Indianapolis, Ind. – The Texas Rangers announced today that the club has acquired left-handed pitcher Clay Rapada from Detroit in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.  Additionally, right-handed pitcher Willie Eyre has been outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City, and he has accepted that assignment.
 
Rapada, 28, posted no record with a 5.40 ERA (2 ER/3.1 IP) in 3 relief outings for the Tigers in 2009 and spent most of the year with Triple-A Toledo, where he was 4-2 with 5 saves and a 2.76 ERA (14 ER/45.2 IP) in 42 games.  He had 47 strikeouts against 17 walks with Toledo and held International League left-handed batters to a .210 (13-62) average.  He has compiled a 4.94 ERA (15 ER/27.1 IP) in 33 career relief appearances in the majors with Chicago-NL (2007) and Detroit (2007-09), holding big league left-handers to a .235 (12-51) mark.
 
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound left-hander was originally signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent on July 14, 2002 after playing at Virginia State University.  He was acquired by Detroit on Aug. 30, 2007 as the player to be named later in a trade involving former Ranger Craig Monroe a week earlier.  The 2010 campaign will be Rapada’s 8th professional season.
 
Eyre posted no record with a 4.50 ERA (9 ER/18.0 IP) in 17 relief appearances over 5 stints with the Rangers in 2009.  He allowed just one home run in 52.1 total innings in the major and minor leagues this past season.  Eyre was originally signed by Texas as a free agent on Dec. 28, 2006.
 
With these moves, the Rangers still have 38 players on the club’s 40-man roster.
 
SMOAK RECEIVES AWARD: Rangers minor league first baseman Justin Smoak has been honored as the International Baseball Federation’s Player of the Year in the “Senior Athlete” category.  The club’s first round selection in the 2008 June draft (11th overall), Smoak tied a U.S. record with 9 home runs and added 22 runs to help Team USA to a gold medal finish in the 2009 Baseball World Cup.  Smoak was named to the World Cup All-Tournament Team and was the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.  The award covers a two-year span of international play.

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