On Friday afternoon, the long list of free agents to sign with the Texas Rangers got a little longer. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Rangers have come to terms on a minor league deal with free agent infielder Matt Carpenter. The 36-year old will come into spring camp hoping to win a roster spot with the Rangers. Carpenter had major league contract offers from several teams, but he chose the Rangers’ offer in order to play close to home. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas. Carpenter brings more versatility to the Texas Rangers. He can play first base, second base, and third base. Having as many infield options as the Rangers have is a problem that most managers can only dream of. For manager Chris Woodward, however, that dream has been a reality for the past several months.
Change of Scenery
Despite being a top-ten finisher in National League MVP voting in the past, Carpenter’s numbers have taken a slight decline lately. Overall, he’s slashed just .203/.325/.346 through his past 910 trips to the plate. Signing with the Texas Rangers presents Carpenter with an opportunity to bounce back. Perhaps a change of scenery will do him some good. The ten-year veteran has spent his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals. It will be very interesting to see how he adjusts to playing in the American League. Carpenter has taken several measures this offseason to revamp his swing. That should give him some confidence coming into spring training. He’ll be competing for a spot on the Texas Rangers’ infield alongside Sherten Apostel, Ezequiel Duran, Yonny Hernandez, Andy Ibanez, Nathaniel Lowe, Brad Miller, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Nick Solak.
Spring Ball
The Texas Rangers had their first spring training game of 2022 on Friday. They faced off against the Kansas City Royals. The game ended in a 5–5 tie. The fireworks came in the bottom of the third inning when Corey Seager blasted a three-run home run. Even though it ended in a tie, Texas Rangers fans had to be pleased with what they saw.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Players/Managers Mentioned:
Matt Carpenter, Chris Woodward, Sherten Apostel, Ezequiel Duran, Yonny Hernandez, Andy Ibanez, Nathaniel Lowe, Brad Miller, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Nick Solak
