Texas Rangers Rumors: Will a big name shortstop be added next winter?

It’s no secret that the Texas Rangers are looking to contend by 2023.

With many prominent free agents set to hit the market after the 2021 season, the time will soon arrive for GM Chris Young and President of Baseball Operations Jon Daniels to start assembling the core of the next great Ranger teams.

With this in mind, it makes sense that the Texas Rangers are planning to throw their hat in the ring to bid on some of the names from next off-season’s historically great shortstop free agent class, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.

The Texas Rangers could be in position to land a big name shortstop next winter.

We’ve addressed previously in this space how great of a fit Trevor Story would be for the club, especially given his DFW area roots.

Story, as would any of the other names mentioned by Heyman, would also fit a long-term positional need for the Rangers.

More from Nolan Writin'

• Framework for a potential Max Fried trade to the Texas Rangers
• Early 2023 MLB mock draft has Texas Rangers selecting an Ohtani-lite
• 3 Texas Rangers outfield trade targets not named Bryan Reynolds
• Did Jacob deGrom really mean what he said at his Texas Rangers press conference?
• Where do Texas Rangers prospects Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker stand after the DeGrom signing?

Currently, Texas has Isiah Kiner-Falefa penciled in as the starting shortstop for 2021, and he’s earned that opportunity with improved play in each season since making his debut.

However, that won’t preclude team officials from pondering whether or not IKF is the long-term solution at the position.

Even if Kiner-Falefa proves to be an effective starting shortstop in 2021 (certainly with the glove, with the bat making progress), there’s no doubt that one of Trevor Story, Javier Baez, Corey Seager, Carlos Correa or Francisco Lindor would represent a sizable upgrade at the position going forward.

It’s also not often that players of this caliber hit the open market, meaning the Rangers have an opportunity to make one of those shortstops a future face of their franchise.

Of course, taking these rumors with a grain of salt would be most advisable, as Texas has yet to play a regular season game in 2021.

With so many on the field and off the field questions to address during this upcoming rebuilding year, the Texas Rangers will have their work cut out for them as they begin eyeing the future.

Still, this serves as proof that the rumor mill is perpetually churning, and that the Rangers have a great opportunity to bring in a franchise-altering talent at the shortstop position come next winter.