Raise your hand if, like me, you uttered something unprintable when you heard the reported terms of Marcus Semien's new contract and the team that had offered them. That's what we call a knee-jerk reaction, which isn't always rational or correct. Your real response is what you come up with after thinking through the factors involved. Often, then, you see a reason and a rhyme, even with surprising news.
For me, after thinking this deal through, I still think something mildly unprintable, but it's a word that's less severe than my knee-jerk phrase -- and it comes with a slightly more positive connotation.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Semien and his representatives agreed to a seven-year, $175 million deal with the Texas Rangers. It's the richest deal by far of this year's free-agent season, matching the average annual value of Justin Verlander's deal with the Astros ($25 million) but for a half-decade longer.
In finding a new team, Semien becomes the second member of the long-anticipated shortstop free-agent class of 2021-22 to find a long-term home (the first being Francisco Lindor, who agreed to an extension with the Mets last season). Let's consider that class with a few numbers from baseball-reference.com:
Here, it's worth noting that Passan is also reporting that Semien is far from likely to be the last of the Rangers' high-level free-agent targets, even among that shortstop class. Still, for now, we'll look at how he fits as if he were the jewel of the Rangers' winter push, and not just a jewel.
