Winter meetings open with Texas Rangers stuck on hold in pursuit of Anthony Rendon
The race for the Texas Rangers to acquire Anthony Rendon is on, supposedly.
More like the wait is on.
Day One of the annual winter meetings produced a lot of nothing from the top of the market for the Rangers. The highlight of their day, apparently, was an escape from their suite at the Manchester Grand Hyatt for lunch and a coffee.
Weeeeee!
General manager Jon Daniels said the Rangers are no closer to acquiring the third baseman than they were a week ago, though Stephen Strasburg’s mega-deal with the Washington Nationals might boost the Rangers’ chances.
“I don’t have much new,” Daniels said.
The Rangers weren’t entirely inactive. A source confirmed they reached an agreement with left-handed reliever Joely Rodriguez, who pitched the past two seasons in Japan, on a two-year deal to fortify the bullpen.
Rodriguez had limited MLB experience with the Philadelphia Phillies before moving to the Chunichi Dragons.
His signing was first reported about 45 minutes after Daniels said he didn’t have much new.
“I really don’t have a lot to report,” he said.
Somewhere amid the Daniels’ side-stepping of questions, though, it is apparent that third base remains their No. 1 priority and that the Rangers are still planning to play at the top of the market.
That means Rendon and Josh Donaldson, another free agent. The Rangers are considered by many to be the front-runners for Rendon, a native Texan who met Dec. 1 with the Rangers in his hometown of Houston.
“Rumors and perception, throughout the year but especially this time of year, I take with a grain of salt,” Daniels said. “They’re not real meaningful or predictive.”
The top of the market could include Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant if Daniels is willing to gamble that a service-time grievance won’t fall in Bryant’s favor. If it doesn’t, that would leave him with two years of club control instead of the chance to become a free agent after the 2020 season.
It would make him more attractive to the Rangers but also more expensive in terms of the prospects it would cost to add him.
But he would make the Rangers a better team. That’s the goal.
“We’re working on it,” Daniels said. “Just to make the team better. There are a variety of ways to do it.”
Free agency and trades are two ways. Shifting a player on the roster to a new position is another, though Daniels essentially ruled that out.
The Rangers don’t believe that either Danny Santana or Nick Solak are good enough at third base to play there full time. Joey Gallo, for the umpteenth time, is not going to play third base.
Manager Chris Woodward said more than Daniels. Woodward wants to have a third baseman “sooner than later.” He also likes the the additions of right-handed starters Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles.
Lyles is expected to take his physical Thursday, and the deal could be announced over the weekend or early next week.
The Rangers announced their minor-league coaching staffs. The biggest hire is former Rangers catcher Bobby Wilson as manager at Double A Frisco.
He is among some 30 Rangers personnel either here or en route. Special assistant Michael Young, who has made avoiding the winter meetings one of his priorities in retirement, is expected to arrive Tuesday.
His presence is predicated on the anticipation that the Rangers could be busier than normal this week.
So far, their pursuit of Rendon has been a waiting game.
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 9:29 PM.
