On Monday afternoon, the Texas Rangers added another candidate to their outfield mix. According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Rangers have signed outfielder Jake Marisnick to a non-roster contract. Coming into spring training, Marisnick will be competing for a roster spot alongside fellow outfielders Willie Calhoun, Adolis Garcia, Kole Calhoun, and Leody Taveras. Zach Reks and Eli White are in the conversation as well.
A Moment with Jake Marisnick
Jake Marisnick will turn 31 later this month. Last year was a down year for him as he slumped to a 78 wRC+. He did this over a span of 198 plate appearances with the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres. Over his nine-year career, he has spent most of his time in center field. He has proven himself to be a noteworthy defender. His skills with a glove have stood out a lot more than his skills at the plate. Marisnick has a career batting average of .228. He also has 61 home runs and 207 RBI to his credit.
He enters the 2022 campaign with a bit of uncertainty. As a non-roster invitee, Marisnick could possibly start the year in the minor leagues. The Texas Rangers have a deep pool of outfield options, so Marisnick is really going to have to impress in order to join the club going North come April. In this case, they’ll be going to the far North as they open the season against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre on April 7th.
A Decent Option
Even though the odds are stacked against him, Jake Marisnick still has a shot to crack the Texas Rangers’ roster. They saw enough value in him to sign him. Now it is just a question of where the former third-round draft pick (out of high school by the Blue Jays in 2009) will end up in the Rangers’ system.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Players Mentioned:
Jake Marisnick, Willie Calhoun, Adolis Garcia, Kole Calhoun, Leody Taveras. Zach Reks, Eli White
