RANGERS ACQUIRE RHP LUCAS HARRELL AND LHP DARIO ALVAREZ
FROM ATLANTA BRAVES IN EXCHANGE FOR MINOR LEAGUE INF TRAVIS DEMERITTE
1B/3B Matt Duffy designated for assignment, Harrell and Alvarez to be added to active roster when they report
Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers today announced that the club has acquired right-handed pitcher Lucas Harrell and left-handed pitcher Dario Alvarez from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for minor league infielder Travis Demeritte.
To make room on the major league roster, the Rangers have designated first baseman/third baseman Matt E. Duffy, currently on option with Round Rock (AAA), for assignment. Additional moves to accommodate Harrell and Alvarez on the active roster will be made when they report to the club.
Harrell, 31, has gone 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA (11 ER/29.1 IP) in 5 games/starts for Atlanta this season since having his contract purchased from Triple-A Gwinnett on July 2. He earned the win with 6.0 shutout innings in his final start with the Braves last night at Minnesota. Harrell signed a minor league contract with Detroit on March 1 and was released on May 16 before signing a minors deal with Atlanta on May 21. He has posted a 5-2 record and 3.06 ERA (21 ER/61.2 IP) in 15 games/11 starts in the minor leagues this season with Toledo (Tigers AAA), Erie (Tigers AA), and Gwinnett (Braves AAA).
Harrell pitched for the LG Twins in the Korean Baseball Organization in 2015, compiling a 10-11 record with a 4.93 ERA (94 ER/171.2 IP) over 33 games/30 starts. He has a career major league record of 20-35 with a 4.74 ERA in 93 games/67 starts with Chicago-AL (2010-11), Houston (2011-14), and Atlanta (2016).
The 27-year-old Alvarez has gone 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA (5 ER/15.0 IP) over 16 relief appearances for the Braves this season, compiling a 1.067 WHIP figure in the majors since being recalled on June 14. He has held opponents to a .200 (11-55) batting average with 28 strikeouts against 5 walks (2 intentional walks) for Atlanta. Alvarez fanned 9 consecutive batters faced over 3 games from July 2-7, setting an Atlanta franchise record.
Alvarez began the year in the Mets organization before he was designated for assignment on May 23 and sent to the Braves on a waiver claim on May 25. He allowed 20 runs/18 earned runs over 23.1 innings and 25 relief appearances at the Triple-A level this season for Las Vegas (Mets AAA) and Gwinnett. Alvarez has pitched in the majors in each of the last three seasons, going 4-1 with a 5.40 ERA (12 ER/20.0 IP) over 26 big league appearances with New York-NL (2014-15) and Atlanta (2016).
The 21-year-old Demeritte has batted .272 (90-331) with 25 home runs and 59 RBI over 88 games with High-A High Desert this season. He was selected by the Rangers in the first round (30th overall) of the 2013 June draft and is in his fourth professional season.
Duffy was received from the Houston Astros via a waiver claim on Saturday, and was optioned to Round Rock at that time. He went 0-for-4 in his first action with the Express last night against Omaha. The Rangers have 10 days to trade, release, or outright Duffy to the minor leagues.
With today’s transactions, the Rangers’ major league roster is now at the 40-player limit.
