Texas Rangers already in winter meetings rumor mill. Will they make splash with Rendon?
A trip through the MLB rumor mill this offseason makes it feel like old times, all the way back to 2011, 2012 and 2013 with the Texas Rangers.
Back then they seemed to be linked to every free agent on the planet and every big name who might be available in a trade.
The reason: They were in a competitive window and willing to spend.
When they missed on re-signing Cliff Lee, they signed Adrian Beltre. When the C.J. Wilson ship sailed west, the Rangers went to the Far East and signed Yu Darvish.
Before their December in 2012 turned into a disaster, as they missed on Josh Hamilton, Zack Greinke and Justin Upton, the industrywide belief was that the Rangers would set the offseason market.
The Rangers are thought to be back among the big spenders this offseason. They have already added starting pitchers Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles, and are rumored to be in the hunt for third baseman Anthony Rendon.
But talk is cheap. The Rangers need to make an pricey splash with Rendon.
The sooner the better, like at the winter meetings Monday through Thursday in San Diego.
“We went into the winter with the thought that if the deals are right, we could have real quality additions in multiple spots,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “We’ll see. I don’t want to handicap anything. It’s a competitive market. There are different clubs in the mix. There are clubs that haven’t been active the past few years [that] are more engaged. We’ll see how it plays out.”
The Rangers appear to be trying.
They have met with Rendon, the top position player available in free agency. They were in the mix for right-hander Zack Wheeler, who on Wednesday agreed to a five-year, $118 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Rangers could still add to the rotation, and aces Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg remain on the market, but they don’t feel the need to do so after deals with Gibson and Lyles.
Rendon will come with a high price tag, but he’s an everyday player who will impact more games. He should be the Rangers’ top target this offseason.
“Third base is still a spot we are looking at,” Daniels said. “Both free agent and trade remain options. There are in-house candidates as well, but ideally it’s something we are going to address externally. It’s an area we are looking to upgrade. I’m not going to handicap it at this point.”
The highest-paid third baseman in the game is Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies, who earlier this year gave him an eight-year contract worth $260 million.
He has hit at least 37 homers in each of the past five seasons, and he’s a marvelous defensive player.
But the difference between Arenado and Rendon isn’t significant.
Rendon, who turns 30 in June, is only a year older. He has a higher career on-base percentage, OPS and OPS+, which accounts for a player’s home ballpark factors.
Arenado plays his games in the most hitter-friendly park in the majors, Coors Field.
Rendon can make a case that he deserves Arenado money, an average of $32.5 million a season. It’s a safe bet that his agent, Scott Boras, is making that case.
Rendon turned down the Nationals’ offer of a seven-year, $210 million deal that featured deferred money. He then helped them win the World Series.
Would the Rangers go to seven years on Rendon? They might have to if they want to land him.
So far this offseason, ownership seems motivated to spend. Daniels ought to strike while Ray Davis still has his checkbook on the table.
Daniels can figure out later what to do with minor-league third basemen Josh Jung and Sherten Apostel, who rate as top-10 prospects. Besides, it’s too early in their development to anoint either one as the third baseman of the future.
Rendon would make the Rangers better now and into the foreseeable future at a need position.
If Rendon doesn’t take the Rangers’ money, maybe Josh Donaldson will. The free-agent talent pool at third after Rendon and Donaldson drops off a cliff.
Maybe that will also motivate Daniels to move.
With the winter meetings ahead, the conversations and rumors will pick up. The Rangers are thought to be back among the big spenders.
But talk is cheap.
