The Texas Rangers have announced that they claimed outfielder Dairon Blanco off waivers from the Kansas City Royals. To clear space on the 40-man roster, the team moved pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the 60-day injured list.
Blanco, a right-handed hitting outfielder, will turn 33 in April. The Cuban native played in the Cuban National Series before defecting in 2016. After signing with the Oakland organization, he was traded to the Royals at the 2019 trade deadline in a deal that sent reliever Jake Diekman to Oakland.
Blanco made his MLB debut in 2022 and spent most of the 2023 and 2024 seasons in the majors. However, he had limited big-league action in 2025, logging only eight plate appearances while spending most of the year at the Triple-A level.
Known primarily for his speed, Blanco has seen most of his playing time in left field, though his defensive abilities are considered average. Across 284 career MLB plate appearances, he has produced a .257/.312/.416 slash line while stealing 59 bases in 73 attempts. Last season at Triple-A Omaha, he posted a .253/.332/.405 line.
According to FanGraphs, Blanco still has two minor-league options remaining, meaning the Rangers could send him to the minors at the start of the season if needed, provided he keeps his spot on the 40-man roster.
Meanwhile, Montgomery’s move to the 60-day injured list was expected, as he continues recovering from Tommy John surgery and is projected to miss the first few months of the season.
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