Rangers Make Roster Moves, Claim Two Players Off Waivers From Division Rival

The Texas Rangers have started up their offseason moves early, acquiring two players from a division rival while moving on from a few of their own.

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The Texas Rangers are in for an important offseason this winter following another missed playoff berth, as they have a lot of work to do to get back into contention and prove they remain one of the better teams in the division.

With young prospects nearing their MLB debuts and veterans working to clear their injury designations heading into 2026, there is quite a bit to like about this Rangers squad. They just need to fill out the roster around their core pieces.

The offseason has started early for them, too, as they have decided to move on from two of their players who both cleared waivers. In return, they were able to snag two players from a division rival of theirs, who should help out the depth of the squad.

Rangers transactions for Wednesday:

- C Willie MacIver and RHP Michel Otañez (pronounced "mee-CHELL oh-TAWN-yez") acquired from the Athletics via waiver claim
- OF's Dustin Harris and Billy McKinney cleared waivers and are now free agents

— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) November 5, 2025

While it is still really early in the free agency process, making some moves to fill out their minor league team with quality veterans is always a good mentality to have. With injuries piling up over the past few years, having options to turn to when things go bad is never a bad thing.

The two players whom Texas claimed off waivers were catcher Willie MacIver and relief pitcher Michel Otañez, both from the Athletics. In corresponding moves, the team waived Dustin Harris and Billy McKinney, both of whom cleared waivers and entered free agency.

How Have Willie MacIver and Michel Otañez Performed?

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MacIver split time in 2025 between Triple-A and the MLB, performing well in the former but struggling in the latter. In his 54 games with Triple-A Las Vegas, he slashed .362/.426/.541 with 56 RBI, 43 runs, seven home runs, eight stolen bases, 44 strikeouts and 21 walks. Additionally, in 327.2 innings in the field, he only put up five errors, with four coming at catcher in 267.2 of those innings.

As for Otañez, he looked quite good in 2024 during the 36 games he played at the MLB level, but in 2025 he had minimal opportunities with only six appearances. Injury held him out for a decent chunk of the year, which caused him to make appearances in Single-A, Triple-A and the MLB. His lowest registered ERA this past season was 7.27 at Triple-A, which is not confidence inducing.

His production from 2024 makes him an intriguing arm to add to the group, though, so if he can overcome his injury setback, hopefully he can be a quality bullpen piece down the stretch for the Rangers.