ARLINGTON, TEXAS (TICKER) — The Texas Rangers today paid the Florida Marlins $100,000 to complete the deal for backup catcher Gregg Zaun and gave outfielder Mike Simms a rehabilitation assignment.
Zaun was acquired November 23 after spending three seasons with the Marlins. He was a member of their 1997 World Series championship team and is serving as the little-used backup to catcher Ivan Rodriguez this season, going hitless in four at-bats.
Zaun, who turned 28 on Wednesday, batted .188 with five home runs and 29 RBI in 106 games last season. He hit .301 in 58 games as a backup to Charles Johnson in 1997 and has 12 homers and 78 RBI in a four-year career with Baltimore and Florida.
Simms is recovering from a partial tear to his left Achilles tendon, suffered in the second week of spring training. He was assigned to Class-A Charlotte of the Florida State League, for whom he is expected to play two games before heading to Triple-A Oklahoma of the Pacific Coast League.
Simms was devastating as a platoon and bench player for the American League West champions last year. In 186 at-bats in 86 games, he batted .296 with 16 homers and 46 RBI. Playing left and right field and first base, he compiled a .613 slugging percentage and a .381 on-base percentage.
The Rangers also announced that infielder Rob Sasser was claimed on outright waivers by the Detroit Tigers. Sasser was designated for assignment Tuesday to make room on the 40-man roster for righthander Jeff Zimmerman.