Rangers acquire Will Venable

The Texas Rangers announced the acquisition of outfielder Will Venable from the San Diego Padres. 

Minor league catcher and outfielder Marcus Greene and a player to be named later will be headed back to the Padres in the deal, it was announced.

According to Corey Brock of MLB.com, Padres general manager A.J. Preller considers the PTBNL a “key” piece of the deal. Brock reports that the player is closer to the Major Leagues. 

The 32-year-old Venable will provide outfield depth to the Rangers, who have been working with injuries to Josh Hamilton. Only Ryan Strausborger is listed on their bench as an outfielder, so they obviously felt Venable would be a worthy addition to their club, especially as they try to get a playoff spot down the stretch. 

Venable reportedly cleared waivers. He will be a free agent at the end of this season, as he completes a two-year, $8.5 million extension signed with the Padres. 

On the season, Venable is hitting .258/.318/.378/.696 (98 OPS+) in 308 plate appearances. On defense, Venable serves as a just-below-average option; he’s been worth -6 defensive runs saved in the outfield this year. He can play all three outfield spots. 

The Rangers did not make a huge move in any respect, but definitely got an upgrade in the outfield, adding Venable to be a solid fourth outfield option. It isn’t flashy, but trades like this one can play a big role in a team’s success down the stretch. 

—Devan Fink

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