Rangers Sign Jason Frasor
By John Parent
The Texas Rangers have signed free agent right hander Jason Frasor, according to John Blake, who released the news via twitter. The contract is a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.
Sep 20, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jason Frasor (54) pitches during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Yankees won 10-7. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Frasor, 35, is coming off a rough 2012 where he posted a 4.12 ERA and 1.466 WHIP in 43.2 innings of work out of the Toronto bullpen. It was the third consecutive season and fourth time in five years that Frasor has allowed 1.38 baserunners per inning or more. He’s been able to have moderate success despite the high number of runners allowed thanks to an above average strikeout rate.
Frasor has struggled with walks throughout his career, but struck out nearly 11 batters per nine innings last season.
Texas has seen a pair of elite right handed relievers in Mike Adams and Koji Uehara walk away as free agents this Winter. Frasor joins Joakim Soria as replacements, but both come with serious question marks. If Frasor can harness his control and Soria is healthy and effective in his first season off Tommy John surgery, the Rangers can run a very solid late-inning relief corps out there. If not, Texas gets significantly weaker than they were a year ago. Given what’s happened with their losses in the lineup, that won’t be easy to overcome.