The Rangers made the first major strike of the offseason shortstop market, agreeing with Marcus Semien on a seven-year, $175MM contract. According to The Athletic’s Levi Weaver, Semien will earn $25MM in 2022, $26MM in each of the 2023-27 seasons, and then $20MM in 2028. Semien is represented by the Boras Corporation.
“Marcus’ reputation around the game is impeccable. He’s a leader in every clubhouse he steps into, respected for the way he goes about his work and how he treats others,” Rangers President of Baseball Operations Jon Daniels said in a press release officially announcing the signing. “There are few players in the game who garner the level of respect that he does from teammates and opponents alike. We’re thrilled to add a player of his caliber to the organization.”
There were indications that Semien was one of the free agents looking to get his next contract finalized prior to the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement on December 1, as a lockout and transactions freeze are widely expected to follow. The Rangers were also known to be one of the more aggressive teams of the offseason, with money to spent and a direct interest in the shortstop market.
With these factors in mind, a deal between the two sides doesn’t necessarily count as a surprise, but the sheer size of the contract is a little eye-opening. MLBTR projected Semien for six years and $138MM, as though Semien is already 31 years old, he has been a very durable player throughout his career and isn’t necessarily as much of a decline risk as other players his age. Needless to say, the Rangers agreed, giving Semien the biggest contract of any free agent to date this winter. With Semien now locking in $175MM, the asking price will probably only go up for Carlos Correa (age 27), Corey Seager (28 in April), Trevor Story (who just turned 29) and Javier Baez (who turns 29 on December 1).
It also isn’t out of the question that one of these other shortstops might still end up joining forces with Semien in the Texas infield, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan reporting that Story is still under consideration. Theoretically, a scenario exists where Story signs to play shortstop, while Semien moves to second base, as he did last year with the Blue Jays alongside shortstop Bo Bichette.
If another shortstop isn’t added, Semien might conceivably still remain at second base, since Rangers incumbent Isiah Kiner-Falefa is a fine defensive shortstop in his own right. Kiner-Falefa would likely be a defensive standout anywhere he plays around the infield, however, so Texas could opt to put IKF at second or third base, and install Semien back in his former shortstop position.
The seven-year contract represents quite a turn of events for Semien, who struggled through the first six weeks of the shortened 2020 season, thus limiting his value heading into free agency last winter. Semien opted to sign a one-year deal with the Jays in order to re-establish his market, and the result was a third-place finish in AL MVP voting. Semien hit .265/.334/.538 with 45 homers during his spectacular year, appearing in all 162 games and leading the league with 724 plate appearances. In addition to Silver Slugger honors, Semien also won a Gold Glove in his first year as a second baseman since 2014.
The Rangers were very familiar with Semien from his days with the Athletics, and the infielder now returns to the AL West as the veteran face of a new era of Texas baseball. After five straight losing seasons, both president of baseball operations Jon Daniels and GM Chris Young indicated that the club was willing to spend some serious money to return to contention. The Rangers have so little on the books in future salary commitments that multiple signings seemed likely, and if the team is indeed prepared to add up to $100MM in payroll this winter alone, Semien’s $25MM average annual value represents only the first quarter of Texas’ potential outlay.
As Rome wasn’t built in a day, turning the 102-loss Rangers into an immediate contender will be a tall order, even if Texas does spend $100MM+. Both the AL West and the American League as a whole figure to be competitive in 2022, so the Rangers will need quite a bit more than just Semien to even get back above the .500 mark. The seven-year commitment, however, is a sign that the Rangers are clearly in this for the long haul, and Semien is the type of “signpost” free agent signing (i.e. Jayson Werth signing with the Nationals in December 2010, or Hyun Jin Ryu signing with the Blue Jays two offseasons ago) that announces a team is ready to turn the corner. Semien’s reputation as a strong clubhouse leader will also help for mentorship purposes with the Rangers’ younger players, and potentially attract other players to Arlington.
Because Semien rejected Toronto’s qualifying offer, the Rangers will have to give up $500K in international spending pool money, as well as their second-highest pick in the 2022 draft. The latter is a pretty significant concession, as the Rangers’ second-highest selection is the third pick of the second round. Since signing another QO-rejecting free agent would cost Texas its next highest pick (the third choice of the third round), it remains to be seen if the Rangers will now target free agents who aren’t attached to draft pick compensation. Of the other shortstops, Baez is the only one who didn’t turn down a qualifying offer, as Baez wasn’t eligible due to his midseason trade to the Mets.
As well, the Blue Jays will get draft pick compensation for Semien’s departure, as the Jays will now get an extra pick between Competitive Balance Round B and the start of the third round. The Blue Jays had interest in re-signing Semien themselves, but will now take the draft pick as a reward for their bet on Semien one year ago.
With Bichette established at shortstop, it remains to be seen if any of Correa, Seager, Story, or Baez could factor into Toronto’s plans, though most of the Jays-related news this winter has been related to their search for pitching, rather than any shortstops apart from Semien. With a Santiago Espinal/Cavan Biggio platoon penciled in for second base or third base, the Jays have some flexibility in what type of infielder they can pursue as a Semien replacement, or whether that new player comes via free agency or trade. There is no easy way to truly replace Semien’s production, of course, so a substantial addition be required to try and fill the big hole that Semien leaves in Toronto’s lineup.
FanSided’s Robert Murray (Twitter link) was the first to report that the two sides were close to a deal, with MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link) reporting the contract length, the fact that the deal had been reached, and the dollar figure. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale also adds that the deal doesn’t contain any opt-out clauses or no-trade protection.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
7 years??? oh my
Happy the White Sox stayed away from that bad contract.
Yeah this deal will age poorly. Good for Marcus tho
Not that I ever bought into the reports and predictions of him signing with the Red Sox, but I’m glad they didn’t give him that contract. Taylor would be a better option for them.
“This will age poorly” very tired of this comment on every single contract over 2 years
Every time a team signs a player to a big contract the Trolls come out.
They seem to not want other teams fans to enjoy the moment. Enjoy the moment. Fans deserve to feel good about big money signings.
It will either work out or not, but Ranger fans should feel good their team is spending money.
He’s 31. It’s safe to say that Marcus will not be playing at an elite level at age 38, let alone be worth $25m. See Albert Pujols at 1B.
Thank You !!! So correct let them suffer !
The PED era is over. Position players age poorly.
I am a Jays fan I didn’t want him back at that ridiculous price. The Springer contract is bad enough (just 78 games in 2021).
The PED era is over. Position players age poorly.
Well, these contracts do seem to age poorly 99% of the time.
Yes. Thank you.
Halo, Good thing you’re here to call out people who are thinking about their team in three years not being able to sign solid players because they have a $100 million anchor on their roster. They need to know some random on the internet is telling them they’re a troll for having an inking of business sense.
You’re the guy who has a child about to go to college and goes out to buy a new Porsche because it makes you feel good.
Money says you will love Springer this coming year.
It is more than many expected. Happiest person outside of MS has to be Baez. I preferred MS and would now look to see how fast Mayer will develop. For the money, I’d prefer Boston rewards Bogaerts, re-inked and moves him to second or third in 23 if Mayer is the stud most say he is. Keep who you know shines under the Fenway microscope.
There are “fans” as White Sox’s who say are “happy” their favorite team didn’t sign “X” player. If they would had sign him, they would be argueing in favor of it. They can’t stand that first tear FA’s don’t want to play for such teams like WSox.
Looks like Correa going to Sox with TA#7 move to 2B.
Citation needed
No wake up WSox aren’t signing anyone to 100mil deal
Maybe not $100Mil per year…
I bet you wished the Chisox stayed away from Keuchel and Grandal too, lol.
Nah mate, Gold glove/platinum glove shortstops don’t move to second base at age 27
Silver slugger and All Star…
but no gold glove for TA#7 (yet)!!
@ChiSox_Fan:
From your mouth to God’s ears! I’d also settle on Corey Seager who might be a tad cheaper, comes with a left-handed bat that balances out their lineup better and who also doesn’t come with the baggage of a cheating scandal like Carlos Correa.
White Sox fans might also recall rumors surrounding their team’s interest in Trevor Story ahead of last summer’s trade deadline. Signing him this offseason might be less problematic in regards to who plays SS and 2B between him and Tim Anderson in 2022 and beyond.
The other remaining free agent option would be Javier Baez who actually has the most MLB experience at 2B among this group of All-Star shortstops. Baez also joins Correa and Seager as a World Series champ. Baez ring came in 2016 as the Cubs primary 2B. Addison Russell was the Cubs regular SS that season.
If all else fails on the FA front, the White Sox should direct their attention towards Arizona and 28-year old Ketel Marte who can fill the White Sox hole at 2B or in RF, preferably at the keystone. Marte also comes with 3 more years of cheap team control which will cost the White Sox dearly in terms of young talent. They lack the prospect capital of most any other contender but do have some ‘surplus’ pre-arb MLB talent in Andrew Vaughn, Garret Crochet and Gavin Sheets that should perk the Diamondbacks interest in a potential trade.
Uh-uh, way too much talent. No way should the Sox even think of giving up that much in a trade for Marte. They’re thin as it is in starters.
No thank you to Correa!
The White Sox will have a roster crunch with their surplus of 1B/DH and OF corners, especially if they hang on to Jose Abreu following the 2022 season. They will have a hard time allocating sufficient playing time or find enough PA’s for the likes of young MLB players Eloy Jimenez, Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets who profile best defensively either in LF, at 1B or in the DH role. Jake Burger is another who is MLB ready with the bat but less so with a clear defensive position. Add in Abreu beyond 2022 and there is a lot of clutter that might be best used to land a middle infielder or future catcher where the White Sox lack sufficient system depth.
I have more faith in the White Sox ability to find their core RF from among near ready prospects like Micker Adolfo and Yoelqui Cespedes, to say nothing of Oscar Colas who will be a fast track candidate once he is able to sign when the next international period begins, hopefully this January pending an owner lockout. I can see the White Sox rolling with some combination of Adam Engel, Gavin Sheets or Andrew Vaughn in RF for 2022. I can also envision them dealing from among their ‘surplus’ to land a talent like Ketel Marte who could fill their 2B or RF hole.
My preference would be for the White Sox to pony-up and land one of the remaining elite free agent shortstops to pair with incumbent All-Star Tim Anderson and then figure out who is best suited to play SS and 2B. Marte would be plan ‘B’. I’m less concerned with RF where the team can mix-and match internally OR acquire a ‘shorter’ term and less expensive lefty FA bat from among Michael Conforto, Joc Pederson, or perhaps even Kyle Schwarber who can each offer a strong side platoon option with Engel.
Yeah, of course he will….LMAO..
Schwarber? Weren’t WSox fans killing him when he was at Chicago’s North side? This fan Aaronwhatever has accepted the fact that the WSox HAVE to develop their own players either to play them or trade them, since every year is the same. Always daydreaming,about great signings, but only that, no free agents wants to play for them.
Sox signing Correa less likely than the Bears winning a superbowl next year.
Too long. They should have given him higher AAV on a shorter deal. 5/150 makes more sense. This contract is more fitting for a younger player like Trevor Story. Correa and Seager will blow this out of the water but Baez should get less. Someone will probably give Baez stupid money and pay him like this though.
Derek Jeter overpaid an infielder. What a surprise.
What?
Psst…think you have the wrong team in mind…
No just the wrong thread. I thought I was commenting on the Garcia story smh
First, Avi is not an infielder, so you still seem to be confused. Second, four years at $53 million for Avi is not an overpay lol. Have you been napping for twenty years?
Agreed!!!!
The White Sox and 28 other teams are happy without that contract
And now they are saying something about getting Schwarber, after all the BS they talked when he was a Cub. Very hard to believe. Sometimes I have to admire their courage to write comments like those.
This worked out great for the Blue Jays and Semien, but for Chris Young and the Rangers, we get 7 years to find out.
39 year old Semien is grinning big right now.
31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37.
His last season will be at age 37.
But yes, of course he will be smiling at 39. He’s set for life. Probably won’t be with the Rangers at age 39 though.. or age 38… or age 37 if that 7th year is an option year.
He’ll turn 38 in his last year, so only off by one, but I’m glad I was corrected by the official ArmChairGM
Trade him to whatever team Brodie van Waganen is consulting for ….. lol
Hey you can do math! That made me smile, Chipper Jones should have been a better dad obviously maybe if he wasn’t making millions playing ball, oh well poor kid will learn someday. We all know common core doesn’t teach math!
Bad team making a bad decision signing a old player to a bad long term deal. Of course most ranger fans will be happy now and will be making mock trade ideas 3 years from now. If we attach Semien to one of our best prospects will anyone take him. Clogging up all the mlbtr chats. Nope you’re stuck with him remember you were excited the team made a stupid signing in the winter of 2021.
Arte Moreno is jealous
iverbure – so, when did 31 become old? Most people consider that a player’s prime.
Most people are wrong. 31 is when decline begins. Fans definitely have misconceptions about this. 31 is old for baseball.
cosmo2 – If players begin to decline at 31, that’s still considered their prime by definition because that would be their peak. I’m not a fan of generalizations because everyone has a different durability. For example, look at Pujols and Beltre in their 30s. Completely different trajectories. I’m not saying you’re wrong, I just don’t like generalizations because every player is different.
Your interpreting wrong. 31 is usually the first year PAST their peak and the drop off is often severe. Actual peak may be like 27 but players are often good up to 29-30.
He has a 1.213 OPS career in that park lol
A’sfaninUK – “He has a 1.213 OPS career in that park…”
Wow… that is smokin’ hot. But 46 PA is a SSS & he won’t get to face Texas pitching, so there’s that. Still… 1.213 is really good.
Too small a sample to glean anything out of. 4 HRs in 41 ABs is unsustainable.
What’s his batting average against Lefties on Tuesdays who are over 230lbs and have birthdays in March?
Well actually it tells you he prob sees the ball well there and is confident there, so it’s not irrelevant
No, that’s too much to read into it. Plenty of guys, who weren’t good hitters, have hit well over 46 PAs. The pitchers he faced at the time are probably the biggest factor in a sample that small. But whatever the reason, despite him being a good hitter, he is not going to maintain those kind of numbers.
when you say “4 HRs in 41 ABs is unsustainable”, but someone had a 16 year career hitting 4 every 42.5…. and 4 people had 22 year careers hitting 4 every 57 or less, and three of those are Hall of Famers, and there’s an active player who’s doing better than that mark…
Yes, 7 years is way too long for the 31 year old Marcus Semien. Seager probably gets 8 or 9 years now, and Correa might get over 10. Baez will get 7 years or more. The free agent market just went up.
Holy smokes definitely was not expecting that
Wow 7 yrs good for him
Excellent deal for Semien. He will be a good influence on the team and hopefully earn most of the money he’s owed over the next 7 yrs.
Horrible signing . I hate being a rangers fan
Lol literally signed one of the best 2nd Basemen/Shortstop in the market right now to a long deal but sure, horrible signing I guess
Right, but 7 years is a lot.
Yeah I figured 5-130 so this is a win for semien
Yes, exciting for now, but 7 most definitely IS a lot. Not where I expected Semien to land. Good for him! Boras strikes again.
Ridiculous contract.
I just love watching Scott Boras work. He always finds the most desperate owners and FO heads – it’s a gift.
Then again, the teams I follow closest are smart enough to trade any of his clients on their roster once they’re even approaching FA.
@padre 7 years is horrible , don’t care what you say
7 years is not horrible. People are already jumping on it without even seeing how the deal is structured.
Semien can play SS until he ages off of it and then you slide him over to 2B. He can be DH’ed some if needed. Most importantly he’ll bring some important leadership to that club. If I was a Rangers fan I’d be happy.
Si, see Jason Heyward!!
There are teams willing to pay long contracts, expecting four or five productive seasons, at least.
Seven years is the issue.
They will be paying it off like ARod. But no one will help them this time
31 year old on a 7 year deal is most likely bad. Especially when the team signing him is not close to contending.
Robbie Cano, dontcha know.
Most bad signings are good players at the time…. Nobody is handing out big contracts to bad players. Your comment makes no sense
Well that sucks
7/175 wont look so bad compared to the 10/320-11/340 deals for Seager or Correa.
Except those will be signed by teams able to use those players’ prime years to compete for something. Even optimistically Semien will be 34-35 by the time the Rangers’ kids are ready.
I don’t think so. The Rangers have one of the better 3B prospects in baseball next year and a bunch of young pitching coming up. They think the team will be competitive by 2023. I have doubts but I also don’t evaluate prospects for a living.
Nah I think the season after next is a realistic goal for a potential return to playoff contention.
Your nuts .you don’t know what rest of off season and our minor league system is full if studs now
The rangers will be very competitive within 2 years.
Studs is a stretch. We are deep in pitching with a few future regular position guys and one very good player are probably more like it.
You aren’t looking at frisco and a ball teams those teams are full of stud players especially from gallo trade
We are deep, but there are only a few 50FV guys (Duran and Jung). Tons of interesting 45FV guys though. It just means that we are deep but no clear standout can’t miss propects, there are no Wander Franco’s here haha.
So did you see who signed seager? Lmao
@Tcsbaseball. What you have seen is the price of doing business. They didn’t just pull a number of years out of the gas they just passed. That is what they had to do to get their guy because OTHER teams were bidding on him as well.
The other option was to pick up zero difference makers and see little to know change in the team because it won’t be different with other difference makers. Just look at what the Tigers had to do to sign Rodriguez.
Yes there will ALMOST certainly be steep regression by the time Semien is in his mid to late 30’s but that is part of the cost of a rebuilding team trying to emerge and land a real difference maker.
Exactly, Salary Cap.
Agreed.. I think teams give big contracts hoping for prime production the first few years and then expecting regression the last few… part of the package when it comes to upper tier free agency
Seattle dropped the ball on this one.
Why would you want Semien in his age 36-37 seasons? Should be glad Mariners didn’t go that far
You could just trade him to the Mets for their 6th overall pick
Too soon man
Beautiful!
I was wondering how long it would take for someone to make an irrelevant Mets comment.
at 5 years? maybe. At 7 years? No chance.
Is there a thumbs down? Seattle dodged a bullet not going 7 years. Now get Bryant, Gausman, Stroman, and Seiya Suzuki.
I’d be cool with Bryant and Stroman.
@dogham. There used to be a thumbs down option on this site long ago. Too many people got their feelings hurt and complained so it was removed.
Hmmmmm no on Gausman Suzuki going to rangers so thats 2 no s good luck with others
They really did not.
Still Bryant and Story out there, I don’t think they’re sweating this too much. Everyone expected the Rangers to sign somebody.
Bryant is licking his chops after the Semien deal. Story…. idk. Many teams are skeptical of his inflated home field numbers. If anyone ever needed a bridge contract, its Story.
Not at 7 years they didn’t! You’re going to get maybe 3-5 good years and then you’re paying Grandpa! Now I like the Frazier trade even more!
Enjoy that 87mph avg exit velocity of Frazier while Semien jacks 40 on a last place team.
Semian was way too expensive and too many years. M’s went with a short term Adam Frazier @ 2nd. Decent option. They are committed to JP at ss. Crawford looks to be better defensively at ss compared to Siemian. Not sure about Toro fulltime at 3b though. Toro likely better as a high use utility guy. Glad Dipoto passed on offering more for Marcus.
Remember Mr Cano’s Seattle deal. Seattle came to their senses before they did something they may come to regret 4 years from Now.
More like they dodged a bullet!
Seven years….yeah hard pass here
Still Bryant and Story out there, I don’t think they’re sweating this too much. Everyone expected the Rangers to sign somebody.
(Dang it, reply fail, this was supposed to be for the one above)
Can you really say it’s bad until you see the dollar amounts? Extending the length of contracts can served to reduce the AAV and/or function as a backdoor deferral provision. If the contract is front loaded, its the former. If it is even or backloaded, it’s the latter or possibly both.
$25m AAV. That’s … a massive win for Semien. Wow. Correa and Seager (even Story) just popped the cork on some nice Dom Perrignon.
Shimmer me timbers. Ahahahaha!
It’s scissor me timbers
Shiver
Skivvy
Scissor me timbers is something else entirely and it’s not exactly family friendly
I saw scissors on skinemax.
7 years. Wow. So age 31 through 37 and all post-prime years
People said the same when we signed Beltre… Of course everyone is going to speculate, but the bottom line is they got a guy. We’ll see how it ages.
Wow. Big move.
7yrs just to pry him away from another team.. Texas did those teams a favor.. that contract won’t age well
Agree with you 100%
Just like Belpre 7 year deal didn’t age well either.yeah right
I guess they didn’t learn anything from the ARod deal. In 2-3 years Texas will be paying 1/2 his salary to play somewhere else
The A-Rod deal got them the best player in baseball. It was the Chan Ho Park and other contracts that were the problem.
It also landed A-Rod the best steroids in the game.
Haha! They may have had the best player in the game (*), but that is all they had. They couldn’t afford any other talent. He was about 25% of their payroll for the whole 3 years (on a ten year contract, LOL). They averaged 72 whole wins the three whole years they had him.
5 years/$65M for an awful Park hamstrung the Rangers much more than $25.2M per year for A-Rod.
Ah but that is not the case here. This puts us at like $75 million in payroll? Tis nothing for a mid market team that can easily handle a $150 million payroll.
With inflation (especially baseball’s inflation rate), $25M/yr now is not nearly as significant as $25.2M/yr was in 2001.
But did that 65M hurt more than the 67M the Rangers paid for A Rod to ay for the Spankees?
Maybe in 5 years Semien can be traded to the Cubbies for Heyward after Heyward signs his 10 year extension!
The majority of his value is going to come in the next 2-3 years when the Rangers won’t be competitive.
Hopefully they frontloaded this somewhat into those first 3 years so they can afford additional help on the backend of the contract when he starts dropping off.
If they’re paying $25M a year across the board that is going to be tough in his age 35+ seasons.
Exactly what I thought when I saw it. I could see a contender going 7 years figuring by years 5/6/7 they will be out of contention and hopefully he’ll have given the fans good memories in years 1-4. But for the Rangers, years 5-7 are when they might be contending. Maybe.
If it takes 5-7 years then the Rangers will have screwed up on a bunch of pretty good prospects. Winn, Leiter, Jung, Foscue and Huff should all be ready in the next 2ish years. I wouldn’t put it past us to mess this up but 5-7 is not what the Texas brass is thinking.
Young players tend to have an adjustment period. If you’re thinking they’ll be up in 2 years, you’re probably looking at 3-4 before the ones that succeed reach that success.
I was allowing for that some. Jung may even break camp as the 3B this year.
Knowing the way Boras structures deals, i’m guessing there is definitely deferred money. And that might cut down on the current crying of Rangers fans poo-pooing the signing one of the best players in baseball in 2021.
Heyman has been on fire this year
Heyman is Boras lap dog. The boss lets him break a signing or two in return.
This. Every piece of accurate info Heyman gets comes from Boras Corp. It’s like the sun rising in the East.
Good for him. Glad he went out of the division.
Now the Jays sign Correa
We can only hope lol
At least Semien stays on the field.
Makes not much sense but, good job Texas?
This will be the sin soo choo signing all over again lmao an unproductive player through most of the contract that signed to much and hampered the team from spending lol
Great comparison
Guess you morons completely forgot about Belpre 7 year deal how did that work out for rangers hmm I’m waiting for you idiots to say that didn’t work out.
That’s quiet a lengthy contract. They really didn’t want to give Seager/Correa 10 years I guess
Those last couple years on the deal are gonna be brutal, just in time to hamstring the team’s finances as they get into a contention window.
Had no idea Texas was even a suitor for him
I’m betting the 7th year is a team option..
7 years is to long
7 years??? Wowzers. Well the next 4 years will be really exciting at least.
I’m just happy to see a team outside of the usual heavy hitters getting involved. Good for the Rangers. Would be great to see more non playoff teams getting involved with these free agents.
Wrong article
Funny, all these so called “insiders” say he is going to the West coast.
Everyone thinks they know what players want. They only want one thing…money.
Hard to sign with a west coast team when only the Angels need a SS, and they have stated they are spending on P this year.
No loyalty anymore…don’t let the door hit you on the way out Marcus.
Who is he supposed to be loyal to, the team he played with for one season? Loyalty needs to work both ways. They could have presented him with a seven-year contract that matched or topped the Rangers’ deal.
He was never going to re-sign with the Jays to play second base. He’s a luxury they don’t need, their money is better spent on pitching.
If this contract is what it would’ve taken to re-sign, I agree. This deal is going to age poorly. However, they certainly need to pick up another infielder. Can’t go into the season with Biggio as the second baseman, he was so awful last year and can’t count on a rebound if you’re serious about winning a title IMO. Not to say they need someone of Semien’s level, at least someone like Kyle Seager though.
I think Biggio needs to be given a chance – he didn’t really have a chance to get going last year with the injuries/playing out of position.
Normally I would agree, there is certainly time to turn it around. But, when you’re goal is a World Series, can you afford to take the chance?
Why wouldn’t he take the seven year deal if the Blue Jays were only offering five or so?
As a Jays fan, I loved what he did for us last season, but this contract is absurd. No way I want this guy on a 7-year deal, and Atkins clearly agrees. Good for Marcus, will always be a fan, but this is way too much money on the wrong guy.
Everyone is loyal to their wallet
vladdy – Do you not realize he was with the Jays for just one season?
He was a 1-year rental with an option to buy, and the Jays chose to not buy.
I think a player has to be with a team for at least 4 years before you can bring up loyalty.
No one thinks this way. Literally no one.
Did the jays offer him the same contract? Loyalty is a two way street.
Loyalty would have have been the Jays giving him 3/75 and he taking it. Because that’s what he’s worth. Not 7/175.
Well I guess he doesn’t want to win.
How much?
Probably in the minority but I think he ages well and has Beltre level impact for the Rangers.
Correa or Seager would’ve made much morse sense. It’s worth breaking the bank for one of those guys. Semien doesn’t really fit their timeline, plus he’s only gonna be able to play ss for about 3/7 years.
7 years? Gonna be a horrible signing.. love the guy but that’s stupid
I’d much rather target Chris Taylor for a fraction of the cost
I agree, but I’m thinking he’s gonna be a 37 percenter for life.
YESSSSSSSSESSSSSSSSES
THANK YOU CHRIS YOUNG THANK YOU JD THANK YOU MARCUS SEMIEN THANK YOU GOD THANK YOU RANGERS THANK YOU BLUE JAYS
Thank you people who make money
Enjoy the $50 cheap seat tickets.
Youre welcome Marcus burner account
Rangers are still going to be a diaper fire.
Lol, here is hoping that Jung is solid. Could be a very good leftside for a few years.
Rangers29: Happy for you. I know you were excited about Chris Young when he came aboard because you believed he would make these signings when he could.
I hope it works well for your team, man. Semien is a much better fit for TX than several other teams (NYY for example) because he can play his natural 2B for TX and isn’t forced to hold down SS.
How bout them Cowboys!
RANGERS29
CAPS lock on!
Wow, kinda glad the Jays dodged that bullet.
Doubt they were that in on him, he was going to get SS money and wouldn’t make sense for jays to to allocate resources that way
Damnnn. Good job by the Blue Jays to stay discipline. Let Ray walk too. These contract will be a problem by after the 4th year the latest.
Good addition ? Yes. 7 years ??? YIKES
The 7th year is most likely an option year.
Just sounds good when first reported.
If it’s not an option year then the AAV will be lower than anticipated
Great pick up by the Rangers!
Hopefully it’s a front-loaded contract…
I’m hoping they give him 100 mil in the first year
Wow big contract. I thought Rangers would get Story. I guess Story wanted more money. Is Kiner-Falefa available via a trade?
Lots of fortune tellers in this comments thread.
I guess that’s good for an AL time that can move him when he can’t move himself
I bet the Rangers aren’t done with the top short stops
Semien is going to play 2B.
We’re still in on Story/Seager/Correa
Interested to see the money. Maybe it was a friendly deal in order to get more years? Idk. Only way this could possibly make any sense to me lol
Never 25 per. Yikes.
Nothing friendly about it. Still $25m aav
What!!!!! 7 year 175 mil ? 25 mil a year !!! No thank you !!! Glad the rangers gave him that absurd contract !!!
25 mill for the best 2B in MLB isnt as crazy as your exclamation point usage implies. $175M for the best player at the position isnt crazy in the slightest. Its also not your money, stop acting like that matters. Grow up.
Wow!!!!! I thought we were pals Assfaninukraine. I will not be supporting you anymore when other users continue to bash you for your comments!! You get what you give!!!
Oh, how the bridges burn
The $25m is fine. The seven years is team crushing. By the time they’re good again he’ll be long past his prime and not even a middle infielder anymore. Unless they go on a massive spree right now and sign about 4-5 guys.
I wouldn’t mind this contract if he were 27. 7 years is a lot for a 31 year old, but as you pointed out, AAV wise it’s totally fine. This isn’t outrageous, and it won’t be crippling. It’s an overpay, but Texas likely had to do it. Hopefully this leads to more spending in Texas.
Yes good point
Agree. Calling this horrible, like some are, is just hyperbole. It is an overpay, and tends towards bad. He does not play elite defense at SS, and it’s a little expensive for 2B.
But the bat is good, and it’s probably what it took to get him to Texas. Even if the last year or two hampers them a bit, if he can get them deep in the PS, the Rangers will feel that it was worth it.
7 years with 100 mil in first year.
I wanted Toronto to resign him but if he leaves i trust their long term plan. Why Texas for extra money? Unexpected as there doesn’t seem much home their farm sucks no?
Overpayed. Enjoy the 7 years playing last place baseball.
“Overpaid”
I didn’t pass kindergarten spelling.
I think by saying overpaid, that Chisox fan meant, “as in Dallas Keuchel, and Yasmani Grandal”.
What position will he play? SS or 2B?
I hope 2B so IKF can play SS. I believe that IKF can become a top 10 SS with some swing adjustments that our new hitting coaches will help him with. He’s already ~2.5 WAR guy, if he can stay a consistent 90+ OPS+ hitter that slaps the ball around the field then you could see him evolve into a 4 WAR guy that would make for a nasty DP combo with Semien.
Just get on base in front of Marcus and play good defense. I care little about the rest haha
Wow that contract is bad.
I’m guessing options for the last two years…I for one felt Semien was helped by that lineup in Toronto…he’s gonna be the man in Texas with no protection.
That may be a bit of wishful thinking. MLBTR had him at getting 6 years. The Rangers probably had to offer that extra year to get him to sign. Players value security and will take a lower AAV to get it. Semien, and Boras aren’t foolish enough to believe 2 option years on a 7 year deal is anything more than a 5 year deal.
Solid player. And as an Angels fan I was hoping that the Angels would sign him but for no more than 4 years. Texas will be regretting this one after 3 or 4 years.
Lmfao Semien has officially become irrelevant on the Rangers now haha. Good for him though on that nice contract.
A little longer than expected however there is the possibility of a switch off of middle infield to 1b/DH in the later years. Better than Story and cheaper than Correa or the oft injured Seager.
Must be between 150-175m.
If he moves to 1b/dh, he becomes less valuable. That’s not a good thing for the contract.
Happy for Marcus, but that’s a BOLD move by Texas. They have the DH, so hopefully his bat stays strong til 38-39 years old
Till 37.
31,32,33,34,35,36,37
Til 38, although he’ll be 38 only for the last couple of weeks of the final season.
Texas’ season will be over with months earlier anyway.
As a Jays fan, hate to see h go. Bit SEVEN YEARS?????????
I hope he plays 2B and we are still going after one of the SS
Passan tweeted the Rangers aren’t done and are in on Trevor Story
The bad thing about this is now Story, Seager, Correa, Baez are going to get even longer deals.
This is why some teams are perpetually bad lol
LOL! Exactly my thought. In 4 years, when everyone’s trying to remember why the last place Rangers are paying an average at best 35 year old Semien $25M a year, someone can point out that he had a great year with Toronto in 2021 so Texas went out and filled their boots.
It wasn’t long ago the Rangers were the best team in the AL and the Astros were cellar dwellers for decades
The Astros changed ownership and leagues. Not really comparable situations
So the Rangers lost over 100 games last year and just decide to do this. Do they think this makes them a contender? Just confused why rebuilding teams sign a big FA, is it just to make the fanbase happy?
Texas is still in a top 5 media market, and baseball is different than other sports in that you can actually do a complete rebuild by paying players rather than drafting them.
What? No you can’t. Look at all the recent teams that have tried to buy their way into contention..
He has a good year. Cashes in to go lose his ass daily in Texas …makes sense.
Despite the retractable roof…
the Texas heat will wear him down quickly.
Wow. I was hoping the Blue Jays would bring him back but not for that contract.
Happy for him but please tell me how teams continue to hand out these terrible contracts? How can any owner let a GM spend your money so foolishly? 5 years max 15-18 mil a year was best he should have landed
The owners will be selling the Rangers in about 2-3 years I would assume. They care about the here and now only.
He wasn’t signing for less than 20+ million a year
I think if it as paying him 32.5 million for years 1 to 4, and 15 million for years 5, 6 and 7.
I think that it is an overpay even attributing less salary for the later years.
I’m kind of surprised he didn’t sign with a contender. He’s not getting any younger and Texas isn’t even close.
Playoff team in 2023
Who would have thought in 2001 when the Rangers signed the best player in baseball (A-Rod) to a $252m/10yr deal, that in 20 years those same Rangers would be handing out a similar deal for another shortstop that is a borderline top 10 SS in the game.
It’s way too long a contract, but let’s not pretend Semien isn’t a great, great player. He was nearly a 7 win guy last year and that was playing 2nd base. Had he played SS he would have been an 8 win guy. He’s spectacularly good.
Just so weird that he goes to a bad team on a long deal. He had good team on a short deal written all over him. Something like 5/$150 to the Giants or whatever.
Cardinals made a ton of sense to me.. Goldschmidt, Arenado and Semien would be 3 very professional hitters with great approaches.
I am slightly fearful for what Semien does in a non-contract year. Little different when you don’t have to play for your next paycheck and it’s already guaranteed. Some guys play better, some play worse.
seamaholic 2″
No, he’s not “spectacularly good”, at least not at SS with the glove. He has -26 OAA since 2016. DRS is a little kinder, 6 for his 9 career, but was -6 in his last full season at SS, indicating average, to below average, at best. I’m not a fan of UZR, but he has minus numbers there as well.
I like him at 2B, but that’s a lot of money for that position..
We don’t even need him at SS. He could stay at 2B. Funny that you say he is borderline top 10 SS when he’s been in the top 3 MVP voting twice since 2019.
wow. Loved him on my Jays last season but this contract is just too long. I really wanted him back but not for this long.
Was fun too watch him last year and he quickly became one of my favourites. Seeing him on the Rangers will suck though. Only thing worse would have been if he signed w the Yanks or Red Sox.
Imagine how shocked everyone is going to be when the Rangers sign Trevor Story and one of Stroman/Ray.
Hahaha
Maybe Story, Suzuki/Schwarber and 2 of Kershaw/Rodon/Gray ($62M-$72M in addded annual salary)
Marcus Semien is the baseball fWAR leader from 2019 to now. Welcome to Texas.
7 years!! Fml
Man…that is gonna be a long 7 years for the Rangers. Some teams just cannot comprehend the meaning of an outlier. He had a career year. I’d be willing to bet he never hits 40 homers again. Someone was gonna fall for it, but I’m not surprised it was the Rangers. My guess is they’ll be trying to trade him by the all-star break
It wasn’t even his best year so far. 2019 was better.
2019 was probably slightly better. But there was a juiced ball in play in 2019 so it’s hard to gauge really how much that factored into that season. Either way, he’s had these two great seasons and every other season in his career has been that of an average offensive player. I’m not saying he’s not good, but I am saying he’s not the 2019 and 2021 version
7yrs/$175m
Javy Baez throwing his fist in the air.
Baez has some serious holes in his offensive game. Not sure he gets anywhere near those numbers.
He still a very productive offensive player with better defense, and elite baserunner. 3 years younger also.
Boras broke the last ownership group in Texas and this one seems none the wiser. Are they still paying Chan Ho Park?
Good for Marcus though. If someone’s offering you stupid money, I guess you can only say yes.
Everyone said the Rangers made a bad move when they signed Adrian Beltre. Go read the mlbtraderumors comments back in 2011 when the Rangers signed him. That turned out to be a great contract. Even extended him a few years later on.
Marcus Semien is a hard working good attitude guy that should be good for years to come.
Not the type to “coast now that he’s made it”
That was a five year $80m contract. This one’s 7/$175. There’s a bit of a difference.
Beltre was older at the time. Inflation.
Beltre also played well for 7-8 years into his age 39 season.
Using an outlier case as justification for something like this is not a very good argument.
I looked at some inflation calculators, $80,000,000 in 2011 equals $95,072,611.88 in 2021. So that’s still way less of a commitment.
This somewhat reminds me of when the Nats went out and signed Jayson Werth. I don’t think it’s a bad deal at all. I think he’ll bring a lot to a young ball club as they transition into a move competitive phase.
Terrible contract.. hope they get at least a few good years out of it.. teams constantly over paying and giving to many years to players
Hopefully it ages well
They would be wise to front load the deal. Give him 40 mil a year for the first three and then you don’t owe him much on the back side when you have more talent to pay around him.
It doesn’t matter when they pay him the actual dollars. Its 25MM AAV for 7 years regardless.
Yes it does matter. It makes his contract much more tradeable in the last few years. You’re correct that it makes no difference for luxury tax purposes. but that isn’t the point of front-loading the contract. There are budget reasons to front load as well, but I don’t think that’s the case here.
He’s 31 and had just 2 years with an OPS+ greater than 100. Yikes. Good luck Rangers. Maybe the Yanks will bail you out of this contract again in 3 years as with A-Rod. Semien ain’t Arod though.
Yeah it’s a weird history. Two MVP level seasons and the rest about league average with lots of injuries. But man when he’s good …
Tulo had twice as many 3+ win seasons heading into his age 31 season, and accumulated 3.1 total WAR the rest of the way. Done entirely before age 35-37 seasons. And he wasn’t stretched defensively at SS.
The ankle injury and the bone spurs were what sunk Tulo’s career. You’re not wrong that he was done at that point, but you also can’t draw a parallel here unless you can show the Rangers peered into their crystal ball and did this deal knowing something of that nature was coming.
Wow. Good move for The Rangers. I like how on this site whenever a player signs with another team and not yours, It’s a bad move. SMH.
Now we have a benchmark for the other SS’s. I’m sure the Rangers have other BIG Moves coming.
I don’t think anyone is saying he’s a bad player or a bad addition. IMO he is a fantastic player, it’s just this contract that appears bad because its too long. That’s a pretty long term deal for a guy his age. I have no doubt he will be great and Rangers fans will love him for 4 years. It’s that 5-7 year range that most are questioning.
Just like the last part of a Seager and Correa type of contract.
Whatever you need to tell yourself
Let’s remember when the Rangers signed Beltre, many people were saying “to long” “bad deal that will age poorly”
It was only 5 years and he wasn’t a SS. Five for Semien would have been a reasonable risk.
And then they extended him for a total tenure of more than this contract.
There’s also still the chance Semien stays at 2B.
You are describing a very rare career path. Beltre became very good at a much later time than most players peaks and held it from 30-40. That is incredibly rare. It is more likely semien has already peaked and will never come close to 2021 again than he is beltre 2.0. semien should be very good for 2-3 years but the backend of this is much more likely than not to be a mess.
He’ll be 38 at the end of the contract and 58 when the Rangers are competitive again.
Glad the jays didn’t do that. They will happily take the comp pick and move on to other options. People I think are sleeping on Biggio at 2B. If the jays get gausman or ray and then trade for a cost controlled pitcher plus an impact infielder they will be better than last year.
I agree. Signing Ray and someone for 3rd like K Seager and having Biggio at 2nd will be good IMO. Will likely leave a little more room to add to the pen if possible too.
Biggio in for Semien is a HUGE downgrade. Blue Jays are not as good w/o Marcus and certainly not as good w/o Ray.
IF they get Ray back (or sign Gausman) they still take a step back unless Pearson can amazingly become a competent SP and not get hurt.
Well, they said they were going to spend 100M, which with that new park they can afford. That means they’ve got 75M left.
Not the greatest deal because of the length, but folks tend to forget that there are negotiations going on with several teams, and the Rangers not only had to outbid the other guy, they had to sell the player on playing for a team that, frankly, isn’t very good. And doesn’t figure to be good for a while. And that costs extra bucks.
The problem with being a bad team that says it’s going to spend big is you have no leverage. You have to not only outbid teams but blow them out of the water. That $100m will go fast.
Seems to me the better path is to buy up some of those under-water contracts out there, especially from teams with strong farm systems (SD. TB, etc.). Obviously they’re shorter duration, and you build 2022 and the future years at the same time. Those contracts might be “under water”; but guys like Myers and KK, e.g. are still pretty good players, especially in their contract years. Again, you improve today’s win total (maybe even flip them on July 31) and add to your player development stash. In that sense, today’s signing is almost a lost cost.
I think Texas views itself as 3 or 4 years from competiting in any substantial way. Semien will be flipped come the deadline either this year coming up or next year for some prospects. Some contender will have an injury or somebody not producing and will view this as a playoff piece. My Red Sox might do this if Duran flops in CF….they would move Keke back to CF and pick up Semien near the deadline….
The Rangers will be competing after next season.
No one is going to take on that contract.
You live with year 6 and 7 because you get year 1-3.
If the rangers flip him in 2 years it will be a salary dump for no prospects
Agreed. This could be like when the padres signed Hosmer a couple years before they were playoff contenders.
Thanks for the pick Texas!
Thanks for the 6 plus WAR and great leader!
… and in other news, the Mariners pick up Corey Seager and his brother Kyle for $10 million a piece.
As a Mariners fan… no way that happens
Wow 7 years…. I wonder what the rest of the SS market will look like now…
Seager/Correa are locks for 10-12 years, I’d say, probably more the latter, perhaps with opt outs. Even Story I bet gets at least this contract.
I wonder about the same
Smart trades/strong minor league system. Free agency is a minefield for bad contracts.
How can anyone say it’s a bad deal… he can move to 3rd or 2b and he hits a ton who cares about how many years… do you pay his salary??? He’s the next adrien beltre… and his next stop is the hall of fame! Good for Marcus he’s so deserving of a good deal
It’s not so much the salary as it is the years. How many dudes are tearing it up in their late 30’s? If he’s the next Adrian Beltre he started about 10 years too late. He was a stud last year, but he is a 1x all-star entering his age 32 season. He most certainly is not a HOF’er. Although he is a very good player, with maybe a couple seasons left in his prime.
Before 2021 he was a career .254 hitter with about 20 HR’s per season. Good. But not quite HOF numbers my guy.
HOF? That’s hilarious…
HOF? You’ve got to be drunk, high, or one his blood relatives. No matter what he does over the life of this contract, he will always need to purchase a ticket to enter the museum in Cooperstown NY
Ruining baseball.
Stand up against the absurdity!
It’s a commie plot to make baseball, America’s Game, an elitist sport. If hotdogs go over $10, we may reach a boiling point.
7 years for $175 not bad, wonder if there are opt outs
Guess, he followed the $$ , instead of winning.
Congratulations to Marcus Beltre! He’s a leader in the clubhouse, produces and can move positions if needed.
They will get 3 or 4 good years out of him I believe didn’t see no type of slow down last year when in Toronto
People literally said this about Adrian Beltre lol
Very glad Jerry Dipoto didn’t try to match this or beat it. Unfortunately he may do something similar for Bryant or Gausman, ugh, hope not.
If he stays healthy this contract is not as bad as people are making it seem.
Good for Marcus getting paid like that. I’m glad that the Jays didn’t give him this contract even though I’d have loved to see him back (didn’t expect him to be, however.) With Groshans coming along I think it’s more important to re-sign Ray and this should help boost the chances of that happening.
You obviously haven’t heard Ray being interviewed. He’s not going back to Toronto.
Both Ray and Semien did a great job building their resumes off one-year deals in Toronto. Blue Jays had them BOTH for $26M, and got a CY winner, a 3rd place MVP, and two comp picks for that. Excellent FO-ing by your FO, but no way those guys are using the springboard years they just had to get their lifetime deals in Canada. That’s not what they been dreaming about.
He will be good for the younger players on the Rangers roster but it will be a couple of years before Texas is even competitive for the division. Good for him though that is a lot of $$$.
Counting this year Marcus now has a grand total of TWO (2) seasons with an OPS+ of 100 or more. 2 years since 2013. Age 31.
And Texas finished last in the league in team OPS last year, and lost 102 games, so one player isn’t going to make a difference.
The biggest impact this deal with have is at the bargaining table, where the owners won’t be able to stop slapping the table in laughter when the PA tells them how hard the players have it.. LOL!
Yipes. Too bad he will most likely start regressing rapidly due to age exactly when the rest of the rangers are close to contending
That is an interesting point. Teams often try to make big free agent signings more closely tied to their win-now windows. The Rangers are a few years off, and Semien could very well be in decline at that stage.
It’s the Rangers. So it’s Crazy Money !
Marcus Semien 2013-2018 and 2020 now enters the chat.
More seriously, should be good for a two to three seasons before he enters his age-related decline.
Good for him getting paid.
I don’t understand why people don’t think the Rangers can be competitive as early as next year.
If they get Story as well and add in Stroman & say Duffy after that.
Healthy LeClerc & Hernandez plus Barlow they can have a strong bullpen.
Dunning & Hearn taking steps and maybe trading Kinee-Falefa for say John Means that can give the rotation some quality innings.
Well I was looking at the Rangers prospects to see if they make the Matt Olson cut , and I decided that there was nothing to see . Unless we talk Jack Leiter , and I would feel uneasy about taking a pitcher that has been unseen all year after signing. Not much to offer . I guess it’s checkbook time for them . They’ve got to put those TURD voters in the seats .
Look again. Jung is a stud and so is Winn, Foscue, and Huff
probably going to be a top 10 farm system this year, particularly after the 3rd overall pick in June.
Huff is a disaster in progress. He had a 16/77 BB/K ratio in 190 PA at AA. He’ll get picked apart without completely revamping his approach. But its the Rangers so they’ll rush him and sink his career.
The other guys not named Jung haven’t had more than a cup of coffee at AAA. Given this franchise’s track record of player development, its just as likely they turn into Chi Chi Gonzalez and Roughned Odor than they do becoming usable regulars on a contending roster.
We shall see. I agree the franchise hasen’t had much success in development, but the strategy has radically changed over the last few drafts (particularly since Evan Carter). We seem to be obsessed with hit tool guys now and then we figure out where to put them on defense later. The first round of those prospects is getting close to the majors and are looking pretty good, I am hopeful.
Really happy the Yankees did not spend that amount of cash of Semien. Prediction: Tgey are not signing Correa, Seager Story, or Baez either. They will wait for Volpe ( and I do not blame them)
That would be stupid on Cashmans part. Correa and Seager can move to 3rd base
The Yankees cannot be cheap this off-season. Verlander should have been in our rotation. The Yankees have sooo much to spend. It’s ridiculous that we are not going all in on a championship
It is not being cheap. Paying Cole money to Seager or Correa is not smart. Paying Story or Baez Semien money might even be worse.
I think Rangers can be in WC hunt next year if they make a couple of the moves they are talking bout making
60-102 last year, it will take a lot more than a couple of moves.
Lol yep, gotta cool the jets on predictions, 2023 is still the target year. But you gotta be excited that the team is trying to get better.
I hope he doesn’t turn into
Soo Semien Choo…..
The Rangers had the AL’s third worst ERA and they spend 175 million on middle infield help? Not sure this is a sound GM move? I guess time will tell but the Ranger franchise is not known as a consistent contender.
I wasn’t expecting this. Way too many years.
Thank you, Texas, for making sure NY didn’t make an incredibly stupid decision by getting a (solid) 2B, but a below average SS, to fill their SS role, especially at this money.
Congratulations, Texas on acquiring a player that was outstanding last year. I hope he doesn’t revert back to his below average offense, but maintains his offensive prowess due to your commitment to him. Texas said they had money to spend and they did.
I wonder what Story/Baez view as their market after this, especially since they’re both younger?
Very interesting question. I am sure Story, Baez Correa and Seager are all jumping for joy
Jerry Dipoto is all talk what an idiot. Don’t buy Mariner tickets boycott those cheap ………..
This one overpay would have doubled our HR production in our infield
Yes please stop being a mariners fan. Signed-
The rest of mariner fans.
7 years is a lot
But I guess rangers are looking at it that at least he can DH at the end of his career
Also, wouldn’t surprise me if they’re looking at this as a way of setting the market for other teams. Implicitly making other teams pay bigger now.
Good for Marcus Semien. I’ll leave it at that.
This contract will be an albatross.
The Mariners with another swing and miss. They are in mid-season form already.
7 years 175 million for a 31 year old player plus giving up a draft pick im glad the mariners missed. The rangers overpaid plus gave up the # 3 pick in the second round of next years draft and 500 k in international moneys all while losing 102 games last year. Im not a general manager but imo this isnt go to go well for the rangers.
Could the Jays potentially go after kris Bryant now that they have a hole in the infield? Move Biggio back to 2nd and slot Bryant in 3rd.
Once again, Scott boras is the best. I need him to be my agent. His job is to get a ton of money and boy does he almost always get it done.
BTW, heck of a weekend for the MLB Network to be running “Ken Burns’ Baseball” for the sixtieth time….gotta wonder who makes these decisions.
Trevor Story is coming next. Reports a deal could happen tonight.
Another player games the system by shining in his walk-year. Owners never learn and apparently dont care. This is good news for Marcus Semien and some Rangers fans. But it once again illustrates how optimistic bias distorts a market. This player is very good, but hes no Adrian Beltre or Hall of Famer as some here have asserted. Boras is a marketing genius and billionaire owners are gullible and just playing with taxpayer money anyway.
Do you watch baseball? Marcus Semien has been a good player for the past 4 seasons now.
Yes, i have probably been a fan longer than youve been alive.
Marcus Semien is an excellent player, but he’s hard to project because he began to product relatively late in hus career. Look at what he did at age 23 and 24. He will likely produce at a very high level for another 3 -4 years. He is not a generational talent or a future HOFer. He deserves to be paid. I thought MLBTR’s projections were spot on but Botas blew way past the forecast
It’s about time we made a Splash ! Geaux Rangers !!!!
Wow!! I can’t believe Semien got 7 years/175M. Good for him. I was hoping he’d be in Mariner blue for 2022 and beyond; instead he will be suiting up for a familiar foe.
7 years for a 31 yr old SS. Woof…..that contact will be a big regret for Texas in about 4 years I’d guess. But good for Semien getting a great deal. That 1 year, bet on himself deal in Toronto couldn’t have worked out better. Especially since Texas has no income tax.
You gotta give something to get something…..This should be a decent deal for 5 years, so I don’t see it as a albatross. I’m disappointed the Rangers didn’t negotiate a club buyout option, that would make this a good contract. Marcus won this negotiation but it’s not an anchor, giving over $200 million for 10 years is a anchor.
I read something today on Twitter, the White Sox care about the 2028 payroll than their 2022 product on the field, for a team that has World Series aspirations. Maybe they convert Jake Burger to 2B (kidding of course).
I think Bloom thinks the same way in Boston, it’s not going to work there people only care about the year they are in
Not a bad contract for the Rangers as Semien can play 2B for another 2 years and move to 1B or DH. Any other club this would be a drastic overpay and reason to flog the Front Office.
Everyone always seems to think these long term deals won’t age well. Some do, some don’t, but that is not the point. If you want the top players, that is what you have to do. You take them at their best and live with the deal if they don’t live up to it at the end. Guarantee you that if the Rangers had not signed him to this deal, he had a deal elsewhere for something pretty close to this.
He’s getting paid based on a career year he had for someone else. Those kinds of deals tend to age poorly. No one would have given him that kind of deal last winter. It’ll be the same thing with Robbie Ray.
Well said Doc!
Live and let live.
Good for the Rangers for trying to improve there team.
Who saw this coming? I thought Kyle Seager would bf up in PHI but he could play in TEX now .
These threads are predictable. Fans of other teams claiming they’re happy they lost out on a player that would make their favorite team better.
Exactly
This is why I hate the current free agent system. Other shortstops will now cite this ridiculous contract as to why they should be paid more due to younger age, on-base percentage, etc.,etc. I remember when $5 million per year for a good player seemed excessive!
Semien and Calhoun. Daniels must think Eppler is still with the Angels
Rangers over Diamondbacks in 2036
Good for Marcus. He bet on himself rather than taking the A’s ridiculous low ball offer last offseason and he hit the jackpot. As an A’s fan it still pi$$es me off that they refused to make him a serious offer last offseason (even on a 1 year deal) and then they turned around and threw that money away on Trevor Rosenthal and Mike Fiers. A local guy who was 1 year removed from a MVP type season and who wanted to stay got treated like crap and then they wonder why the few fans they have are not showing up to games.
I get the depressing feeling that the aging Semien will quickly become his 2013-2018 and 2020 self, with an OPS+ on the bad side of 100. But the Rangers needed to get somebody the fans have heard of. Same with the Kole Calhoun deal.
None of this does anything to fix the biggest problem in Texas, the pitching staff. The team isn’t contending any time soon with a staff ERA pushing five in a pitcher’s park.
Definitely quite a bit more than I thought Semien would get, both in terms of money and years, but good on the Rangers and him. Looks like they’re committed to ushering in a new era in Arlington.
This contract surely bodes well for the other shortstops on the market.
I never bought into the Kershaw hype, but does everyone feel this deal makes that more of a possibility now? Or any other top SP left on the market?
All these negative comments .. MLB has been put on notice these rangers are opening the window for contention and will continue to keep it open once it is . I predict 10 more years of playoff baseball is coming to Arlington .
Didn’t see this coming. Semien for 7 years… he overexcelled this year and I doubt he will maintain that success.
That’s a lot of years. Good for him to get it. Just seeing another Pujols situation in a few years. But hey what do I care, isn’t my money. Lol
Rangers better start printing those playoff tickets right now!
He over performs contract 3 years and performs at contract level for 2 years and under performs contract last 2 years. Win for the Rangers
Career 2.56 batting average, 3 seasons with 20+ homeruns, 1 100 rbi season, and this warrants a $175 million dollar contract? Yikes
This is a stupid contract by stupid Jon Daniels, who needs to lay off the Jack Daniels.
But the Mariners thank you!
Had the same thought about Jon Daniels, this deal reeks of desperation- or booze. Scott clearly knows how to manipulate Jon
As a Rangers fan, I dislike this deal, considerably. This will haunt the Rangers, by 2024. I hope I’m proven wrong, but damn, I hate a 7-year deal given to a player in his 30’s.
One of the last times we gave a player over 30 a huge contract, it worked out pretty well for us. People need to calm down. Compared to what the market will look like in seven years, this isn’t going to be that big of a deal.
Think this is an awesome signing. I wanted my Tigers to go after him BADLY! Not sure I would’ve gone that many years, but regardless I’d be excited if I was a Rangers fan!
I thought the same thing. Which is why I believe the Tigers need to let the dust settle, after this one. There are plenty of opportunities whether it be trade, fa, Kriedler is not far off. If the Rangers are open to trading Isiah Kiner-Falefa, I’m all for it.
Should have gone for pitching. Obviously didn’t learn from the Angels.
Screw it sign story too
So the masses have said the deal is bad.
Semien will regress and regress badly. I am not a fortuneteller, but at least Texas is playing ball. Had the Yankees signed him for a trillion dollars we’d be thinking “business as usual”. No complaint about Cole’s “terrible deal’? I’d sign Cole as the Yankees did every day.
Semien has been peaking for a couple years now in both terms of slugging and speed. Hell, dude just had his best year ever in not only homers, but STEALS.
This is an easy 30/15 guy who can play up the middle. If he “breaks down” it won’t happen for a long time. Someone explain what is the magical age a guy simply begins to suck. Marcus is known also a a total pro, a guy who will provide leadership to kids like Jung and Foscue who will be up soon, among others.
If I am a Rangers fan I am thinking HELL YES maybe we are gonna play ball. Who gives a crap what his deal looks like in 6 years, inflation will take care of that and if they won along the way even better. Good luck to the Rangers nation.
According to informed sources, The Marlins were in on Marcus Semien right up until he signed the deal to join the Rangers.. The Marlins made a “strong” offer, but not one that matched the Rangers overall financial commitment. The Marlins weren’t the only team to be outbid.
This contract can age like Beltre’s or Choo’s.
I loved having Marcus as a Bluejay and hope he does great as a Ranger. Unless there playing the Bluejays that is. Even if the End if the contract doesn’t work out in the end. MS will be a great upgrade for at least three to four years. Who knows maybe there’s another Rangers vs Bluejays post season again.
Albert Pujols approves this message.
I hate Jon Daniels and I’m not even mad about this one
These are all great signings for the hometown fans until the guy has a couple of disappointing years, then it’s time dump him, and what was management thinking. We still have 5 years of his contract left and nobody wants him.
Rangers more than likely had to add 1-2 years to sign him. My guess is they go out and get another impact position player at 150-175MM (Story?). Give me 2 impact guys over 1 Correa/Seager.
I think they are hard in on Seija and and probably Jon Gray personally. But man it would be fun to watch Story in Arlington. He doesn’t really block anyone either, our next impact prospect is a 3B followed by Foscue, and he is 2 years out probably.
I still think Semien is a perfect fit for the Sox. But a 7-year contract at that price point for him is ridiculous. I wish him luck, though. It is imperative the Sox need to snag one of the top FA infielders if they want to truly contend. I’ll take my chances with Vaughn in RF. I’d also be thrilled if they acquired Robbie Ray and traded Keuchel for a couple single-A prospects.
Yay, got a pick right!
Whoa! Incredible deal for Semien. Good for him and his family. The White Sox really got fleeced by the A’s on that trade. One mediocre season of Jeff Samardzija and a hapless Michael Ynoa for Josh Phegley (at least a serviceable backup catcher for a few years in Oakland), Rangel Ravelo (nothing of note), Chris Bassit, and Marcus Semien. Just to think that he was only thought of as a utility infielder by scouts at the time of that trade. I think some credit is owed to the A’s and their player development. Taking nothing away from the individual either. I just don’t see Semien turning into the player he has become if he never gets traded to Oakland. Of course this is just speculative, and based on my opinion.
Hindsight is always 20-20. Marcus wasn’t half as good or consistent as he is now.
Obviously. Hence 7 years, $175 million. Lol!
Great work Boras. He could age well but I still don’t like the odds.
At least a last place team did something out of the blue. But I love what an “active off season” (as Jed Hoyer said) the Cubs are having.
As an Astros fan, I view Semien as a really good player, and who will add some veteran leadership to the Rangers, so will make them more dangerous. But they are a long way from contending – Semien, Jon Gray and Kole Calhoun together may add 5-7 victories but from what I saw they are about 30 wins from contending. I hear a lot about young prospects, but they are just that – prospects. Rangers I think are at least 3 years away from contending. A 7-year contract will prove to be a big albatross after the first 2-3 years. Semien just had a career year, and it will be really hard to repeat. Glad Stros are staying away from long term deals, even for Carlos Correa. None of the long-term deals have played out well, with possible exception of Max Scherzer with the Nationals.
This looks a lot like when the Rockies bid against themselves in years and price and signed a 31 year old Ian Desmond to a huge contract. How did that work out for them?