The Texas Rangers have been mentioned in trade rumors since Jurickson Profar went down with an injury and now Chicago Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney along with Brandon Phillips, Rickie Weeks and Nick Franklin are top targets in deals, while the team could also look to add Stephen Drew as a backup option if those other avenues fail to materialize, as the 2B will be out for up to 12 weeks with an injury.
The Rangers are in a tough spot with Profar after he injured his shoulder, as the team traded away Ian Kinsler during the offseason to open up room for Profar in the infield. According to Hardball Talk, the Rangers could be gearing up for a trade, as they have been scouting Barney this spring and he could be the top option for the team if the opt to pull off a deal before or just after Opening Day. Trades this early in the season are rare, but the Yankees made some moves last year while coming down with a number of injuries and now the Rangers could follow suit, as they were expecting big things from Profar, who was originally a shortstop behind Elvis Andrus, who was mentioned in trade rumors this offseason as well.
MLB.com reported the news about Barney and he could be a solid option to pick up for the Rangers after Profar went down and this comes after he hit .234 with six home runs and 26 RBIs last season. Profar injured his shoulder in a spring game last week and while he will not need surgery, the injury is expected to keep him out for over two months and that means he will be missing a large chunk of the season. Profar has not been able to do much this spring after dealing with a shoulder issue and now he will be off the field for a considerable amount of time and that leaves the Rangers scrambling.
Stephen Drew is not a natural second baseman but he could be used as a desperation plan if the other trades fall through, while Brandon Phillips is another option. The team may not want to take the money on Phillips' deal, but he looks like he will be on his way out in Cincy eventually after locking horns with management as well as reporters since last season. Lone Star Ball reports that Rickie Weeks could be a potential option as well, but that also includes some big money with $11 million coming to him after signing a contract with the Brewers and that might be too much for Texas to take on as a backup option.
The Tigers had some shortstop issues after Jose Iglesias went down with an injury and they brought on Alex Gonzalez and now Drew looks to be the last man standing on the free agent market. Last season Barney played in 141 games and hit just .208, but he has solid potential at second base and he had seven home runs and over 40 RBIs for the third straight season and that could be a potential move for the Rangers if they worry about Profar.
