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Veteran infielder Marcus Semien agreed to a seven-year contract with the Texas Rangers on Sunday, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Robert Murray of FanSided first reported a deal was close.
Semien’s decision to sign with a new team does not come as a surprise. He was one of the best shortstops on the open market alongside Carlos Correa, Trevor Story, Corey Seager and Javier Baez.
The 31-year-old was also gearing up to sign a big deal in free agency, hiring the Scott Boras Corporation to represent him, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
Boras has been viewed as one of the best agents in baseball for a while, having negotiated megadeals for New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (nine years, $324 million) and Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon (seven years, $245 million).
Semien had one of the best seasons of his career with the Blue Jays in 2021, hitting .265/.334/.538 with 45 home runs and 102 RBI. He also earned the first All-Star selection of his career last season.
The San Francisco native was looking for a long-term deal even before the 2021 season but struggled to come to terms. Instead, he bet on himself and agreed to a one-year, $18 million deal with the Blue Jays to play second base.
Semien had several other suitors on the open market, including the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners, among others.
It’s not surprising that the Rangers pursued Semien in free agency, as they were also looking at Seager and Story. Isiah Kiner-Falefa would have entered the 2022 season as their starting shortstop if they had not signed Semien or another top free agent.
Kiner-Falefa was average in 2021, slashing .271/.312/.670 with eight home runs and 53 RBI.
The Rangers finished 60-102 last season, their fifth straight year without a playoff appearance. Semien should help the club turn things around in 2022.
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