Rangers Prospect Trade Bait?
The Texas Rangers report to Spring Training in just a couple of weeks, but some are already looking ahead to this summer’s trade deadline.
ESPN.com recently wrote a trade deadline preview, showcasing each team’s primary need and the player that could get it done.
The Rangers’ need was one that has been talked about since Texas acquired four starting pitchers this offseason. The Rangers still have a need for a capable left fielder.
ESPN believes that the best tradeable asset to fix that issue is one of their top prospects, infielder Justin Foscue. Per ESPN:
Foscue, a first-round pick in 2020, had a solid season at Double-A, but Marcus Semien has him blocked at second base. There are also several young starting pitchers on the way in Jack Leiter, Owen White and Kumar Rocker, but the Rangers view those as long-term answers even after bringing in Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney in the offseason.
Semien is signed for the next six seasons. Foscue ended last season as the Rangers’ No. 5 prospect, per ESPN.
He batted .288/.367/.483/.961 with 60 runs, 31 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs and 81 RBI. He played most of his games at second base, but he played a smattering of games at third base.
Foscue is unlikely to make it to the Rangers as a third baseman, as former first-round pick Josh Jung is considered to be the long-term solution there.
Right now, the Rangers could start Bubba Thompson, Josh Smith or even Ezequiel Duran in left field. Thompson ended the season as the starter while Smith made some starts there last summer. Duran played some outfield in the minors last season and in the Dominican League this winter. But Thompson is the only natural outfielder.
The Rangers committed nearly $100 million to starting pitching in 2023. Martin Pérez and Jon Gray are the only returning veterans. The Rangers traded Kolby Allard to Atlanta for Jake Odorizzi. Then the Rangers signed two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, along with Andrew Heaney and Texas native Nathan Eovaldi, who won a World Series ring with Boston.
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