ARLINGTON, Texas - Renato Nuñez signed with the A’s as a 16-year-old in Venezuela, and he turned into one of the top young power hitters in the minors, belting 33 homers last year between Triple-A Nashville and Oakland.
Now, he’s with the Rangers, who claimed Nuñez on waivers on April 15 as he was on a rehab assignment with Nashville. Nuñez, 24, was a little surprised by the move, he said Monday, but he was out of options and he knew Oakland either would have to put him on the big-league roster or expose him to waivers.
“I was playing at Triple-A, doing my rehab and my agent called me and told me,” said Nuñez, who strained his left hamstring in the second game of spring training “New team, new experience.