Where could Texas Rangers turn at third if Anthony Rendon, Josh Donaldson sign elsewhere?
Anthony Rendon rates as the Texas Rangers’ top target this off-season, and the expectation this week at the winter meetings is they will move closer to understanding if they have a real shot at him or have to go to Plan B.
Multiple teams, most of them looking closer to the World Series than the Rangers, are also pursuing Rendon. He just won a World Series with the Washington Nationals.
Josh Donaldson is Plan B. As is the case with Rendon, multiple contending teams are in pursuit of Donaldson.
It’s possible Rendon or Donaldson is playing third base for the Rangers in 2020.
It’s possible neither is playing third base for the Rangers in 2020.
The Rangers aren’t yet handicapping how things will fall, but they know what everyone else does: The third-base free-agent market is pretty much a big bag of disappointment after Rendon and Donaldson.
Veterans on their way out. Prospects who haven’t panned out. Players who won’t make the Rangers much better than the internal candidates.
A trade? There might be more hope there.
Who are the candidates? Here’s a look at five of them:
Miguel Andujar
This wouldn’t be a bad Plan C at all.
Andujar has a few flaws, including that he has played only one full MLB season and missed almost all of last season because of an injury, but he appears to be a third baseman without a spot to play with the New York Yankees.
The Rangers believe he is available in a trade. He is young (Opening Day age: 25), would come with multiple years of club control, is a right-handed batter, and has worked with his idol, Adrian Beltre, on his defense.
Andujar might cost the Rangers some good young players, especially relief pitchers, but they would be worth it if he’s the best on the board.
Kris Bryant
On the surface, trading for Bryant might be better than Rendon or Donaldson.
He’s a former MVP with a career .901 OPS. He would be playing his age-28 season, and he is under contractual control for two more seasons.
Do it, right?
Well, he might be a free agent after next season, depending on the outcome of a service-time grievance. Either way, there seems to be little doubt that he will test free agency. That’s why the Chicago Cubs are considering a trade.
The Rangers would have Bryant for two seasons, but might have to trade a future third baseman (Josh Jung or Sherten Apostel) to get him.
It would be a big off-season splash, though.
Maikel Franco
Once thought to be the next Philadelphia Phillies mainstay at third base, Franco was non-tendered last week after a season in which he was sent to Triple A at one point and nearly released.
The power he showed as a rookie has never improved. He’s not a high on-base guy, he isn’t a quality defender, and his work ethic and baseball smarts have been questioned.
It’s not all bad. He’s only 27, bats right-handed would come relatively affordably. He is entering his prime and might benefit from a change in scenery.
Travis Shaw
He was fairly terrible in 2019, which led to the Milwaukee Brewers not tendering him a contract.
Shaw, though, had 30-homer seasons in 2017 and 2018. He can play second base and first base, which would come in hand. He was a full-time player for the most part despite his deficiencies as a left-handed hitter against lefty pitchers.
The Rangers already have a couple of those kind of hitters.
Yoshimoto Tsutsugo
One of the top power hitters in Japan wants to play in the major leagues.
He bats left-handed, which is a problem, and his defense at third is not great. In fact, he was moved to left field and hasn’t been a Gold Glover there, either.
To acquire Tsutsugo, the Rangers would have to win the posting process, which would add to his price tag.
The 28-year-old doesn’t seem like a fit, but his name has come up in Rangers discussions.
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 2:45 PM.
