Yankees Claim Former Rangers First-Round Pick

Former Texas Rangers first-round draft pick Bubba Thompson was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees.

Thompson was designated for assignment last week by the Cincinnati Reds, 

The Yankees are Thompson's fourth team since August when he was DFA'd by the Rangers to make room on the 40-man roster for J.P. Martinez. Martinez was added to the active roster while Travis Jankowski was on the paternity list. The Kansas City Royals claimed Thompson from the Rangers in August.

Thompson, 25, played 92 games with the Rangers in 2022 and 2023 with a slash line of .242/.286/.305. That translates to a wRC+ of 65, according to MLB Trade Rumors. 

Thompson, who has options remaining, fills one of two open spots on the Yankees 40-man roster. He has less than a year of service time, so free agency and arbitration won't be an issue for the Yankees.

Thompson's elite running ability is enticing for clubs, even if his plate production has lagged. He has 22 steals in 27 major league attempts. Statcast rated his sprint speed behind only Elly De La Cruz and Bobby Witt Jr. in 2023.

The Rangers selected Thompson with the 26th overall pick in the 2017 MLB amateur draft. He had 32 stolen bases and batted .289 for Class-A Hickory in 2018. He had 25 steals and batted .275 for Double-A Frisco in 2021. 

In 145 Triple-A games, including 33 with Omaha after the Royals claimed him from the Rangers, Thompson batted .284 with 26 doubles, six triples, 19 home runs, and 76 stolen bases.