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The Los Angeles Dodgers are in search of an answer at second base, and a report Friday revealed they have held discussions involving Texas Rangers utility man Jurickson Profar.

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Dodgers Exploring Profar Among Second Base Options

Friday, Jan. 20

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, L.A. is attempting to pry Brian Dozier away from the Minnesota Twins, but it has also looked into Profar as a fallback option.

Rosenthal characterized a Profar trade as unlikely, but he has yet to land a defined role with the Rangers.

The Curacao native was among the hottest prospects in baseball a few years ago as a second baseman, but injuries forced him to miss the 2014 and 2015 campaigns before he return to the majors in 2016.

Profar appeared in 90 games for Texas last season, hitting .239 with five home runs and 20 RBI.

The 23-year-old switch-hitter was utilized all over the field, as he appeared in at least 11 games each at third base, second base, first base, left field and shortstop.

While Profar is a useful commodity for the Rangers due to his flexibility, there doesn’t appear to be a regular spot available for him in the lineup for 2017.

He also becomes arbitration eligible starting in 2018, per Spotrac, which could increase Texas’ interest in trading him.

Injuries have held Profar back, and he has yet to come anywhere close to reaching his potential, but he is oozing with talent.

Trading him now may not be the smartest move from Texas’ perspective since his value is likely lower than ever, but that makes him an ideal target for a team in need of infield help, such as the Dodgers.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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Veteran outfielder Josh Hamilton reached an agreement Tuesday to re-sign with the Texas Rangers. 

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports first reported the new deal and noted the contract includes an option for Hamilton to request his release if he’s not on the April 1 roster. Heyman also stated the new pact is for the minimum MLB salary ($535,000), if he makes the team.

Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram confirmed the minor league deal.

Hamilton said he will try to play first base, per TR Sullivan of MLB.com. Hamilton also told reporters said he has been cleared to resume all baseball activities.

The 35-year-old slugger has failed to make an impact in recent years due to a combination of nagging injuries and off-field issues. He missed the entire 2016 season with the Rangers after undergoing surgery, his third procedure in a 10-month span, to reconstruct the ACL in his left knee.

In 2015, Bill Madden and Michael O’Keeffe of the New York Daily News reported Hamilton met with MLB officials after suffering a cocaine and alcohol relapse. His highly publicized struggle with addiction to those substances has caused several setbacks throughout his career.

The North Carolina native’s on-field talent is undeniable, though. He’s a five-time All-Star and won the Silver Slugger Award three times during his prime with the Rangers.

Hamilton’s best year came in 2010 when he was named American League MVP. He won the batting title with a .359 average to go with 32 home runs, 100 RBIs and 95 runs scored. He also stole eight bases and finished with a 1.044 OPS.

Now, the question is whether he can still perform at that level. His last full season came with the Los Angeles Angels in 2013, and his numbers were well off from his peak. He posted a .250/.307/.432 line with 21 homers in 151 games.

Last July, Hamilton told Sullivan he expected to be at full strength by spring training, and he expressed confidence in his ability.

“One-hundred percent,” Hamilton said. “I feel confident when I’m healthy, and really healthy, I’m as good as anybody in the game.”

Agreeing to a one-year deal for the minimum will force Hamilton to prove himself, though. His most likely path to playing time would come at DH for the Rangers, but at the outset, he’ll probably battle Ryan Rua and Delino DeShields for a bench spot throughout the spring.

Ultimately, it’s a low-risk move for the Rangers based on the salary and Hamilton’s previous track record of success. He could prove to be a savvy signing, if he stays healthy.

The first major hurdle for the 1999 first overall pick will be making it through spring training without any injury setbacks. If that happens, there’s a good chance he’ll earn a spot on the Opening Day roster.

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Looking to get a fresh start on his career, starting pitcher Tyson Ross has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Texas Rangers. 

MLB.com’s TR Sullivan reported the two sides agreed to a one-year deal. According to Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan, Ross’ contract pays out $6 million guaranteed. However, Ross can earn more through bonuses. 

Ross spent the previous four seasons with the San Diego Padres before the team decided to non-tender him in December, making him a free agent for the first time in his career.  

Discussing the decision not to give Ross a contract for 2017, Padres general manager A.J. Preller only heaped praise on the right-hander.

“We’ve seen him the last few years; he’s been one of the better pitchers in the league,” said Preller, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. “He’s got a lot of talent. He’s a guy that works very hard. He’s a leader by example.”

Coming into 2016, there was no chance the Padres would give Ross a chance to walk away unless it was because they traded him. He was an excellent starting pitcher from 2013 to 2015, taking full advantage of Petco Park to become the ace in San Diego. 

Things unraveled for Ross in 2016. The former All-Star only made one start, allowing eight runs (seven earned) in 5.1 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, due to shoulder problems that never went away and led to him having surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome in October. 

Padres manager Andy Green told reporters that after Ross has the procedure, the recovery time is typically between four and six months, which puts his status for Opening Day in 2017 up in the air. 

However, Texas is not afraid to bet on Ross’ return. He turns 30 on April 22 and is only one year removed from posting a 3.26 ERA in 196 innings, so taking a chance on a short-term deal without a lot of guaranteed money makes this worth the risk. 

This has been a slow offseason for the defending American League West champions, other than re-signing Carlos Gomez. They have seen the Houston Astros go on a spending spree to add Carlos Beltran and Josh Reddick and trade for Brian McCann. 

At this point, Ross doesn’t put the Rangers back in the driver’s seat for the division title. He does help with their lack of depth in the starting rotation behind Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels, with the potential for more if he returns to full health and his 2014-15 form comes with it. 

The Rangers’ lack of activity this offseason has been surprising since ownership hasn’t been shy about spending. Their payroll has increased each of the previous six seasons, going from $64 million in 2010 to $158.9 million in 2016, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. 

That spending has gotten the Rangers in trouble lately, with players like Shin-Soo Choo and Elvis Andrus struggling, and they have a number of key free agents to worry about after 2017, including Darvish. 

Under that lens, the Rangers’ investment in Ross makes perfect sense. He’s in a situation that will allow him to compete for a playoff spot and rebuild his value in hopes of striking a long-term deal next winter. 

The Rangers get another starting pitcher they can add to their mix while retaining the option to use him in relief if his arm doesn’t hold up under the rigors of starting.

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Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan reported Monday that authorities in the Dominican Republic are investigating allegations that a group of Texas Rangers prospects sexually assaulted an underage teammate in a “hazing incident.”

Police questioned eight prospects and informed a Dominican court they intend to charge at least four of the players with a crime. Passan wrote that Rougned Odor’s brother and Yohel Pozo are among those at the focus of the police investigation.

Prospects from Colombia and Venezuela were the victims of the hazing rituals, and some were under the age of 18, according to Passan, who detailed a brief Snapchat video showing one specific occurrence:

Video of the alleged assault, which took place toward the end of October, was captured and posted on Snapchat, according to sources. A 10-second clip of video, obtained by Yahoo Sports, shows the alleged victim in a Rangers shirt and Rangers shorts laying on a bed with his arms held behind his back and his legs pinned down. At least four men are seen in addition to the alleged victim, whose penis is exposed, grabbed and maneuvered underneath a hand towel. All of the men in the video, including the alleged victim, are seen laughing.

Citing a report from Dominican media outlet Metro, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal wrote last Thursday that Dominican authorities arrested three Rangers prospects from the organization’s Dominican Summer League team several months ago.

Last week, the Rangers provided a statement:

The Texas Rangers became aware of an incident at our Academy in the Dominican Republic and we acted promptly to open an investigation. We have reported the incident and are cooperating fully with Major League Baseball and the authorities in the Dominican Republic. With this being an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment at this time.

After being shown evidence of the alleged hazing, the Rangers alerted MLB to the incident, and the players involved were then placed on administrative leave as part of the minor league domestic violence policy.

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Andrew Cashner turned in arguably the worst season of his career in 2016, but the Texas Rangers took a chance on him Friday to the tune of a one-year, $10 million contract.

Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported the terms of the agreement. TR Sullivan of MLB.com also passed along word of the free-agent signing.

Cashner started his career with the Chicago Cubs and pitched down the stretch of the 2016 season for the Miami Marlins after they acquired him from the San Diego Padres via trade. He posted a 5.98 ERA and 1.75 WHIP in 12 appearances for Miami, which both would have represented career-worst numbers throughout an entire season.

However, Cashner flashed his potential as a No. 2 or 3 starter in 2013 and 2014 with the Padres. He posted a 1.13 WHIP in each season and appeared to be coming into his own as an impact pitcher at the major league level. Still, there was a drastic decline in performance the next two years:

Injuries are part of the concern, as he went on disabled list in 2016 with a strained neck and dealt with a shoulder injury and elbow injury in 2014 that limited him to just 19 starts. Considering he hasn’t been the same since that 2014 campaign, it is not hard to speculate his health impacted his overall performance.

At his best, Cashner’s fastball often exceeds 95 mph, per FanGraphs. If he can remain healthy in 2017 and tap into the effective power pitcher he was from 2013-14, the Rangers will end up with one of the better under-the-radar signings of the offseason. 

He’ll likely join a rotation headlined by Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish. Finding more mid-rotation options to bolster the group behind those co-aces was one of the biggest things on the team’s offseason to-do list. A bounce-back year from the newest addition would be a key step in the right direction.

He is still just 30 years old and should be relatively fresh considering he has never pitched more than 184.2 innings in a season throughout his career. Cashner’s new team hopes that translates into an effective 2017 effort.  

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Major League Baseball and the Texas Rangers are reportedly investigating an alleged sexual assault involving multiple players at the Rangers’ academy in the Dominican Republic.

On Thursday, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported the alleged assault involved four players from the Rangers’ academy. Charges have not been filed.

The Rangers released a statement confirming they are cooperating with MLB during the investigation, per Rosenthal:

The Texas Rangers became aware of an incident at our Academy in the Dominican Republic and we acted promptly to open an investigation. We have reported the incident and are cooperating fully with Major League Baseball and the authorities in the Dominican Republic. With this being an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment at this time.

Citing sources, Rosenthal reported the players allegedly involved were placed on administrative leave under the guidelines of the minor league domestic violence policy. They will reportedly remain on leave until the investigation is complete.

According to a 2011 article from ESPN.com’s Richard Durrett, the Rangers’ academy—like several in the Dominican Republic—is designed to immerse developing players in baseball on an all-day basis. 

“It’s a 24/7 baseball environment,” Rangers field coordinator Jayce Tingler said at the time. “We have a chance to teach them, get them game experience, help them learn English and make them stronger.“

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Voters in Arlington, Texas, overwhelmingly approved a proposition to help fund a new $1 billion stadium for the Texas Rangers, which will keep the organization in the city through at least 2053.

Jeff Mosier and Loyd Brumfield of the Dallas Morning News reported the group fighting the proposal quickly conceded Tuesday night after early returns showed strong support. They also passed along comments from Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams about the result:

It’s a phenomenal thing how so many generations now have grown up going to the Texas Rangers here in Arlington. And now we have an opportunity for us to say that we want the Rangers to be here for our kids and grandkids. … It is a historic time in which all of our leaders have come together here to work hard to ensure that we kept the Rangers now.

T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com noted the Rangers are hopeful the new retractable-roof facility will be ready in time for Opening Day 2020. That’s based on a timeline of finalizing designs in 2017 and two years of construction following Tuesday’s election victory.

While Rangers co-chairman Ray Davis expressed the obvious benefits for fans in terms of avoiding the summer heat in Texas, he interestingly suggested the new stadium could also help the front office when it comes to attracting more on-field talent, according to Sullivan.

“Long term, it means our fans can enjoy climate control without getting burned up and we can recruit more free agents,” he said. “Our fanbase has changed as millennials have come along, and we compete with people watching on television. This will create an environment they can enjoy every day.”

Rangers manager Jeff Banister also discussed his feelings about the result with MLB.com, choosing to highlight the strong connection between the team and the community.

“It’s incredible,” Banister said. “A lot of hard work has been done by a lot of people who believe in the Texas Rangers and want to keep baseball in Arlington. I’m happy for all of those people, their hard work has paid off.”

The Save Our Stadium project had attempted to get voters to vote no on the proposition by questioning financial studies about the issue. The group argued the team’s current stadium, Globe Life Park, was recently paid off and had been built to last a century after opening in 1994.

“Asking Arlington residents with a median income of $52,000 a year to fork over their money to millionaires and billionaires so that they do not have to pay for their own stadium is just wrong,” a statement on its website read.

Nevertheless, voters moved forward with the plan anyway. Results from the Dallas Morning News showed 60 percent voted for the project with all precincts reporting, granting the approval of the project by more than 23,000 votes.

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The Texas Rangers have officially picked u p the $5.25 million contract option for Jonathan Lucroy, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball. 

Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegraph confirmed the report. 

General manager Jon Daniels noted the team would make the move in early October, per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, and it is now confirmed.

The Rangers acquired the catcher in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers before the deadline, a move that only came after he vetoed a deal that would have sent him to the Cleveland Indians.

Despite Cleveland’s playoff run, he had no regrets with his decision.

“I’m good, man,” Lucroy told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN in October. “There’s too much drama with all that. I’m not worried about it at all. It’s over with and in the past.”

Between his time with the Brewers and Rangers, the 30-year-old player batted .292 in 2016 with 82 RBI and a career high with 24 home runs. He was also selected to his second All-Star game, his first time coming in 2014 when he finished fourth in the MVP voting.

The catcher helped solidify the lineup in Texas as the squad went 33-22 over the final two months of the regular season, ending up with the best record in the American League.

While the team fell short in the ALDS, the Rangers return many key players from the recent run and will likely be top contenders once again. As long as Lucroy can stay healthy, he will be a big part of the team’s success over the course of the upcoming year before becoming a free agent in 2017. 

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Citing a source Monday, Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported the Texas Rangers “would be more than willing to trade” starting pitcher Derek Holland before the 2017 season.

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Holland’s Contract Driving Factor in Trade Talks

Monday, Oct. 31

Although the Rangers own an $11 million club option for 2017 and an $11.5 million club option for 2018, Heyman noted they would like to trade Holland “in order to avoid keeping him on the books going forward.”

Heyman also pointed out the Rangers and Holland agreed to a $1.5 million buyout for 2017 and a $1 million buyout for 2018 if the team doesn’t want to keep the left-hander around but can’t find a trade partner.

Holland, who has been a member of the Rangers for his entire career, made 22 appearances in 2016 with a 4.95 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP and 67 strikeouts in 107.1 innings. However, Heyman called the southpaw “oft-injured,” and he made just 10 appearances in 2015 and six in 2014.

Holland was a reliable innings-eater from 2011 to 2013. He was particularly impressive in 2013, when he posted a 3.42 ERA in a career-high 213 innings:

He hasn’t been the same durable pitcher since, though he is only 30 years old and should have a couple of years remaining in his prime if he can rediscover his form. The fact that he has proved to be an effective left-handed starter should generate some interest on the trade market.

The Rangers have plenty of firepower in their starting rotation with Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish and likely wouldn’t feel much of an impact if they trade Holland. Texas managed to finish with the best record in the American League this year (95-67) without a formidable season from the lefty and would get something in return if it decides to trade him.

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Despite getting swept in three games by the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series, Texas general manager Jon Daniels hasn’t lowered his expectations for the Rangers in 2017 and beyond.

“We expect to win,” Daniels told reporters at his season-ending news conference, per MLB.com’s TR Sullivan. “We will be better.”

With much of the roster still under contract and one of the game’s premier managers, Jeff Banister, in the dugout, Daniels’ job isn’t quite as daunting as those facing some of his counterparts around the game, whose teams aren’t in nearly as good of shape as the Rangers are.

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