The Texas Rangers today announced that the club has traded minor league infielder Josh Wilson to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for cash considerations. Wilson has been assigned to Cleveland's Triple-A Columbus affiliate. Additionally, minor league outfielder Cesar Puello, who had a June 1 opt-out in his contract, has asked for and been granted his release at Triple-A Round Rock.
Wilson, 36, signed a minor league contract with the Rangers on April 19 and was assigned to Triple-A Round Rock, where he batted .329 with 4 home runs, 16 RBI, and a .918 OPS figure over 22 games for the Express. He spent the entire 2016 campaign with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League, and last appeared in the majors with the Detroit Tigers in 2015. Wilson was a member of the Rangers Opening Day roster in 2014, playing in 24 games for Texas that year, and he has appeared in 431 major league games over 8 seasons with Arizona, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Texas, San Diego, Washington, Detroit, Florida, and Milwaukee.
Puello has spent the season with Round Rock, batting .247 with 6 home runs and 27 RBI over 43 games in his first year in the Texas organization. He signed a minor league deal with the Rangers on December 1, 2016, and was a non-roster invite to major league spring training before he was reassigned to minors camp on March 24. The 26-year-old Puello has previously played in the Mets (2008-15) and Yankees (2016) systems.