Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels and general manager Chris Young had a few busy days prior to the MLB lockout that began on Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. PT, which was punctuated by signing Corey Seager to a 10-year contract.
Along with Seager, the Rangers added Marcus Semien, Jon Gray and Kole Calhoun, which cost the organization more than half a billion dollars as they look to improve from their 60-102 record in 2021.
Signing Seager added to the Rangers taking personnel from the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in recent years. They previously hired manager Chris Woodward away from L.A.; acquired DJ Peters, Billy McKinney and Zach Reks from the Dodgers; and are still trying to bring Clayton Kershaw to his hometown team.
Seager said part of the reason he decided to sign with the Rangers was because he was impressed by the people they have running the team and their commitment to building a winning club, via MLB Network:
“Just the people in general here. Knowing Woody from L.A., getting in the meetings with C.Y. and J.D., and really understanding where they’re coming from and knowing where I’m coming from, the stars just aligned and it’s a great fit. … They’re ready to go. They want to start building this thing and they wanted us to be a part of it. Proving they’re ready by going out and getting guys like Semien, Kole and Gray, and not being done yet. That’s really exciting as a player and it’s something you want to be a part of.”
While Daniels and Young helped sell Seager on their plan, he formed a strong relationship while Woodward was the Dodgers’ third base coach.
Although the Rangers made a big splash early this offseason, they still have a lot of work to do to become competitive in the American League West, but so far, they are on the right path.
Seager recruiting Kershaw to Rangers
The Rangers have been speculated as a potential landing spot for Kershaw, and Seager admitted he has been in contact with his former teammate about continuing to play together.
The Dodgers made a bit of a surprising decision early into free agency by not extending a qualifying offer to Kershaw, which they did with Seager and Chris Taylor. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained it was out of respect to not rush Kershaw into a decision.
Kershaw has regularly stated his appreciation for the Dodgers annually being a World Series contender, but some believe the allure of playing near his home and making matters easier for his family could be enough to take the three-time Cy Young Award winner to Texas.
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