Reports: Rangers Add Brad Miller, Lose Out on Seiya Suzuki
SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Texas Rangers have added some depth to the infield, agreeing to terms with free agent infielder Brad Miller.
MLB Drops first broke the story on Twitter, but was later confirmed by multiple national reporters. According to Jeff Wilson of the Texas Rangers Baseball Newsletter, Miller agreed to a Major League contract. The Rangers currently have 39 players on the 40-man roster, so a subsequent roster move will not be required to add Miller.
Miller, 32, played five different positions for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021. He also mashed 20 home runs in only 331 at-bats. He slashed .227/.321/.453/.744 in 140 games last year, but is not too far removed from a season where he posted a .894 OPS and 126 OPS+ over 79 total games with the Cleveland Guardians and Phillies in 2019.
Given his versatility, the Rangers have added power from the left side with an ability to play any position in the infield. Though the most glaring need for the Rangers is at third base, Miller has only made 49 appearances at the hot corner over 947 games in his career. It will be interesting to see what role the Rangers envision for Miller.
Seiya Suzuki Reportedly Agrees to Deal with Cubs
According to multiple reports, first by NBC Sports Chicago's David Kaplan, Japanese free agent Seiya Suzuki has agreed to a five-year, $85 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.
The Rangers had interest in Suzuki as an additional option for the outfield. At this point, it is unclear if the Rangers had the chance to have a meeting with Suzuki.
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