hooked on with the O's on a minor league deal and should pop back up in the Majors again before long.
Jorge Cantu - 1B/3B - San Diego Padres
Cantu was just a bit more valuable than Guzman when both were acquired at the trade deadline, but not by much. He had one good game the day the Rangers clinched the West title, but aside from that he was disappointing. He even lost his platoon job with Mitch Moreland at first base in the playoffs due to Moreland's success and Cantu's cluelessness at the plate. Cantu signed with the Padres and has the unenviable job or replacing Adrian Gonzalez at first base in San Diego. Good luck with that.
Warner Madrigal - RHP - New York Yankees
Madrigal is in the same boat as Moscoso and Mathis (must be something to do with AAAA guys who have names that start with 'M'), and he signed a minor league deal with the hated Yankees in the off-season. He will not threaten to unseat Mariano Rivera in the bullpen, but might find a role there at some point in 2011.
Dustin Nippert - RHP - Korea
Somehow Nippert went from being on a playoff roster to not being able to snag a deal with any team in the States, and he has decided to spend 2011 with a team in Korea. And you thought you were having a bad day... Maybe Americans in Korea can celebrate his mediocrity there as much as Koreans celebrated Chan Ho Park here.
The guys on this list were mostly bench players or fill ins from the minors. They will be replaced by guys who are bubbling out of the top of the minors and deserve their shot to do something in the bigs, or veterans like Matt Treanor and Andres Blanco who have settled into backup roles quite nicely. The heartbreakers are at on the previous list.
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