Whoops! GM Jon Daniels says not keeping Robinson Chirinos with Texas Rangers was mistake
Todd Frazier received a Texas Rangers jersey, too, on Wednesday afternoon.
He was also introduced to the media, and will be the Rangers’ third baseman in 2020 after they either swung and missed at high-profile players or chose to back away from them.
Frazier, it appears, will also play some first base.
He wasn’t the only player introduced on a one-year contact with a club option.
The other guy was the main attraction.
Robinson Chirinos is returning to be the Rangers’ primary catcher a year after they went in another direction at catcher and quickly regretted it.
As such, Chirinos received something that Frazier did not: A public mea culpa from the man who decided to let him go.
General manager Jon Daniels was asked his thoughts on the past 15 months, from the time he turned down a club option on Chirinos to facing the music on Wednesday.
“Before or after I made the mistake and didn’t pick up his option?” Daniels said. “That’s pretty much what it comes down to, right?”
That’s right. The Rangers wanted to upgrade defensively, so they brought in veteran Jeff Mathis rather than keep Chirinos. He went to the Houston Astros, where he went to the World Series, while Mathis batted .158.
Mathis deserves credit for the terrific seasons posted by starting pitchers Mike Minor and Lance Lynn, Daniels said, and it’s likely that Chirinos and Mathis will be the catchers when the Rangers open the season March 26 against the Seattle Mariners.
The Rangers are getting an upgrade with Chirinos’ bat but also getting an upgrade with his glove after he caught Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole in 2019.
They finished 1-2 in American League Cy Young voting, and were never complacent despite their immense success. That motivated Chirinos and helped make him better with game preparations.
“I learned some new things in Houston, so that’s something I’m going to share with the guys,” Chirinos said. “Last year was fun being behind the plate for JV and Cole. Those guys are talented, but they want to be the best.”
Frazier will be a key part of the lineup at a position the Rangers hoped to fill with Anthony Rendon, who instead signed with the Los Angeles Angeles. They backed off from another free-agent, Josh Donaldson, after his contract demands hit four years and $100 million.
He signed Tuesday with the Minnesota Twins.
Frazier enjoyed a rebound season in 2019 with the New York Mets, posting his highest batting average (.251) since 2015. He was sidelined by an oblique injury, and hit only 18 home runs, but he will be building off an encouraging campaign.
Daniels doesn’t expect the Rangers to make a significant addition before the season, despite the availability of free agent Nicholas Castellanos and Nolan Arenado in a potential blockbuster trade.
“I really don’t expect anything to change at this point,” Daniels said. “We’re always going to explore options to make our club better.”
The Rangers designated left-handers Jeffrey Springs and Kyle Bird for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster for Chirinos and Bird, then quickly traded Springs to the Boston Red Sox for first baseman Sam Travis.
He was assigned to Triple A Nashville and does not go on the 40-man roster.
This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 4:43 PM.
