4:10pm: Texas has announced the deal.
2:26pm: The Rangers have agreed to a minor league contract with free-agent first baseman Greg Bird, per George A. King III of the New York Post (Twitter link). He’ll be in Major League camp as a non-roster invitee this spring.
Now 27 years old, Bird once looked to be a possible long-term answer for the Yankees at first base. His debut in 2015 produced a .261/.343/.529 slash and 11 homers in 178 plate appearances for the then-22-year-old, but his career has been ravaged by injuries since that time. Since that scintillating debut, Bird has suffered a torn labrum, undergone ankle surgery and missed significant time due to a tear in his plantar fascia. As a result, over the past four seasons, he’s been limited to a .194/.287/.388 slash in just 522 plate appearances.
That said, the Rangers’ own first base situation is hardly inspiring. They have a former top prospect of their own, Ronald Guzman, who has yet to deliver on his own potential. Joey Gallo has experience at the position but is being entrusted with outfield duties for the foreseeable future. Non-roster players like Sam Travis and Matt Duffy could also factor into the mix, as could infielder/outfielder Danny Santana, depending on what (if any) additional outfield moves the Rangers make between now and Opening Day.
Despite his lack of time on the field, Bird has racked up more than four years of Major League service time — much of it coming on the injured list. If he’s able to crack the Rangers’ roster and prove to be a serviceable option in 2020, he’d remain controllable through the 2021 season as an arbitration-eligible player.
Good signing.
I am guessing you haven’t seen a Yankees game since 2015
Maybe he’ll play better without drunk Yanks fans throwing car batteries at him from the stands.
Did that actually happen?
Even if you watched Yankees games you would have seen Bird.
Another failed Yankees prospect.
Another hater reaching for a lame insult.
Yeah, just like Severino, Betances, Sanchez, Torres, Andujar and Judge.
Team can’t produce anything from the farm.
Lol
Get em Boogaloo!
Torres was a cubs prospect
that’s not Josh Bell
It is if you asked yankees fans for the past few years lol
You mean if you asked Yankees fans 4-5 years ago
Yes, the ONLY fans to be high on a prospect who didn’t pan out (due in no small part to injuries). The ONLY fans to do so… Those uniquely gullible Yankee fans. Try some intellectual honesty.
Nowhere to go but up for Bird after hitting .171 last season.
lol he could hit .170 if he really puts his mind to it
That’s what we thought after he hit .190 in ’17. Still hope he can stay healthy for a full season.
Yeah it’s called the IL
Nashville is in the PCL, not the IL.
In Bird’s case, it’s called the DL.
That so insensitive. I’m offended.
Bird is our generations’ Nick Johnson
lol he’ll make camp then poo up his ankles again.
Great AAA depth if Guzman falls flat again, assuming Bird can stay at least somewhat healthy. No risk, high potential for reward.
If Guzman falls flat?
When.
I wish him luck. He might be able to get some playing time on the MLB roster considering their 1B is Todd Frazier
Frazier will be playing third. Ronald Guzman is pencilled in as the left handed platoon bat at first to be paired with Sam Travis as the right handed first base bat.
Guzman and Bird are essentially competing for the left handed hitting part of a first base platoon with Travis and Nick Solak contending for the right handed bat part of the platoon at first
I was just going off their official depth chart, but i see your point. I can see Bird having a good spring and winning the job, he usually has a good spring lol
@123Redsox
Seems counter-productive to his growth to make Solak a platoon hitter. Small sample size but he hit about a .752 OPS vs righties and a 1.078 vs lefties. Let him face more RHP and see if he can maintain or improve.
Big Bird
Oompapaoomowowoompapaoomowow
Bird should do okay if he can ever stay healthy for a full season. He hasn’t been able to do that at the major league level yet. Maybe this year.
Good luck to Bird. Unfortunate that injuries prevented him from becoming an impact player for the Yankees. Hopefully the change will help to rejuvenate his career.
He should rake in the PCL
I’ll be surprise he becomes how nick johnson was with yanks then went to the nats and became a good player.
I liked Nick “The Stick” Johnson. Great defense and smooth high contact hitter. Rooting for Bird to stay healthy and play consistently. GL!
Johnson was a good player with the Yankees….just couldn’t avoid injuries.
I remember when Yankees fans thought he was the second coming of Babe Ruth…
Is that so?
nobody thought that
Nobody honestly thought anything like that. Context! At the time, the Yankees had no other answers at 1B until they acquired Luke Voit. The fanbase was rooting hard for Bird, who showed an ability to rake a little when healthy, and his swing was beautiful for Yankee Stadium.
I was told by countless Yankees fans he was going to be a perennial all-star and hit 45+ homers a year. Most of their prospects are highly overrated by their fan base.
No you weren’t.
rangerslegend
There are prospects and young players on half if not more teams that are highly touted who will not pan out. Try and be objective and you will be more honest and demonstrate some character. As it stands you are lacking in intellectual honesty. See Wikipedia.
Exactly. Every team has prospects that are hyped for good reason. They have tools, great seasons, great partial seasons and/or were highly sought or drafted. The yankees are just in the news more and have such a huge fanbase so its simply discussed more.
No. That was Jesus Montero. And Phil Hughes was going to be Whitey Ford 2.0. That’s the media hype-train for you.
It’s that way about all their prospects. Montero, Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Erick Almonte, Joba Chamberlain, Eric Duncan, Drew Henson, Greg Bird, the list goes on and on…
I’m sure it was an oversight that I don’t see Judge, Sanchez, Severino, Cano, Gardner, Andujar, Betances, and David Robertson on your list. And that’s just off the top of my head. This isn’t a Yankee problem. This is a “huge market with more media coverage problem.” Most prospects fail.
rangerslegend
There are prospects and young players on half if not more teams that are highly touted who will not pan out. Try and be objective and you will be more honest and demonstrate some character. As it stands you are lacking in intellectual honesty. See Wikipedia.
Never heard of Fail Home Run Hughes being compared to Whitey Ford. However, I did hear of him being compared to Roger Clemens.
Who were these Yankee fans?
I hope we can just get Bryant and stick Frazier at first so this will be over.
Let’s be clear, he never had the potential that Nick Johnson had, but a similar inability to stay on the field has led to some comparisons because of the unrealized potential. I would love (as a Yankee fan) to see him stay healthy and put it all together. Even though his time in NY was frustrating – especially for him, I’m sure – he was always easy to root for, in my opinion. Good luck Mr. Bird!
Rangers have had a productive offseason
Greg Bird….roll the sarcastic remarks, but what about the fantastic coincidence that Bird and Blake Swihart are now together in the same organization. Cool, huh?
And Sam Travis and Todd Frazier, man we are just stealing away former Red Sox and Yankees lol.
Not to mention Rob Refsnyder as well. Beastin
Could he be consider a candidate for “comeback player of the year”? Or was he such a bust with NY that he can’t qualify.
He hasn’t played enough with an established history for a comeback.
So you really have to have an established history of sucking at one point to get the award…
Sweet swing. Never forget homer of Miller against Cleveland. All went downhill after that. At one time best hitter in Yanks minor league system.
Sweet swing. Best hitter in Yanks minor league system at one time. Homer off Miller in playoffs highlight of his career. Too bad injuries did him in. Hope he gets shot with Rangers.
Absolutely nothing to lose with what we currently have at the corners in Texas. Great idea imo.
Except Bird himself. Guy is like Tulowitzki on steroids when it comes to injuries.
Absolutely nothing to lose with what we currently have at the corners in Texas. Great idea imo.
Absolutely nothing to lose with what we currently have at the corners in Texas. Great idea imo.
Was hoping the Jays would sign him up. He has a John Olerud type swing that should play well if he can stay healthy.
That’s a big if.
Bird bird bird is the word a word a
bird bird the injured bird
I say
bird bird bird is the word a word
If the guy can remain vertical in the lineup he might realize his 2016 season again. I really wonder just how healthy is this guy?
No one has said it? OK, I got it… great depth move. Lol.
Great for the new IL daily list. Put his name on now.
Hope he makes good on the potential he flashed while healthy with the Yankees, just not in October against them.
He’s so bad. I’ve never understood the love for the kid, he’s terrible and always has been
I thought Boston should’ve taken a flier on Bird. This is a good signing. There’s life in that bat. Change of scenery will do wonders
So many injuries, rooting for his success
Thank God, the Yankee National Nightmare is over!!!
To Braves fan: the love was for that sweet lefty swing, like Olerud. Tailor made for short porch in right field. He was rated as best hitter in yanks minor league system. Injuries derailed him.
It’s official – rangers are a shoo in for the WS.
Signed
Yankees fan
Ask the Twins how 57 at bats of Kevin Maas worked
Excellent deal for Texas. Former high level prospect ravaged by injuries. Could be a big reward
Hopefully it works out for both sides.