Texas Rangers reach deals with Marcus Semien, Jon Gray, sources say

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Infielder Marcus Semien and the Texas Rangers are in settlement on a seven-12 months contract, resources common with the deal told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Sunday.

The offer is worth $175 million, a supply mentioned.

The Rangers were not finished there, nevertheless. They also were finalizing a four-year, $56 million deal with correct-hander Jon Gray, pending a physical, sources acquainted with the offer advised Passan.

And they came to conditions with outfielder Kole Calhoun on a just one-year offer with a staff choice for 2023, according to multiple stories. The deal is truly worth $5.2 million, according to MLB.com.

Soon after a 102-reduction time, the Rangers experienced indicated they were keen to spend as essential and could be lively in free agency this offseason to make improvements to the workforce. They went into the offseason with only about $28 million dedicated to salaries for 2022.

Semien struggled in the shortened 2020 season with the Oakland Athletics, and he bet on himself past offseason, accepting a one particular-12 months give from the Toronto Blue Jays in an endeavor to rebuild his price and reenter cost-free company. He guess suitable. Semien moved to 2nd foundation with Toronto and responded with a single of the ideal ability seasons from a 2nd baseman in significant league historical past, hitting .265/.334/.538 with 45 house runs, breaking Brian Dozier’s document for household runs by a second baseman.

The transfer to 2nd base went effortlessly as well, as Semien gained a Gold Glove. He played just about every recreation for the next time in three seasons (and has skipped just 10 game titles about the earlier 4) and led the majors with 86 more-base hits. While he performed in the shadow of teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. during the period, Semien finished second in the American League in Baseball-Reference WAR behind Shohei Ohtani and 3rd in FanGraphs WAR guiding Ohtani and Guerrero, then completed 3rd in the MVP race, matching his end result in 2019, and generating him the only player with two prime-three MVP finishes in the earlier 3 seasons.

Even like 2020, when he hit .223, Semien qualified prospects all posture gamers in both of those bWAR and fWAR considering the fact that 2019.

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To hard cash in on his major year, Semien brought on Scott Boras as his new agent. Semien is entering his age-31 year just after turning 31 in September and reportedly went into totally free company looking for a $200 million contract. The final position participant that age (or older) to get that substantially in free agency was Robinson Cano, who signed a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2014 time.

Semien’s tactic at the plate was a small different in 2021 than all through his 2019 breakout year, when he strike .285/.369/.522 with 33 property runs. He walked much more that season but became additional intense in 2021, specifically on fastballs, as 36 of his 45 dwelling operates arrived on fastballs. That strategy did go away him a lot more susceptible to breaking balls, as he hit .193 in opposition to curveballs and sliders as opposed to .246 in 2019.

One particular evaluator explained to ESPN’s Buster Olney in Oct: “I know [Semien’s] electricity figures jumped [in 2021], but I would not be expecting which is likely to continue. He’s not truly a property operate hitter.” Maybe, but Semien’s method did come to be far more geared to power. He turned much more adept at pulling the ball in the air — he pulled 39 of his home runs, lots of of people appropriate down the line — and amplified his fly ball rate from 25.5% in 2019 to 36.7%.

Originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox out of the University of California, Semien returned to the Bay Place when the A’s obtained him in 2015. He famously struggled defensively early that period at shortstop, committing 24 glitches by the conclusion of June (he finished the time with 35 problems, the most in a year because 2000). Through function with A’s coach Ron Washington, even so, Semien grew to become an higher than-normal shortstop, finishing with in addition-17 defensive operates saved put together over the 2016-19 seasons.

He was even greater at 2nd base, leaving Semien interesting to teams in search of a participant at possibly up-the-center place, whilst he had stated his desire was to return to shortstop. Semien also comes with a higher status as a particular person and teammate, primary one particular insider to tell Olney, “I would put my head on the pillow each and every night time being aware of that the income I invested to signal him is heading to be really worth it.”

Gray is heading to Texas just after expending all seven of his massive league seasons with the Colorado Rockies, who drafted him third total out of Oklahoma in 2013. The 30-yr-old Grey is 53-49 with a 4.59 Era in 152 profession game titles. In 29 commences this earlier time, he was 8-12 with a 4.59 Period — the exact as his job mark — and had 157 strikeouts in 149 innings.

The 34-yr-aged Calhoun played for the Arizona Diamondbacks the earlier two seasons. He formerly performed in the AL West with the Los Angeles Angels from 2012 to 2019. In 1,071 career video games more than 10 seasons, Calhoun is a .248 hitter with 161 homers and 508 RBIs.

ESPN’s David Schoenfield and The Linked Press contributed to this report.