Rangers sign free agent RHP Jason Frasor to one-year contract

The Texas Rangers announced today that the club has signed free agent right-handed pitcher Jason Frasor (pronounced FRAIS-or) to a one-year contract for the 2013 season.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  To make room on the 40-man roster for Frasor, the club has designated catcher Eli Whiteside for assignment.

Frasor, 35, has spent the bulk of his nine-year major league career in the Toronto organization, including a 1-1 mark with a 4.12 ERA (20 ER/43.2 IP) in 50 relief appearances with the Blue Jays in 2012.  He averaged a career-high 10.9 strikeouts-per-9-innings last year, compiling 53 K’s.  He is the Blue Jays all-time franchise leader in appearances (505) and has made at least 50 relief outings in 8 of his 9 big league campaigns.  Frasor has a career .239 opponents average, including a .229 (247-1078) mark against right-handed batters.

Since being selected by the Tigers in the 33rd round of the 1999 June draft, Frasor has been traded four times.  The Chicago native was traded by the Blue Jays to the White Sox on July 27, 2011, and finished that campaign with Chicago-AL, his only major league action in another uniform.  Frasor has gone 26-31 with a 3.77 ERA over 525 career appearances in the majors with Toronto (2004-11, 2012) and Chicago-AL (2011).

Whiteside, 33, was acquired on a waiver claim from Toronto on December 12, making Texas the third different club to claim Whiteside this offseason.  The Rangers have 10 days to trade, release, or outright Whiteside to the minor leagues.

With today’s moves, the Rangers still have a full 40-man roster.