The Rangers have re-signed infielder Nick Ahmed to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He was participating in extended spring training this weekend, per Phrake Photography.
Ahmed, 35, signed a minor league deal with the Rangers in February. He put up a strong .324/.361/.647 showing during Spring Training but didn’t break camp with the club. He was released at that time but has returned to the same club a few weeks later.
The Rangers likely didn’t put much stock into Ahmed’s strong spring numbers. He has been in the majors for over a decade and is well established as a strong defender but subpar hitter. His career batting line of .234/.287/.371 translates to a 72 wRC+, indicating he’s been 28% below average overall. That’s been trending down in recent years, as he hit .221/.271/.327 for a 62 wRC+ in the 2021 through 2024 seasons.
There’s little denying the glovework. Ahmed has 79 Defensive Runs Saved and 118 Outs Above Average at shortstop in his career. From 2016 to 2019, his 76 OAA at short was tops in the majors while his 65 DRS was second only to Andrelton Simmons. He also hit close to league average at times and the combination was occasionally quite valuable. He slashed .248/.307/.421 over 2018-2020. His 89 wRC+ in that time indicates he was still 11% below league average but that passable offense and excellent glovework made him worth 8.9 wins above replacement over 368 games in that span, per the calculations of FanGraphs.
But the recent decline in offense has pushed him into journeyman status. He played for the Giants, Dodgers and Padres in 2024. As mentioned, he settled for a minor league deal with the Rangers this winter and didn’t make the big league roster.
He’ll now provide the Rangers with some non-roster infield depth. As mentioned, he’s getting a bit of action in extended spring training, presumably to get back in game shape after being unsigned for about three weeks. His transaction tracker says he’s been assigned to the Arizona Complex League Rangers. Presumably, he’ll head to Triple-A Round Rock eventually after getting some reps.
The Rangers have Corey Seager at shortstop but he has a spotty health history. Second baseman Marcus Semien has been incredibly reliable in the health department but will turn 35 this year. If either of them needed to miss some time, the Rangers have Jonathan Ornelas and Ezequiel Durán on the 40-man. Ahmed joins Sam Haggerty and Alan Trejo as non-roster middle infield options.
Photo courtesy of Joe Camporeale, Imagn Images
This is just insurance to extend Seager/Semien’s prime by offloading defensive wear on them. Nothing flashy but still a decent defender.