The Texas Rangers have added more depth to their outfield mix for 2016 after agreeing to terms on a contract with free agent Justin Ruggiano.
Rangers Executive Vice President of Communications John Blake confirmed on Twitter that Ruggiano agreed to a one-year deal with the team. Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram reported he will make a guaranteed $1.65 million with more in incentives.
Texas has given itself a wealth of outfield options to use next season, with Ruggiano joining a mix that includes Josh Hamilton, Delino DeShields, Joey Gallo, Shin-Soo Choo, Ryan Rua and Nomar Mazara.
Ruggiano has experience at all three outfield positions, which is crucial for the Rangers, who have only DeShields listed as a center fielder on their depth chart.
The 33-year-old has not played much the last two years, appearing in 138 games with the Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers since the start of 2014. His best role is as a platoon outfielder hitting against left-handed pitching, with Blake providing statistical evidence:
That’s relevant to the Rangers because they have a lot of left-handed hitters who struggle against left-handed pitching. Choo has a .684 career OPS against southpaws. Hamilton, who can’t stay healthy, had a .271 on-base percentage against lefties last season.
Ruggiano adds an important element to the Rangers roster for 2016 and comes at a very low cost. As long as he can stay healthy and manager Jeff Banister finds him at-bats, this deal could turn into one of the best bargains of the winter given his ability to make up for the weaknesses of Texas’ marquee stars.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com