Tonight is MLB's deadline for teams to offer (tender) contracts to their arbitration eligible players, or cut them loose (non-tender). The Rangers in this category are Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, CJ Wilson, David Murphy, Darren O'Day, and Dustin Nippert.
Only Nippert lost his roster spot, so that the team could clear room on the 40 man roster, which was at the full 40 before he was dropped. Unless the Rangers re-sign him to a minor league contract, his three year career with Texas ends with a 4.90 ERA over 78 games, spanning 198 innings of work. He sported a 4.29 ERA in 38 games for the 2010 A.L. Champs. Injuries were an issue for Nippert, as he missed the equivalent of a full season sitting on the disabled list.
With the depth the Rangers are building on the right side of the bullpen, and no real need for Nippert to start any time soon, I'm not surprised he was let go. He could come back on a minor league deal if he can't get a better deal somewhere else, but right now his roster spot is more valuable than having him on the team. The team needed to open up some room for when the time comes to bring in players via free agency or trades, especially with the busy GM meetings coming up next week.
In other non-tender news around the league, notable players cut loose were Hideki Okajima from Boston, Jack Cust from Oakland, Bobby Jenks of the White Sox, and Tony Gwynn of the Padres. No, not that Tony Gwynn, his son.
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