Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers are reportedly exploring multiple options with slugger Joey Gallo as the trade deadline approaches.

According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, the American League West team has "become more aggressive in discussing contract extension discussions with him and his representative Scott Boras."

However, the Rangers are also holding trade discussions regarding Gallo with teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays. Grant called Toronto "perhaps the Rangers' most favored potential trade partner."

Either option has its merits from Texas' perspective.

On the one hand, the team is in last place in the American League West at 35-63 and doesn't appear primed to compete for a World Series in the near future. Trading Gallo, who is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2023, could help facilitate a rebuild if the move netted a number of young players.

However, the Rangers could also look to build around Gallo considering he is just 27 years old and one of the best power hitters in the league.

He is slashing .226/.385/.492 with 24 home runs and 52 RBI in 92 games this season and isn't far removed from when he launched 41 and 40 home runs in back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018.

Those types of numbers could serve as the foundation of Texas' lineup when it is ready to compete in the coming years if it does re-sign Gallo. They are also surely enticing to contenders looking for a power boost at the trade deadline, so the Rangers could land quite the return package in a trade.

What they do with Gallo will be one of the biggest storylines in baseball prior to Friday's trade deadline.

Texas Rangers slugger Joey Gallo will likely be a top trade target ahead of the July 30 deadline, and the New York Yankees could be a potential destination. 

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees have "consistently had eyes for Gallo."

Opposing teams also expected the San Diego Padres to be interested in the right fielder, per Sherman. Padres general manager A.J. Preller was with the Rangers when they drafted Gallo in the first round in 2012.

Gallo is an obvious trade target as a high-achieving player on a struggling team.

The 27-year-old earned his second career All-Star selection this season while hitting 24 home runs with 52 RBI in 84 games. He makes up for his .239 batting average with a .402 on-base percentage that would be a career high for a full season.

With two seasons of 40 home runs and a Gold Glove award on his resume, Gallo would be a quality addition for a lot of teams. He also doesn't hit free agency until after the 2022 season.

It hasn't been enough to help the Rangers, who sit in last place in the AL West with a 35-55 record, but a trade could help restock the farm system for a rebuild.

The Yankees would love this type of addition to help an offense that has underachieved this season. The squad entered the All-Star break ranked 23rd in runs scored after finishing in the top five of the category in each of the last four years.

The left-handed Gallo would also add balance to a lineup led by right-handers Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez and DJ LeMahieu. 

San Diego could also use another power hitter in the lineup alongside Fernado Tatis Jr., who has 28 home runs. Manny Machado ranks second on the team with 15 homers.

The Padres are 53-40 going into the second half of the year, but they sit in third place in the NL West and six games out of first in arguably the toughest division in baseball.

Vanderbilt ace Jack Leiter parlayed his breakout college season into being selected No. 2 overall by the Texas Rangers in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft.

Pitching alongside fellow top prospect Kumar Rocker, Leiter was the most-talked-about player in college baseball this season. He was a well-regarded player coming into 2021 but only threw 15.2 innings in his first year at Vanderbilt last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo ranked the right-hander as the sixth-best draft-eligible player this year in his initial rankings in December.

After starting this season allowing just one earned run in his first seven starts, including a streak of 20 consecutive innings without allowing a hit, Leiter put himself squarely in the mix with Rocker and Texas high school shortstop Jordan Lawlar to go No. 1 overall.

In MLB.com's final draft rankings, the 21-year-old was the top prospect in this class:

"Leiter usually works at 90-95 mph and tops out at 97 with his fastball, which plays like an elite pitch because of its riding life and outstanding metrics, such as its induced vertical break. He gets an exceptional amount of swings and misses in the strike zone with his heater. He also has a 12-to-6 curveball in the upper 70s that he can both land for strikes or get hitters to chase, and his feel for spin also translates into a low-80s slider that some evaluators think has more upside than his curve."

Leiter was the most dominant pitcher in college baseball this season. He had a 2.13 ERA with 48 hits allowed, 45 walks and 179 strikeouts in 110 innings. The 21-year-old allowed more than three hits in just four of his 18 starts.

As the Rangers continue to rebuild their farm system, the addition of Leiter gives them a potential frontline starting pitcher to build around.

Their recent track record of developing starting pitchers has been a problem, even when they were making the playoffs in 2015 and 2016. Martin Perez was a disappointment before leaving as a free agent after the 2018 season. Yu Darvish was great for them, but he was already developed as a pitcher during his time in Japan.

However, Leiter's track record and pedigree as one of the nation's best pitchers at one of the best baseball schools in the country is an encouraging sign for the Rangers. He likely won't need a lot of time in the minors before being called up to anchor their starting rotation.

The New York Yankees are in need of a boost for an injured outfield, and they may have found their target in Delino DeShields Jr., according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. 

DeShields, the No. 8 overall pick by the Houston Astros in 2010, is currently playing in the Texas Rangers' organization, having started the year slashing .412/.500/.706 in 40 plate appearances for the team's Triple-A club. 

After a slow start, the Yankees have climbed up to third in the AL East at 25-19, but their depth in the outfield is dwindling. Aaron Hicks, Ryan LaMarre and Giancarlo Stanton are on the injured list, and as Rosenthal noted, left fielder Clint Frazier has been nursing a stiff neck. 

DeShields is in his second stint with the Rangers, having made his MLB debut with the organization in 2015. A regular contributor through five years with the organization—appearing in at least 118 games in three of those seasons—DeShields had a quieter campaign with Cleveland after he was traded to the team for the 2020 season.

He tested positive for COVID-19 in July and only appeared in 37 games for Cleveland, hitting .252 with seven RBI but no home runs. The club didn't offer him a new deal at the conclusion of the season. 

The 28-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Rangers in February and was invited to spring training, with the Rangers electing to pack the outfield with Joey Gallo, David Dahl and Adolis Garcia. 

He is the son of former MLB journeyman Delino DeShields, who played from 1990-2002 and appeared for five different teams within that span, and the brother of Chicago Sky guard Diamond DeShields. 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced he will not throw out the first pitch in the Texas Rangers' home opener Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays:

His decision comes in response to Major League Baseball deciding to move its 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta following Georgia's new voting rights law.

The Election Integrity Act of 2021 created sweeping changes to the voting process in Georgia, but civil rights groups have argued the new law creates restrictions on voting access, especially for people of color.

Abbott said MLB adopted a "false narrative" about the new law.

The governor's statement also noted the state "will not seek to host the All-Star Game or any other MLB special events."

This could be noteworthy as MLB seeks a replacement destination for the 2021 All-Star Game as well as locations for the event in 2023-25. Globe Life Field would likely have been a candidate as a new stadium; it opened in 2020.

The Rangers' home served as the neutral-field location for the 2020 World Series to help MLB complete the postseason in a bubble format.

The Arlington venue could have also been a candidate to host the World Baseball Classic thanks in part to its warm-weather location during the offseason event, which includes MLB involvement. The 2021 edition was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Joe Biden expressed reservations about the Texas Rangers' plans to allow a capacity crowd for their home opener April 5 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

"That's the decision they made," Biden said during an interview with ESPN's Sage Steele. "I think it's a mistake. They should listen to Dr. Fauci and the scientists and the experts. I think it's not responsible."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced March 2 he was lifting the state's mask mandate and allowing businesses to remove any restrictions on capacity.

The Rangers are taking full advantage, at least for their first game. Remaining games at Globe Life Park across April and May will have "distanced seating" and thus a reduced attendance.

While COVID-19 vaccinations are rising across the country, some are wondering whether it's appropriate to stage such a large public event. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned of an incoming fourth wave of COVID-19 cases.

The New York Daily News' Bradford William Davis also spoke to Rangers employees who are concerned about how fans will adhere to masking requirements inside the stadium:

"'They're not going to just take this rolling over,' the stadium staffer said of Rangers fans. '"Oh, well, the governor said we could do this,"' the staffer said, already preparing herself for the conflicts they'll face at their job. 'Well, you know, the organization still has rules. Major League Baseball still has rules in play. Like, you can't do whatever you want.'"

One front-office worker told Davis the Rangers "at every turn ... prove that they were more interested in finding ways for the club to make money, rather than protecting the interests of their employees there."

While the Rangers are the only MLB team welcoming a full house, UFC already sold 15,000 tickets for UFC 261 on April 24 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also told reporters he's expecting to have stadiums fully open for the 2021 season.

The Texas Rangers plan to fill Globe Life Field to 100 percent capacity on Opening Day of the 2021 MLB season.

According to MLB.com's Kennedi Landry, the Rangers' 2021 home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 5 will feature a full ballpark provided tickets sell out. After that, the Rangers will have a slightly reduced capacity with "social distancing pods" for the remainder of April and May.

No teams were permitted to have any fans in attendance last season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Globe Life Field opened last season in Arlington, Texas, and played host to the MLB games with no fans in attendance. It also served as part of the playoff bubble, hosting one of the National League Division Series matchups, as well as the National League Championship Series and World Series.

A limited number of fans were allowed to attend the NLCS and World Series, but the Rangers have yet to play in front of their home fans. Globe Life Field has a capacity of 40,300 fans.

The door is open for Globe Life Field to be filled to capacity on the heels of Gov. Greg Abbott opening the state back up and lifting the mask mandate.

The Rangers are coming off a rough season, as they had the worst record in the American League in 2020 at 22-38. Texas hasn't reached the playoffs since 2016, and it hasn't recorded more than 78 wins in a season since then either.

The Rangers aren't expected to be a playoff contender in 2021, especially after trading away starting pitcher Mike Minor last season and fellow starter Lance Lynn this offseason.

Texas has a lack of proven options in its rotation, plus a highly questionable lineup outside of Joey Gallo, Rougned Odor and the recently acquired Khris Davis.

The Rangers could be an exciting team since they have the power to score some runs and poor enough pitching to allow plenty of runs as well, but they don't figure to win more games than they lose.

Regardless, there should be plenty of interest among Rangers fans in attending Opening Day after going an entire year without being able to see their team in person.

Free-agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is reportedly going back to Korea to continue his career.

On Monday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News and Dan Kurtz reported Choo will sign with the team most recently known as SK Wyverns for an annual salary of approximately $2.4 million. The team will reportedly change names after Shinsegae Group bought the club from SK Group.

The 38-year-old spent the last seven seasons with the Texas Rangers while playing out a $130 million contract. He made his lone All-Star team with the club in 2018 but largely failed to live up to the billing of his massive deal.

The 2020 season saw Choo miss nearly half the COVID-19-shortened season due to injury, and he struggled when he was in the lineup, hitting .236/.323/.400 with five home runs and 15 runs batted in.

However, the South Korean does not want the 2020 season to be his last and is hoping for at least one more full season before retiring. 

Elvis Andrus purchased a full-page ad in Sunday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram to thank Texas Rangers fans after the career-long shortstop was traded to the Oakland Athletics. 

Here is the full text of the ad, per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: 

"Thank you for supporting me through 12 remarkable years playing the game I love.

"Thank you for cheering me on. I hope the smile on my face showed you how much I love the game and this organization.

"Thank you for letting me be me. I made my Big League debut as a wide-eyed (and wide-smiled) kid in 2009, and I grew up in front of you. You treated me as your own, and for that, I am forever grateful.

"Thank you to the Rangers organization for the opportunity to realize my dreams and showing me the value of teamwork.

"Thank you to every one of the guys I stepped on that field with over the last 12 years. You showed me what it's like to be a family. To have each other's back. Always. I will never forget that, and promise to pay it forward.

"Thank you to the Rangers staff, who made it possible to do my job every day at the highest level. I know it can be a thankless job at times, but I want you to know you are appreciated.

"Thank you to the A's organization for taking a chance on me. I'm ready to show I've got plenty left in the tank.

"And finally, thank you to the kids. Even before I became a father myself, I have been passionate about helping children. Whether it was a hospital visit at Christmas or hosting a Special Olympics group at the ballpark, I live for those experiences. YOU inspire me.

"Thank you, Rangers family. You will always hold a special place—and a big smile—in my heart."

The Rangers received Khris Davis, Jonah Heim and Dane Acker in exchange for Andrus. 

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, Andrus hit a career-low .194 with seven RBI and three home runs through 29 appearances, and he posted a .969 fielding percentage that ranks third-lowest in his career in a season that saw him limited because of injury. 

According to ESPN, the Rangers said in December that Andrus would no longer be the team's starting shortstop. He was the only player on the roster that was on the team when they went to the World Series in 2010 and 2011. 

Per Wilson, the Rangers used an advertisement of their own to recognize the contributions of Andrus, who made his major league debut with the Rangers in 2009 and earned two All-Star selections throughout 12 years with the Rangers.

"You were a first-class teammate who helped power our most successful seasons," the Rangers' ad read. "That pure joy of yours lit up every clubhouse you entered, and brought smiles to every person you met."

Former Texas Rangers pitcher Tyler Wagner revealed Thursday that then-teammate Tim Lincecum bet him $1,000 in 2018 that he wouldn't drink a jug of Italian dressing before a game.

Wagner took to Instagram to post photos of the bet in progress and included the following caption:

  "Throwback Thursday story edition. In 2018 Tim Lincecum bet me $1,000 I wouldn’t drink the whole container of Italian dressing before the game. Swipe to see if I did it.

The accompanying photos show Wagner drinking the dressing and then celebrating. The last photo is a check from Lincecum to Wagner for a total of $1,250.

Per TMZ Sports, Wagner said Lincecum threw in an extra $250 because "it was rough to watch."

Wagner, now 29, pitched in the Rangers minor league system that season. He appeared in Major League games for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015 and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2016, going 1-2 with a 4.94 ERA in six appearances, including three starts.

Most recently, Wagner pitched for Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League in 2018-19.

Lincecum is the better-known part of the equation, as he enjoyed a 10-year MLB career, primarily with the San Francisco Giants.

Known for his funky delivery, Lincecum was named an All-Star in four straight seasons from 2008-11 and won the National League Cy Young Award in both 2008 and 2009. He also helped lead the Giants to three World Series titles.

After nine years with the Giants, Lincecum spent 2016 with the Los Angeles Angels. He sat out the 2017 season and tried to make the Rangers' roster in 2018, but he fell short of his goal and spent some time in the minors before essentially retiring.

Lincecum, who is now 36, went 110-89 with a 3.74 ERA in 278 career MLB regular-season games, including 270 starts.

He earned over $105 million during his career, per Spotrac, so losing the bet to Wagner didn't put much of a dent in Lincecum's wallet.