Mariners snatch up Rangers depth arm we barely got to know

Texas Rangers fans barely had an opportunity to get to know right-handed reliever Nolan Kingham. The rookie hurler, who will turn 30 in a week, is a University of Texas product who was signed by the team in 2026 after spending the better part of six years working his way up the Milwaukee Brewers system.

Unfortunately, Kingham wasn't given much of an opportunity to show what he could do once he earned a promotion to the big league club. He made just one appearance and pitched a single inning as a Ranger. What makes this an interesting story is that he has now been picked up by an AL West rival and playoff contender.

The Seattle Mariners snatched Nolan Kingham up once he was DFA'd by the Rangers and cleared waivers

Kingham was DFA'd by Texas on August 7 to make room for Jordan Montgomery and was claimed by the Mariners on August 10 once he cleared waivers. He has been optioned and will report directly to the Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers. It is more than a bit odd that the Rangers didn't even take a really good look at Kingham given their pressing need for right-handed relief pitching. Whatever the case, on the same day that Nathan Eovaldi hit the 15-day IL, he was snatched up by a team the Rangers are competing for the AL West crown and potentially a wild-card berth.

It's possible that the organization called Kingham up just to showcase him. If you're going to give a guy one inning and then DFA him, you would hope there is a bigger plan in place. Maybe the Mariners took the bait and claimed a player the Rangers never had any plans for being a long-term part of the team. It could also mean that the Mariners saw something in Kingham that they really liked, and he could come back to haunt the Rangers later in the season.

The Rangers have three games remaining with the Mariners on September 8-10 in Seattle. So there's a chance they could see Kingham on the hill in a crucial late-season game with a lot at stake. Still, it's strange that a lifetime minor leaguer would be called up to the show for one inning, DFA'd, and subsequently claimed by a rival team. We'll see if the move has any bearing on the playoff race later this year.

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