Nippon Professional Baseball's Lotte Marines named Mann as its minor-league pitching coordinator Wednesday, signaling the end of the 36-year-old's playing career, Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports.
After bouncing around in affiliated ball, independent ball and various foreign leagues upon beginning his professional career in 2002, Mann finally reached the majors as a 34-year-old in 2018. He made seven appearances out of the Texas bullpen, logging a 5.40 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. Mann proceeded to spend the past two seasons overseas, and after his performance took a big step back while he pitched for the Chinese Professional Baseball League's Rakuten Monkeys in 2020, the lefty reliever has now elected to transition into coaching.
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Brandon Mann: Time with Texas over
Rotowire
The Rangers released Mann on Monday, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.
Mann inked a minor-league deal with the Rangers in February after returning stateside following a one-year stint in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball with the Chiba Lotte Marines. The 36-year-old was expected to report to Triple-A Nashville to begin the 2020 campaign, but Texas instead elected to waive him in a cost-cutting move.
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Rangers' Brandon Mann: Returns stateside with Rangers
Rotowire
Mann signed a minor-league deal with the Rangers on Friday.
Mann has been with the Rangers before, making the only seven appearances of his big-league career with the team in 2018. The 35-year-old lefty spent 2019 in Japan, posting a 4.25 ERA in 59.1 innings for the Chiba Lotte Marines.
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Brandon Mann: Heads to Japan
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Mann agreed to a contract earlier in January with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league, The Japan Times reports.
A 27th-round pick of Tampa Bay in 2002, Mann endured a 17-year odyssey in the minors, independent ball and the foreign ranks before making his MLB debut with Texas last season. He made seven appearances for the big club, posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in those outings. After being outrighted off the 40-man roster following the season, Mann has decided to test his luck overseas rather than settling for a minor-league deal. The odds are against the 34-year-old making it back to the majors again.
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Rangers' Brandon Mann: Cast off 40-man roster
Rotowire
Mann was outrighted from the Rangers' 40-man roster Friday and is expected to choose free agency.
Mann got his first taste of the majors this past year, pitching in seven games for the Rangers as a low-leverage bullpen arm. The 34-year-old left-hander will likely head to the free-agent market in hopes of finding an organization that will give him a chance to make the Opening Day roster in 2019.
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Rangers' Brandon Mann: Contract purchased from minors
Rotowire
Mann had his contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.
Mann will serve out of the bullpen during the Rangers' final series of the season against the Mariners. The Seattle-area native has appeared in six games for Texas this year, logging a pedestrian 6.14 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across 7.1 innings of relief.
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Rangers' Brandon Mann: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Mann was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old southpaw was removed from the 40-man roster in order to make room for a much younger lefty, the 26-year-old Zac Curtis, who was claimed off waivers from the Phillies. The veteran reached the big leagues for the first time this season, allowing five runs in 7.1 innings, walking four while striking out just two.
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Rangers' Brandon Mann: Sent to minors
Rotowire
Mann was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock prior to Saturday's tilt against Houston.
Mann made two appearances in his latest stint with the big club, surrendering four runs across 1.1 innings out of the bullpen. In corresponding moves, Delino DeShields and Ariel Jurado were promoted to the Rangers.
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Rangers' Brandon Mann: Back in majors
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Mann was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday.
The Rangers needed to add a fresh bullpen arm, and they will turn to the 34-year-old lefty to fill that role. He has only logged six MLB innings this season, but has a 2.54 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 34 strikeouts in 39 innings at Triple-A.
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Rangers' Brandon Mann: Sent back to Triple-A
Rotowire
Mann was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.
Mann's stay with the Rangers lasted just two days, with the reliever giving up a run in his lone appearance Friday against the Rockies. The Rangers will replace Mann on the active roster with Yovani Gallardo, whose contract was selected from Triple-A in advance of his scheduled start in Sunday's series finale.
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Rangers' Brandon Mann: Recalled from Round Rock
Rotowire
Mann was called up from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.
Mann has appeared in three games for the Rangers this season, posting five scoreless innings during a brief stay with the team in mid-May. He will rejoin the major-league bullpen in a low-leverage role due to the injury to Chris Martin (hamstring), though it's likely that Mann will be back at Round Rock in the near future.
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Rangers' Brandon Mann: Sent back to minors
Rotowire
Mann was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.
Mann was sent back to the minors to open up a roster spot for Thursday's starter, Austin Bibens-Dirkx, who was summoned from the Express in a corresponding move. The 34-year-old didn't allow a run over five innings of work with the Rangers, so he should be back with the big club when additional bullpen help is next required.
The Rangers selected Mann's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.
It's the first big-league callup for Mann, who will turn 34 years old Wednesday and began his professional career as a 27th-round draft pick in 2002. The lefty earned the promotion after submitting a 1.04 ERA and 0.76 WHIP across 17.1 innings with Round Rock. He'll assume the active roster spot of Yohander Mendez, who was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
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Brandon Mann: Signs with Rangers
Rotowire
Mann agreed to a minor-league deal with Texas on Wednesday.
Mann appeared in 46 games for Double-A Midland within the A's organization in 2017, posting a 4.40 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 75.2 innings of work. The 33-year-old is unlikely to graze the fantasy radar, but will provide more depth for the Rangers moving forward.
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Athletics' Brandon Mann: Suspended 80 games
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Mann received an 80-game suspension for testing positive for Ostarine, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.
Mann has spent most of his career at the lower levels of the minors, never graduating above the Double-A level. The 31-year-old will provide organizational bullpen depth when eligible to return and is unlikely to factor in much at the upper levels.
