The Rangers have signed former Rockies closer Manuel Corpas to a minor league deal and have claimed Ramon Aguero on waivers from the Pirates. Corpas, now 28, is recovering from “Tommy John” surgery to repair a torn ligament in his elbow and is not likely to pitch this season. The Rangers presumably will look to help him recover and then try to keep him around in 2012 when he will try to return to the mound. Corpas struggled to repeat his 2007 the past three years and finally succumbed to arm issues.
Aguero is a 26-year-old minor leaguer who signed with Pittsburgh in 2005 under the name Samuel Vasquez and as a 17-year-old. It was revealed in 2008 that he had used a false birth certificate and was three years older. He also made his US debut that year and struggled, but took a step forward in 2009 and has been one of the Pirates’ better pitching prospects since.
He has a fastball that reaches the upper 90’s and secondary pitches with some potential, but he struggles with his command and delivery. He also has had persistent injury issues that limited him to under 30 innings last season and have kept him from throwing as many as 90 innings in any season.
The Rangers have placed him on their 40-man roster but are optioning him to the minor leagues. To clear a spot, they placed Omar Beltre on the 60-day disabled list. They are also thought to be close to signing Cuban free agent Leonys Martin to a major league deal, which would require another transaction, possibly Wilmer Font moving to the 60-day DL as well.