The Rangers have placed first baseman Blaine Crim on release waivers, as first reflected on the MLB.com transaction log. Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports that the 29-year-old intends to sign with a team in Asia. He’ll be a free agent once he clears waivers, and the Rangers will presumably receive a nominal fee from the signing team in Japan or Korea.
Crim had been on the 40-man roster, so the count drops to 39. He hasn’t played in MLB this year, spending the season on optional assignment in the Colorado and Texas systems. Crim has a combined .265/.341/.453 batting line with 10 home runs through 252 plate appearances in the Pacific Coast League. That’s below average production in a hitter-friendly setting.
A former 19th-round draft choice, Crim has a lifetime .280/.369/.479 slash in nearly 2000 Triple-A plate appearances. He has very brief big league experience, playing in 20 games and hitting .200 with five home runs last year. Crim has spent the majority of his career in the Texas system. The Rangers lost him via waivers to the Rockies last August but claimed him back last month.
