No deals cooking as Texas Rangers move forward with players already on spring roster
Those holding their breath for the springtime addition of a big bat or center fielder need to go ahead and enjoy air again.
General manager Jon Daniels said that the Texas Rangers are not involved in any meaningful trade talks for an impact hitter, presumably third basemen Nolan Arenado or Kris Bryant, and that they are not planning to add a center fielder.
The Rangers, Daniels said Wednesday, are preparing to enter the regular season with the players they have in spring training.
“There’s nothing that is front-burner right now that I’m expecting to come to a head this spring,” Daniels said. “There will be a lot of conversations, I’m sure.”
A deal could come at the end of spring training or early in the season after teams gain a grasp as to how they stack up. It might not be until June or July before the Rangers get deeper into talks with another team.
Daniels said the Rangers didn’t like the kind of deals it would take to sign the last batch of center fielders.
They spoke to Billy Hamilton about a non-roster deal, and Jarrod Dyson on a major-league deal. The Rangers did not pursue Kevin Pillar. All three have signed in the past week, thinning out an already depleted free-agent list.
Danny Santana is expected to play the most games in center field.
“We have to decide how we’re going to go about it,” Daniels said. “I think Danny comes in with the expectation he’ll get the bulk of the playing time out there, but we also like him in that versatile role There’s a little bit of give there. We have to make a call.”
Third base has been addressed with the acquisition of Todd Fraizer, and catcher has as well with Robinson Chrinos. But, unlike Arenado or Bryant, neither is a logical fit at No. 4 and No 5 in the lineup.
