Texas Rangers Reach Deals With Arbitration Players
The Texas Rangers have come to agreements with Jake Burger, Josh Jung, Ezequiel Duran, and Josh Smith.
This is good for the team, as they bring back three players who were key parts of the lineup and Duran, who is a versatile utility player for them.
Jake Burger
Jung and Burger are players who are coming off disappointing years and were among the reasons the offense struggled last year. Burger only hit 16 home runs with a .236 batting average, against his usual .250 batting average and 29-plus home runs that he hit the previous two years.
Josh Jung
Jung put up a .251 batting average with 14 home runs compared to 2023 when he had a .266 batting average and 23 home runs.
If they have bounce-back years, the Rangers’ offense can return to its dominant 2023 form.
Josh Smith
Josh Smith will likely slip into the second baseman hole left by Marcus Semien in the Nimmo trade.
Smith has been good for the Rangers as he filled in all over the place last year, and he won the Silver Slugger for utility players in 2023. Smith hit 23 home runs with 97 RBIs over the past two years.
Ezequiel Duran
Finally, Duran played a huge part in the 2023 World Series run, filling in for the injured Corey Seager. He had a .276 batting average with 14 home runs that year; he took a step back with a .224 batting average and no home runs.
Duran remains a solid depth piece for the Rangers and will come off the bench next year. He is a versatile player and will help fill gaps in the lineup due to injuries and other factors.
All of these moves were good for the Rangers, as they brought back three mainstays who can have a big impact on the season.
The last guy is a good utility player who can fill in at multiple positions.
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