Texas Rangers legend and front office executive Ian Kinsler believes the team can be a contender: "The Rangers have just as good a chance as anybody"
The Texas Rangers had another solid offseason. If you can remember, they shocked much of the baseball world when they signed Corey Seager and Marcus Semien last winter. This winter, they had a mission to upgrade their pitching rotation, and they did just that.
They signed Jacob deGrom to a five-year, $185 million contract. They also signed Nathan Eovaldi to a two-year, $34 million deal and Andrew Heaney to a two-year, $25 million contract. Their winter haul has former infielder and member of the Rangers' front office, Ian Kinsler, ready for the season.
"The Rangers have just as good a chance as anybody," Kinsler said.
.@Rangers Hall of Fame inductee Ian Kinsler discusses his new role with the club, joining as the Special Assistant to the GM.
@alannarizzo | #HighHeat https://t.co/3boFYwecN6
Kinsler was recently announced as a special assistant to general manager Chris Young. He feels good about the guys he's got in his building, believing they can surprise some teams this season.
The Texas Rangers have a solid team on paper. Corey Seager and Marcus Semien lead them up the middle, with Nate Lowe and Josh Jung at the corners. Jung is a high-ranked prospect who got a cup of coffee in the big leagues last season.
Josh Jung homers in his first big league at-bat! 😱 https://t.co/Lz0wpMjZ86
The outfield will be led by Adolis Garcia, who seems to get better with each passing year. He's coming off a career year at the plate where he slashed .250/.300/.456 with 27 home runs and 25 stolen bases.
This team has what it takes to be a competitor in the American League West. But given the teams in that division, it won't be easy.
Can the Texas Rangers win the AL West?
For the Rangers to win the division, they'll have to take out the reigning World Series champions, the astros" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Houston Astros. While they lost Justin Verlander in free agency, the Astros are still the favorites to win the division.
Another team the Rangers have to watch out for is the Seattle Mariners. Seattle is coming off a momentous season where they found themselves in the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. Surely, they'll look to continue that momentum this season.
As bad as they have been, you can never count out the Los Angeles Angels, either. This could be the year where they figure it out as an organization.
The Texas Rangers will definitely have their hands full in the AL West. Do you think they have enough talent to compete with the Astros?