May 30, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers third base Josh Jung (6) singles in two runs during the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers have come to agreements with Jake Burger, Josh Jung, Ezequiel Duran, and Josh Smith. This is good for the team as they bring back three guys who were big parts of the lineup and Duran who is a super utility player for them.
Jung and Burger are guys who are coming off disappointing years and were reasons that the offense struggled last year. Burger only hit 16 home runs with a .236 batting average against his usual .250 batting average and 29 plus home runs that he hit the previous two years.
Jung put up a .251 batting average with 14 home runs compared to 2023 when he had a .266 batting average and 23 home runs.
If the have bounce back years then the Rangers offense can be back to being their dominant 2023 selves.
Josh Smith will likely slip into the second baseman hole left by Marcus Semien in the Nimmo trade. Smith has been good for the Rangers as he filled in all over the place last year and he won the silver slugger for utility players in 2023. Smith hit 23 home runs with 97 RBIs over the past two years.
Finally, Duran played a huge part in the 2023 World Series run filling in for the injured Corey Seager. He had a .276 batting average with 14 home runs that year, he did take a step back with a .224 batting average and no home runs.
Duran is still a good depth piece for the Rangers and will come off the bench for the team next year. He is a great utility player and will help fill holes in the lineup with injuries and other reasons.
All of these moves were good by the Rangers as they brought back three guys who were mainstays in the lineup and can have a big impact on the season. The last guy is a good utility player that can fill in at multiple positions.
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