The one who plays outside George Valera has been cleared on waivers, according to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. The Rangers designated Valera for assignment earlier this week, and since Valera is ineligible to decline an outright assignment, he will now be removed from Cleveland’s 40-man roster and sent to Triple-A Columbus.
Valera made his MLB debut last season and hit .220/.333/.415 over his first 48 plate appearances in the majors. He started the season on the 10-day disabled list due to a minor calf strain, and Valera didn’t look good in the lineup, hitting just .216/.237/.297 over 38 PA before being sent down to the minors. The Rangers haven’t recalled Valera, and will need to take an extra step to get him back on the 40-man roster if the club makes another appearance at the Show.
With a respectable .276/.367/.417 line to show in 150 PA in Columbus this year, it’s not like Valera’s game has completely fallen off the map. Guards’ outfield picture isn’t consistent enough that Valera could be called up again if he can heat up at the Triple-A level.
Still, this is the second time the Rangers have DFA’ed Valera (he was non-tendered after the 2024 season before re-signing with Cleveland) without any other teams taking a swing at a former top prospect, which is a sign of how low his stock has fallen. No mention of Valera is complete without noting the many injuries that have stalled his career during his time in Cleveland’s farm system. Since starting his professional career in 2018, Valera has played 524 minor league games and 29 games in the majors.
