Would a Kris Bryant signing be good for the Texas Rangers?

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 03: Kris Bryant #23 of the San Francisco Giants bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bottom of the seventh inning at Oracle Park on September 03, 2021 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 03: Kris Bryant #23 of the San Francisco Giants bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bottom of the seventh inning at Oracle Park on September 03, 2021 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Besides starting pitching, a glaring weakness for the Texas Rangers is the offensive production from the outfielders.  After the Joey Gallo trade and David Dahl not working out, the Rangers are left with (should be) Rookie of the Year Adolis Garcia, and not much else in the outfield.

To compliment Garcia, one option is the free agent signing of Kris Bryant.

Here is a deep dive into Kris Bryant, the player.

Age: 30 in January

Drafted by Chicago Cubs, 2013, Round 1, #2 Overall

MLB Years Active : 7

GP: 884

AB: 3,287

R: 592

H: 914

2B: 204

3B: 19

HR: 167

RBI: 487

SB: 44

AVG: .278

OBP: .376

Why is Kris Bryant available to the Texas Rangers?

Prior to making his MLB debut with the Cubs, Bryant played parts of three seasons in the Cubs minor leagues.  Since the age of 23, Bryant has been a regular in the MLB.  In his final year of arbitration eligibility, Bryant signed a one-year $19.5M contract with the Cubs.  Knowing that it would be difficult to re-sign Bryant, the Cubs traded him to the San Francisco Giants prior to the trade deadline to help bolster their playoff run.  Bryant was ineligible to receive a  qualifying offer making him a free agent.  If Bryant signs with Texas, there will be no compensation required to San Francisco.

Do the Giants want Bryant back?

According to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, Bryant is unlikely to come back to the Giants.  As a free agent, Bryant will have several suitors that will be willing to pay his asking price.  Hopefully, Texas is one of those clubs.

Why would the Texas Rangers want Kris Bryant?

In 2015, Bryant was selected the NL Rookie of the Year.  In 2016, Bryant won the NL Hank Aaron Award, NL MVP, and was a World Series Champion.  Bryant has also been a NL All-Star on four occasions.  Bryant is a right-handed hitting player who can play multiple positions.  If he was signed by Texas, he would likely play LF.

What would it take to sign him?

The Rangers will need to sign Bryant prior to the CBA running out on December 1.  I believe that Bryant will sign for 5 years/$150M.

What is the likelihood of the Texas Rangers landing Kris Bryant?

Prior to Joey Gallo being traded, Bryant signing with Texas was quite possible.  Bryant and Gallo are close friends from Las Vegas and there was a good possibility that they would reunite on the same team.  With Gallo traded to the Yankees, signing Bryant got a bit more difficult.  The Rangers could use Bryant because of his immense ability.  Kris Bryant will have to decide where he wants to play and what the cost will be to sign a player of his caliber.

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