Sammy Sosa and the Rangers…worth taking the risk.
A couple weeks ago, Sammy Sosa signed a $500,000 minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers.
While I’m not convinced I care all that much about Sammy Sosa, I am not entirely convinced it’s a bad idea. If anything, I like Jon Daniels’ willingness to take a risk. Here’s a few reasons it may work out:
- Sosa flopped in 2005 in Baltimore because his hitting mechanics stunk. He couldn’t get back to fundamentals. (Or, maybe he just couldn’t find a good corked bat). Ranger hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo is a master at getting hitters back to fundamentals - if he can get Sosa to make quicker adjustments at the plate, Sosa may have a productive year in Texas.
- New Ranger manager Ron Washington hinted that Sosa could bat fifth behind Teixeira. Although Tex is probably better suited for the 3-hole, he’d probably get a little more protection with Sosa hitting behind him than he did last year with Nevin and Blalock.
- Sosa has a personality, and personalities draw fans to games. As long as his personality doesn’t interfere with the Rangers’ clubhouse dynamic, Sosa could really help getting some fans out to the Ballpark. One thing that’s clear about the Rangers - when more fans are in the seats, they are a more competitive team.
All things considered, Sammy Sosa may turn out to be a huge flop. But for $500,000 - or just 50% above the league-minimum salary - it’s worth the gamble.
