Former Astro, Arlington Native Hunter Pence Signs Minor League Deal With Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Three-time All-Star outfielder Hunter Pence has agreed to a minor league contract with his hometown Texas Rangers and will attend major league spring training.
General Manager Jon Daniels said Thursday that the 35-year-old outfielder, who played winter ball, has a long track record of being a great teammate and is a winning player.
Pence dealt with a thumb injury early last season, when he played 97 games for San Francisco. He hit .226 with four homers and 24 RBIs, all career lows.
Pence played at UT Arlington, only a few miles from the Rangers home stadium.
The Houston Astros took him in the second round of the 2004 amateur draft.
Pence is a .280 career hitter in 12 big league seasons with Houston, Philadelphia and San Francisco, where he was part of two World Series championships.
Texas also announced its minor league contract with infielder Matt Davidson, who would get a one-year contract that pays a $1.5 million salary while in the major leagues.
Davidson batted .228 with 20 home runs and 62 RBIs last year for the Chicago White Sox. He hit three homers on opening day at Kansas City.
The 27-year-old hit 26 home runs in 2017. He has split his time between third base, first base and designated hitter.
Davidson also pitched three times for the White Sox last season, throwing three scoreless innings.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
