ARLINGTON -- Veteran right-hander R.A. Dickey became a free agent on Monday when the Braves declined his option for 2018. The move came less than a week before Dickey's 43rd birthday and 21 years after the Rangers took him in the first round of the 1996 MLB Draft.
It has been 11 years since Dickey last pitched for the Rangers. That was before he developed into a knuckleball pitcher and enjoyed a splendid second half of his career as a starting pitcher. Dickey has started 252 games over the past eight years, sixth most among Major League pitchers.