Ian Kinsler High On Bruce Bochy, Rangers

The former Texas second baseman is back as a special assistant and is bullish on what the Rangers can accomplish.

Ian Kinsler says he would have come back to the Texas Rangers as a special assistant even if the club hadn’t made the moves that were made this offseason.

But he sees that as a bonus.

“It’s pretty self-explanatory when you look at the moves they’ve made,” Kinsler said. “Starting with the first one, hiring Boch (manager Bruce Bochy). One, you have a Hall of Fame manager, somebody who has been there and done that and has won multiple World Series and knows what that looks like, everything else kind of falls into place.”

Bochy is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but he’s likely a lock with three championships and more than 2,000 wins as a manager.

Rangers general manager Chris Young hired him based on those credentials, including a World Series win by the San Francisco Giants at the Rangers’ expense in 2010.

Young and the Rangers went all-in this offseason on veteran starting pitching after six straight losing seasons.

The Rangers started the offseason with one veteran starter under contract in Jon Gray.

Once free agency began, the Rangers got to work. Martín Pérez was retained on a one-year deal. The Rangers traded for Jake Odorizzi. Then the Rangers signed three new starters, including the top free-agent on the market in Jacob deGrom. The Rangers also signed Andrew Heaney and Nathan Eovaldi.

Kinsler took notice, along with the Rangers’ big signings last year — shortstop Corey Seager and second baseman Marcus Semien. It’s a financial commitment from the team’s ownership, led by Ray Davis.

“Obviously what Ray Davis has committed to this organization and allowing CY (Young) to acquire the players that he has," Kinsler said. "It just seems like all the pieces are falling into place.”

Kinsler, named a Rangers Hall of Famer last year, joined Texas as a special assistant to Young earlier this week after spending three years in a similar role with the San Diego Padres.

He sees promise in the future for this organization, which is what he experienced as the Rangers second baseman on back-to-back World Series teams in 2010 and 2011.

“Seeing what the Rangers have done this winter is very exciting and they’re obviously committed to winning,” Kinsler said.

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