Free agents from AL West rivals the Texas Rangers could steal this winter

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Oct 5, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Mitch Haniger (17) points to the bullpen after hitting a solo-home run against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

Free agents the Texas Rangers could steal from their AL West rivals

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners made the playoffs in 2022, their first appearance since 2001. That’s a copious amount of suffering, and the drought is now over.

Seattle has tons of talent on their roster, and should remain in the conversation for the playoffs next year and in years to come. They also dominated the Rangers in their season series in 2022, so Texas could stand to benefit from having players that beat them… join them.

The one name I’m eyeing? Outfielder Mitch Haniger.

Though injury prone, Haniger is the kind of outfielder the Rangers need right now: someone who can produce, because the Rangers got almost no production from their outfielders in 2022 besides Adolis Garcia and the occasional bursts from Leody Taveras, Eli White and Bubba Thompson.

Haniger shouldn’t be too expensive coming off a down 2022 in which he had just 11 homers and a .737 OPS, but he had 39 long balls in 2021 and 26 in 2018, so the talent is there. And a change of scenery could be perfect for Haniger, who is being overshadowed by Julio Rodriguez in the Mariners’ outfield.

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