American League MVP finalist Marcus Semien has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Texas Rangers, according to multiple media reports.
ESPN reported the deal to be worth US$175 million over seven years.
Robert Murray of FanSided was the first to report that Semien and Texas were nearing a deal.
Semien is coming off a stellar season with the Toronto Blue Jays. He hit .265 with 102 runs batted in and set a single-season record for home runs by a second baseman with 45.
He finished third in the AL MVP voting, like he did in 2019 when he played all 162 games for the Athletics.
Semien was a finalist for the award this year along with teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The award ended up going to Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani.
Signed last off-season on a one-year deal, Semien moved to second base — a position he hadn't played with any regularity since the 2014 season with the Chicago White Sox — and played every game for the Blue Jays.
Semien could play shortstop or second base for the Rangers, depending on what other moves might be made this off-season.
After a 102-loss season, the Rangers had indicated they were willing to spend as needed and could be active in free agency this off-season to improve the team. They went into the off-season with only about $28 million committed to salaries for 2022.
Texas this year used a club-record 26 rookies, with at least four or five of them routinely in the lineup.
The Rangers had their fifth consecutive losing season since last winning the AL West in 2016. They finished 29th in the majors with their .232 team batting average and were shut out a majors-high 15 times while scoring an AL-low 625 runs, their fewest in a full 162-game season since 613 in 1994.
Semien has a .256 batting average with 160 homers and 482 RBIs in 1,020 career games over nine seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland and Toronto.
–With files from The Associated Press.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2021.
The Canadian Press
