Tony Gutierrez/AP
Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels is willing to make any deal that will help his team - no matter how small.
In one of the stranger trades of this season, the Rangers traded relief pitcher Ernesto Frieri to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday in exchange for $1, according to an Associated Press report. The Mariners sent Frieri to Triple-A Tacoma.
With three of Texas' biggest stars - Cole Hamels, Adrian Beltre and Shin-Soo Choo - set to make $18 million or more this year, it's safe to say that this deal was a pure giveaway.
Frieri, who also pitched in the Yankees' minor league system in 2017, signed with the Rangers in early June and was called up to the major leagues later that month. He saw uninspiring results, putting up a 5.14 ERA and five strikeouts in six appearances before returning to Triple-A in early July.
But the 32-year-old Frieri used to be capable of more than that. He spent four seasons as one of the league's better right-handed relievers, posting a 2.79 ERA and 12.3 K/9 for the Padres and Angels between 2010 and 2013.
This isn't the first time the Mariners have paid a dollar for bullpen insurance. In April 2015, the team made a similar deal with the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Tony Zych.