Would a Marcus Semien signing be good for the Texas Rangers?

As I stated in my Top 3 Free Agents article just over one week ago, 2B is a position with limited stability at the MLB level for the Texas Rangers.  The top option to fill that void through free agency is for the Rangers to sign the Toronto Blue Jays 2B Marcus Semien, who Jon Morosi reports the team has interest in.

Here is a deep dive into Marcus Semien, the player.

Age: 31

Drafted by Chicago White Sox, 2011, Round 6, #201 Overall

MLB Years Active : 9

GP: 1,020

AB: 3918

R: 582

H: 1,003

2B: 209

3B: 24

HR: 160

RBI: 482

SB: 81

AVG: .256

OBP: .324

Why is Marcus Semien available to the Texas Rangers?

After being drafted in 2011, Semien played parts of four seasons in the MILB in the White Sox organization.  At age 23, Semien made his MLB debut with the White Sox.

Semien played parts of two seasons for the White Sox before he was traded to Oakland.  Semien played six seasons in an A’s uniform before electing for free agency last October.  He signed a 1-year, $18M deal to play for Toronto.  He recently filed for free agency for a second time in just over one year.

Do the Blue Jays want Semien back?

According to Jon Heyman (see Tweet above), it sounds like the Blue Jays would love to have Semien return to the Blue Jays.  The biggest problem would be term and money.

In 2021, Semien had an excellent year with a .265 BA, 45 HR, 102 RBI and 15 SB.

He can play very good defense at either 2B or SS.  For the majority of his career, Semien has played SS.  According to mlb.com, Semien has made 105 errors at SS in 796 games and has a .969 Fielding %.  Semien has played 176 games at 2B and has made 12 errors and has a .982 Fielding %.

Why would the Texas Rangers want Semien?

Marcus Semien could be used at SS or 2B with the Rangers.  Like Trevor Story, if Semien is used at SS, he could help mentor Josh Jung.  If the Rangers decided to use Semien at 2B, KIner-Falefa could stay at SS.  Either way, Nick Solak looks like the odd man out.

What would it take to sign him?

This will likely be Semien’s biggest pay day.  The Rangers will need to sign him prior to the CBA running out on December 1.  I believe that in order for the Rangers to lure him away from Toronto, they will need to sign him for 5-years/$125M.

What is the likelihood of the Texas Rangers landing Marcus Semien?

Semien is a client of Scott Boras and there is no doubt that Boras has talked to the Rangers about Semien and Corey Seager.  The Rangers have the money and now they have to come to an agreement on term and they should be able to land one of the prized infielders.