SURPRISE, Ariz. — Things are getting very transactional at Rangers camp.
On Sunday, the Rangers optioned or reassigned to the minors 10 players to further reduce a camp that once numbered 67 players to 49. They also made a waiver claim for a 32-year-old speedy Cuban outfielder and moved Jordan Montgomery to the 60-day-IL.
The Rangers claimed speed specialist Dairon Blanco from Kansas City. Blanco had seasons of 24 and 31 steals in limited playing time with the Royals in 2023 and 2024. He’s not, however, expected to be a candidate to make the opening day roster as an extra outfielder. Blanco has minor league options remaining, according to Baseball Prospectus.
Of those sent back to minor league camp, perhaps the most notable was outfielder Aaron Zavala, a second-round pick in 2021, who has continued to rebound after sub-par seasons in 2023 and 2024.
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Last year, he put up a more respectable .768 OPS at Double-A Frisco, though he was a year older than league average, before finishing the season at Triple-A. He hit .358 with a 1.081 OPS in a month-long stint in the Mexican Winter League and followed it up with 11 hits in 24 spring at-bats (.458) that included a pair of homers and a triple.
“He just continued from where he was in Mexico and has hit righties,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “I think the next step is to prove it in Triple-A. I want him to go down and make it really hard on us. Kick down the door, and if we need somebody, make it be him. He needs to continue to progress on outfield defense as well. But he’s absolutely done what he needed to do to put himself on the radar.”
In addition to Zavala, the Rangers optioned right-handers David Davalillo and Leandro Lopez to Double-A Frisco and sent right-handers Ryan Lobus, Eric Loomis, Patrick Murphy, Trey Supak, left-hander Robby Ahlstrom, infielder Andrew Velazquez and catcher Cooper Johnson to the minor league camp.
The Montgomery move was expected. He’s not expected back from Tommy John surgery until July, so he was going to go on 60-day IL to make room for somebody on the 40-man roster. On Sunday, it was Blanco.
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