The Texas Rangers continued to overhaul their infield on Saturday, shipping infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa and a prospect to the Minnesota Twins for catcher Mitch Garver. Kiner-Falefa had been expected to start at third base for the Rangers, who signed shortstop Corey Seager and second baseman Marcus Semien prior to the lockout, but the Rangers evidently preferred to upgrade behind the plate with Garver.
The combination of Kiner-Falefa’s departure and top prospect Josh Jung’s recent shoulder surgery, which will keep him out for most of the season, means the Rangers now have another item on their offseason to-do list: find a third baseman.
Theoretically, the Rangers could pick out an internal option, be it Andy Ibáñez, Yonny Hernandez, or Sherten Apostel. Texas has been so prone to making a splash this winter, however, that we figured it would be worthwhile to examine their external options, be it through the free-agent market or by way of another trade.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five candidates for the Rangers’ hot corner hole.
1. Matt Chapman, A’s
The Rangers have been known to be interested in a different Athletics infielder, in first baseman Matt Olson. It’s unclear if they have a similar desire to add Matt Chapman to the mix, but it would make sense. Even though he’s coming off a down season relative to his lofty standards, he’s a smooth fielder with a track record of being an above-average hitter. Indeed, Nolan Arenado is the only third baseman with more Wins Above Replacement since 2019 than Chapman’s 12.4. Still, the Rangers might have reservations about Chapman’s increasing strikeout rate (he’s punched out in more than a third of his plate appearances the past two seasons), and they may prefer to preserve their prospect warchest for runs at pitching and outfield help.
2. Kris Bryant, free agent
Kris Bryant entered the offseason as the best free-agent third baseman on the market. The Rangers have likely reached out, if only out of due diligence. Some clubs have expressed concerns about how Bryant’s swing will age, and have noted that he’s more of a passable defender at the hot corner these days. Whether or not the Rangers have similar concerns is anyone’s guess. As with Chapman, they might rather spend their money elsewhere, even if it means settling for a lower-tier starter at third base.
3/4. Mike Moustakas, Reds; Josh Donaldson, Twins
We’re pairing Mike Moustakas and Josh Donaldson because they’re in a similar boat. Both are veterans whose teams would like to move their contracts. Moustakas has $38 million coming his way over the next two seasons following a dreadful, injury-shortened 2021; Donaldson, meanwhile, has closer to $60 million remaining on his contract, which runs through the 2023 season. It’s worth noting that last year was just the second time since 2017 that Donaldson appeared in at least half his team’s games; players don’t tend to get healthier as they age, meaning the Rangers might view his chances of being a productive everyday player in an unfavorable light.
5. J.D. Davis, Mets
Say the Rangers don’t want to ship out top prospects or shell out top dollar for a third baseman. Where does that leave them? Perhaps with renewed interest in Mets third baseman J.D. Davis. Texas has attempted to acquire Davis in the past, and he’s known to be available once more after the Mets added Mark Canha and Eduardo Escobar through free agency. Davis isn’t as flashy of a name as the others on this list, but he’s posted a 128 OPS+ over the last three seasons and he’s under team control until the winter of 2024. What’s more is his salary and the transaction cost would allow the Rangers to remain more flexible in their efforts to upgrade elsewhere. Davis does have his share of shortcomings — he’s not a great defender and his strikeout rate shot up last year — but he seems like a more realistic fit than most of the above.
