Bubba Thompson Still 'Game-Changer' For Rangers

The signing of Robbie Grossman doesn't mean the Texas Rangers have given up on Bubba Thompson.

The Texas Rangers signing Robbie Grossman should not be seen as a sign that the organization has lost faith in the development of Bubba Thompson.

Far from it. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday that he sees Thompson as a “game-changer.”

“Look at the game today,” Bochy said. “You know how they’re promoting it now, the stolen base is back. He’s one of the fastest guys in the game.”

The reality is that while Thompson is as quick as they come, he only has a couple of hundred Major League at-bats and the Rangers have sought to make themselves better at every position possible.

“I think Bubba has a path to being on this team independent of Grossman,” general manager Chris Young said.

Thompson batted .265/.302/.312/.614 in 55 games with the Rangers after his call-up in August. He has a solid glove, but once he gets on base Thompson can deploy his speed, which Young called a “unique separator skill.”

Thompson stole 18 bases with the Rangers last season. But before his call-up he set a Triple-A Round Rock record for stolen bases in a season.

The former first-round pick could be the long-term answer in left field. Young said the team envisions him as an “everyday outfielder.”

So why not this season? The Rangers won’t rule it out. But think of signing Grossman as insurance. Thompson has fewer MLB at-bats than players like Adolis Garcia, Leody Taveras, Brad Miller and Grossman.

But both Young and Bochy said the left-field position could be a platoon situation. Young also expressed admiration for Thompson’s versatility, and Bochy said Thompson would see time at all three outfield positions this spring.

“The way our team is structured he certainly could be an extra outfielder, but we anticipate Bubba continuing to get better and better the way he has throughout his minor league career,” Young said.

Thompson hasn’t reported to camp yet. He’ll arrive on Monday with the rest of the position players.

When he does so he’ll have Grossman, along with Miller, Josh Smith Ezequiel Duran and Mark Mathias chasing him.

---

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

Catch up with Inside the Rangers on Facebook and Twitter.

Need to catch up on the Rangers? Check out our Texas Rangers Offseason Central Page!

Need to get ready for Spring Training? Check out our Rangers Spring Training Tracker