The Texas Rangers are talking of a reunion. A little over seven months after Michael Young was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, the Rangers' need for a bat has led the team to gain interest in reacquiring the former face of the franchise. Why do the Rangers need hitters and who else is on their radar? Let's take a glance.
Young has entered the Rangers' radar because their designated hitter, Lance Berkman may miss the rest of the season. In 95 games this season, Young is hitting .278 with seven home runs and 31 RBI. He's playing in the National League, meaning he is putting his 36-year-old body on the field every day. Young won't bring pop to the lineup, but any team can use a veteran of his caliber in their clubhouse, especially as the Rangers are attempting to regain the A.L. West.
Is Young the best option? No, but he will probably be the most inexpensive option on the market. The Rangers are currently trying to find a replacement in right field as Nelson Cruz face a potential suspension for his involvement with the Biogenesis scandal and PEDs.
MLB Trade Rumors reports that the Rangers are interested in guys like Alex Rios, Hunter Pence and Kendrys Morales. What do they have in common, as the Rangers are seemingly treating Cruz the way the New York Yankees are treating Alex Rodriguez? They are right-handed hitters with experience playing right field.
Morales has produced the best numbers of the trio, while Pence and Rios are more versatile. However, Morales is more of a designated hitter as his career bares resemblance to that of fellow designated hitters around the league, as the number of games he has played on the field has diminished. Morales has played the field in only 28 games this season. However, he is an offensive threat and has 15 home runs, 57 RBI and a triple slash of .279/.339/.463. Pence has produced very similar numbers, but he brings another element that Morales does not have: speed. He's hitting .278/.320/.458 with 14 home runs, 51 RBI and 14 stolen bases. Rios, is the only one of the three players who will not become a free agent in 2014. He has hit 12 home runs with 49 RBI with a triple slash of .276/.330/.437 and 21 stolen bases.
You would not consider these guys as true threats in a lineup the way Cruz scares pitchers when he's hot. Pence has Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval in San Francisco, while Morales has Raul Ibanez in Seattle as true power threats in the line up.
The Rangers already made noise after acquiring Matt Garza from the Chicago Cubs, but Texas is seeking more bats. Collectively, they are fifth in baseball with 117 home runs, 10th in hitting with a .260 batting average, but could improve on their 407 RBI, which ranks them 13th in baseball.
