Not every off-season move can be a big one, and the Texas Rangers made one of those small ones on Thursday when they acquired relief pitcher Tommy Hottovy from the Kansas City Royals for a player to be named later and cash.
The 31-year-old lefty was designated for assignment last week after making nine apperances for the big-league club in 2012 with a 2.89 ERA. He spent much of the year at Triple-A Omaha and was death to left-handed hitters, which is something the Rangers have long been searching for in their bullpen with Koji Uehara being the only real left-handed specialist, even though he's a right-handed pitcher.
At Triple-A, he was 2-2 with seven saves and a 2.52 ERA in 41 appearances and was named to the Pacific Coast League all-star team.
Before going to Kansas City, Hottovy pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2011 and posted a 4.05 ERA in 17 outings. He was placed on the Rangers' 40-man roster even though he still has remaining options.
