Austin Wynns Becomes Free Agent After Clearing Waivers

Austin Wynns, a veteran catcher, has opted to become a free agent after clearing waivers following his designation for assignment by the Texas Rangers. The announcement was made by the team on August 20, 2026.

Wynns declined an outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock, exercising his right to free agency due to his previous outright assignments and over five years of service time in Major League Baseball. This season, the 35-year-old has played 34 games and recorded 89 plate appearances across the Athletics, Braves, and Rangers, with a batting line of .146/.195/.183.

Throughout his career, Wynns has performed as a typical journeyman backup catcher, holding a lifetime batting average of .230 with a .274 on-base percentage and a .334 slugging percentage over 871 major league plate appearances. While he initially struggled with framing pitches, he has improved to an average level in recent seasons. Wynns is also recognized for his ability to block pitches and manage the running game, although he has faced challenges this season with a 14.3% caught-stealing rate.