The Texas Rangers have claimed outfielder Michael Helman on waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates and optioned him to AAA Round Rock, the team announced today. To make room for Helman on the 40 man roster, the Rangers have designated utilityman Jonathan Ornelas for assignment.
Helman, who turns 29 on Friday, was originally an 11th round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2018 out of Texas A&M. Helman was purchased from the Twins by the St. Louis Cardinals in spring training, and then claimed on waivers by the Pirates last week. Ironically, Helman was designated for assignment on Saturday to make room for former Ranger Nick Solak on their roster, and never played a game in the Pirates’ system.
Helman seems to have a fair amount of overlap with Sam Haggerty, as he has played a number of positions, with second base and center field being the most common during his time as a professional. He’s also a righthanded hitter, and has 10 plate appearances in nine major league games in his career, all with the Twins in 2024.
I’m not really sure what’s up with this move. Ornelas is primarily an infielder, and it may be that the Rangers feel that they need more depth in the outfield than in the infield right now. It may be that Kevin Pillar’s ongoing struggles — he is slashing .214/.214/.262 this season, with a .225 xwOBA — has the Rangers looking for additional righthanded hitting outfield options.