On September 15, the Rangers announced that Anderson has cleared waivers and chosen to enter free agency.
Back on September 12, the Rangers designated right-hander Chase Anderson for assignment. This move was made to make room for top pitching prospect Kumar Rocker on the 40-man roster. Rocker’s promotion to the big leagues has been officially confirmed and the Rangers have selected his contract. He will be starting tonight’s game against Seattle.
Anderson, aged 36, had been with the Red Sox for most of the year before being released. He then signed a minor league deal with Texas in August. After being selected to the big league roster on August 31, Anderson played in only two games for the Rangers, pitching 6 1/3 innings and giving up seven earned runs. In his time with Boston, Anderson had a 4.85 ERA over 52 innings.
During his earlier years with the D-backs and Brewers, Anderson was a reliable mid-rotation starter. From 2014 to 2019, he pitched 857 innings with a 3.94 ERA, striking out 20.2% of batters while maintaining a 7.9% walk rate. Despite not being a power pitcher, Anderson was able to strike out batters, limit walks, and keep home runs to a minimum during this successful six-year period.
However, in the last five seasons, Anderson has struggled on the mound. His ERA has been above 5.00 each year since 2020, totaling 250 1/3 innings with a 6.00 ERA. His velocity fluctuated, and both his strikeout and walk rates have worsened, leading to more hard hits and home runs. While he has been a reliable innings eater for teams like Toronto, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Colorado, he has not been able to replicate his earlier success.
Following his designation and the passing of the trade deadline, Anderson will likely be either released or placed on waivers. If he clears outright waivers, he can choose to become a free agent immediately or wait until the end of the season to become a minor league free agent.
