The Texas Rangers have added a bit more depth at the first base position by agreeing to a deal with James Loney.
On Friday, it was reported that the Texas Rangers had agreed to a minor league deal with first baseman James Loney. The announcement came from Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports on Twitter.
Rangers sign James loney to minors deal. $1M if in majors.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 21, 2017
Once the everyday first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Loney has never been a huge power threat. However, he has been a good contact hitter and has also been very productive at times. For his career, Loney has hit a solid .284/.336/.410 (103 OPS+). He rarely strikes out as well, posting a lifetime K-rate of just 11.9 percent.
Way back in 2007, Loney hit .331/.381/.538 with 15 home runs and 67 RBI through 96 games with the Dodgers, earning a sixth place finish in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.
Loney recently had a solid three-year stint with the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting .291/.337/.393 (107 OPS+) between 2013-15. Loney was particularly productive during his first two seasons in Tampa Bay. His production dipped a bit during the 2015 season, and he was released the following April.
Loney was later signed to a minor league deal by the San Diego Padres. In May, he was acquired by the New York Mets to fill in for the injured Lucas Duda. In New York, Loney had a decent showing, hitting .265/.307/.397 (87 OPS+) with nine homers and 34 RBI.
With Prince Fielder being rendered medically unable to play last season, and the losses of Carlos Beltran and Mitch Moreland to free agency over the offseason, it will be interesting to see how the Rangers fill the DH and first base positions in 2017. At various points in the offseason, Mike Napoli, who has already had two different stints with the Rangers, has been rumored as a possible fit. Even after the signing of Loney, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reported that Napoli is still a possibility.
Mike Napoli is still in play for the Rangers
— TR Sullivan (@Sullivan_Ranger) January 21, 2017
As it stands right now, however, it appears that Loney will join a first base/DH mix that currently consists of Ryan Rua, the promising Joey Gallo, and once-highly-touted-prospect-turned-utility-man Jurickson Profar. The Rangers have recently signed old friend Josh Hamilton who may provide additional competition at the DH spot as well.
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Loney will turn 33 years old in May. If he makes the Rangers’ 25-man roster, perhaps the hitter-friendly Globe Life Park in Arlington could be a good fit for the left-handed hitter.