Marcus Semien Sales Pitch: Texas Rangers 'Good Place to Be'

If there’s ever a place to do some recruiting, it’s at the All-Star Game.

The scuttlebutt in Seattle has centered on Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who admits that sales pitches have been coming from players around baseball during this week’s festivities. Ohtani is set to be a free agent after the season.

Winning appears to be at the top of Ohtani’s wish list, and the Angels have yet to make the playoffs in his first five years with the club and entered the All-Star break with a losing record.

“I’ve never been a free agent before, so I’m not sure how that’s gonna be,” Ohtani told reporters in Seattle. “Like I said before, I’m focused on this season right now. I just want to do my best this year and try to get as many wins as possible.”

If winning is that important, would Ohtani consider the Texas Rangers? All-Star second baseman Marcus Semien said the Rangers have lots to offer free agents, not just Ohtani, even beyond success on the field.

The Rangers are in first place in the American League West and primed to break a six-year postseason drought. The franchise has a core of players that figure to be around for years to come, such as fellow All-Stars Corey Seager, Josh Jung, Jonah Heim, Adolis García and Nathan Eovaldi, and a solid farm system.

Management, from the owner’s box to the dugout, is also in place, according to Semien.

“A lot of my former teammates ask me how it is [with Texas], I tell them it’s great,” he said. “I was able to move my family out to Texas, too, so I think it’s very desirable for players who have families.

“We’re playing for Bruce Bochy who’s one of the best in the game. Our general manager played. I played against Chris Young, so he understand what we’re going through and where we’re headed. We have ownership aligned with wanting to win a championship, so it’s a good place to be right now.”

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