The Texas Rangers have announced today that the club has signed a pair of free agents, outfielder Delino DeShields and right-handed pitcher Sam Gaviglio to 2021 minor league contracts with spring training invitations.
DeShields, 28, returns to the Rangers organization after spending 2020 with the Cleveland Indians. Acquired in three-player trade with the Rangers on December 15, 2019, the right-handed batter hit .252 with seven RBI in 37 games with the Indians last season. DeShields started 32 regular season games and both of Cleveland’s A.L. Wild Card contests versus New York in centerfield. He was not tendered a 2021 contract by the Indians on December 2, 2020.
DeShields hit .246 with 18 homers and 126 RBI in 539 games with the Rangers from 2015-19. He ranks among the club’s all-time leaders in sacrifice bunts (6th, 43) and stolen bases (7th, 106) and was successful on 78.5% of his steal attempts (29 CS) with Texas, the third highest percentage in club history (120+ SB attempts) behind Ian Kinsler (80.4) and Julio Franco (79.0). He started 344 games in CF and 101 in LF with Texas. DeShields was the Rangers 2015 Rookie of the Year after being selected from Houston in the 2014 MLB Rule 5 Draft. .
The 30-year-old Gaviglio has pitched in the Majors in all or parts of the last four seasons (2017-20). He made four relief appearances over three stints with Toronto in 2020, allowing three earned runs in 3.0 innings with an 0-1 record.
Gaviglio is 11-18, 4.88 in 98 games/37 starts with Seattle (2017), Kansas City (2017), and Toronto (2018-20) in his big league career. He led the Major Leagues with 95.2 relief innings in 2019, his first season working exclusively out of the bullpen. He was outrighted by Toronto last September and became a free agent after the season.
Texas currently has 63 players on its spring training roster, including 23 non-roster invitees.
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