*Photo from Arizona Sports*
Seeking to add more stability to an outfield picture full of questions, the Texas Rangers continued to spend. The Rangers and OF Kole Calhoun have agreed to a one year, $5.2 million deal, with a $5.5 million team option for the 2023 season, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. The Rangers have confirmed the deal.
Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said of Calhoun that "Kole plays with an energy that our fans and players will feed off of. He’s been a highly productive player on both sides of the ball. Equally importantly, his style of play and reputation as a great teammate will help set the standard as we continue to grow our culture."
In his second season with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2021, Calhoun had his struggles, finishing with a .235 batting average and .670 OPS, hitting just 5 home runs and driving in 17 runs, stealing one base while playing in just 51 games for the Diamondbacks, being limited by injuries and his own poor performance in his tenure in Arizona.
In 10 seasons in the majors, split between the D-Backs and Los Angeles Angels, Calhoun has a .248 batting average and .749 OPS, slugging .427 and hitting 161 home runs, driving in 508 runs in 1,071 regular season games. In 3 playoff games, in the 2014 ALDS, Calhoun has 5 hits in 15 at bats, scoring one run.
Despite his struggles with the bat, Calhoun has always had good defense, which will be a boon for an already strong defensive outfield in Texas. He has the 2015 gold glove award in right field to show for it, as well as being a finalist every year from 2017 to 2020 at the same position.
Rangers GM Chris Young said of Calhoun that "We believe Kole will bring an outstanding veteran presence and example for our young players. He has worked hard for everything he's achieved in his career and his daily effort is a model for everyone surrounding our club."
The signing of Calhoun does not mean the Rangers are done in the outfield search, as he joins an outfield rotation consisting of Adolis Garcia, DJ Peters, Leody Tavares, Willie Calhoun, and Zach Reks. He's also the latest addition in a big offseason for the Rangers, having already signed Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Jon Gray this winter.
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