Texas non-tenders McKinney, pair of catchers
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers announced on Tuesday that they did not tender contracts to three players prior to the 7 p.m. CT non-tender deadline: catchers David García and Yohel Pozo, and outfielder Billy McKinney.
In addition, outfielder DJ Peters was assigned outright to Triple-A Round Rock, leaving Texas’ 40-man roster at 36 players.
It's possible that the Rangers will re-sign one or more of the non-tendered players to return on Minor League contracts.
With five catchers on the 40-man roster, the decisions to non-tender García and Pozo made sense. Jose Trevino and Jonah Heim, who are both defensive stalwarts, held down the position in 2021, while Sam Huff, Texas' No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, figures to return to the big leagues in the near future.
Pozo made his MLB debut in 2021, slashing .284/.312/.378 in 21 games. García, the Rangers' No. 25 prospect, was the top catching prospect in the '16 international class. He played a career-high 83 games with High-A Hickory this past season, hitting .256 with five homers and 40 RBIs.
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McKinney was acquired from the Dodgers on Nov. 22, along with outfielder Zach Reks, in exchange for cash considerations. In 2021, McKinney appeared in games for three MLB teams -- the Brewers, Mets and Dodgers -- hitting .192 over 116 games.
Peters was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers on Aug. 2 and spent the rest of the season with the Rangers. In his first year of big league action, he hit .197 with 13 home runs and 38 RBIs in 70 games between the two teams.
Texas still has a crowded outfield mix, especially after signing veteran Kole Calhoun in free agency, so starting spots for Opening Day will be up for grabs.