The Rangers' Wide Open Infield Mix

"The Rangers entered the offseason in need of a lineup reboot. They've had below-average offenses in consecutive years and haven't strung together competitive at-bats consistently. They've been 20th and 26th, respectively, in on-base percentage over the last two seasons. Their walk rate dropped from 14th to 23rd. Their hitters were among the most aggressive in MLB, both on pitches within and outside the strike zone."

"While that needed to be addressed, the front office is seemingly operating within a tight budget. They have five contracts on the books that pay at least $18.5MM annually. They're now two years removed from their World Series run, and ownership began scaling back spending during the 2023-24 offseason in the wake of the collapse of their local broadcast agreement. Offseason reporting has cast doubt on their chances of meeting the asking price for even mid-tier free agent hitters J.T. Realmuto and Luis Arraez."

"Catcher and the outfield mix are probably set. Jansen joins Kyle Higashioka as a veteran pairing behind the dish. Nimmo slots alongside Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter on the grass. However, they haven't acquired anyone to replace Semien at second base. It seems they're planning to do that internally. That'd be a tall ask for an infield group that was a weakness even with Semien."

The Rangers entered the offseason needing a lineup reboot after consecutive below-average offenses and inconsistent competitive at-bats. The team ranked 20th and 26th in on-base percentage over the past two seasons, and walk rate dropped from 14th to 23rd. Hitters were highly aggressive both on pitches within and outside the strike zone. Ownership scaled back spending after the collapse of the local broadcast agreement, and payroll is constrained by multiple large contracts. Texas traded Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo to add plate patience and moved on from Adolis García. They non-tendered their catcher and signed Danny Jansen for two years. Catcher and outfield now appear settled, but second base remains unresolved and the infield offense was a weakness even with Semien.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors