Minnesota Twins Claim Former Rangers Prospect Bubba Thompson Off Waivers From Yankees

Outfielder Bubba Thompson is on the move yet again, as the former Texas Rangers top prospect is set to join his fifth team in the last few months in the Minnesota Twins.

The Minnesota Twins have claimed outfielder Bubba Thompson off waivers from the New York Yankees, the Yankees announced Wednesday evening.

New York designated Thompson for assignment on Jan. 19 to make room for right-handed pitcher Luke Weaver, who they signed out of free agency. Thompson was on the Yankees for less than three weeks, as they had only picked him up off waivers back on Jan. 4.

Thompson is now set to be part of his fifth organization in the past few months alone. He started 2023 with the Texas Rangers, but has bounced around from the Kansas City Royals to the Cincinnati Reds, Yankees and now Twins just since August.

Thompson – a former first round pick and top prospect in the Rangers' system – was batting .260 with two home runs, 17 RBI, 16 stolen bases and a .740 OPS through 32 games with the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock last season. Upon joining the Royals' Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, Thompson hit .259 with four home runs, 17 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a .723 OPS in 33 games.

Thompson appeared in 37 games with the Rangers at the major league level in 2023, batting .170 with a .520 OPS. In 2022, Thompson hit a more palatable .265 with a .613 OPS in 55 games.

The 25-year-old has averaged 20 home runs, 81 RBI and 58 stolen bases per 162 games throughout his career in the minors. As recently as 2022, Thompson hit .304 with an .829 OPS in Triple-A.

Left-handed pitchers have limited Thompson to a .165 batting average in the majors, compared to his .285 average against righties. Thompson has at least managed to flash his above-average speed at the MLB, level, though, stealing 22 bases on 27 tries for his career.

The 2017 first round pick was a top-five prospect in Texas' system from 2018 to 2019, but he fell all the way to No. 29 on MLB Pipeline in 2022.

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