/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/24975903/181759408.0.jpg)
Rangers beat reporter T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers have a seven year offer on the table for outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. Here is an excerpt from Sullivan's blog piece:
According to a source, the Rangers have a seven-year offer on the table to free agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo and he is giving it serious consideration. The offer is less than the $153 million deal that Jacoby Ellsbury signed with the Yankees this off-season but is still strong enough for Choo to consider.
The Rangers had a two-hour meeting with Choo prior to the Winter Meetings and gave him a strong sales pitch about coming to Texas. Choo turned down a six-year offer from the Rangers, according to the source. But now it appears the Rangers have gone seven years and could have a good chance to sign him at possibly around $130 million.
At the beginning of the offseason, I felt that Choo's top landing spots would be either with the Yankees or Rangers. The Rangers need a leadoff hitter and an outfielder to take over right field for free agent Nelson Cruz.
Here is what their lineup would look like with Choo:
RF - Shin-Soo Choo
SS - Elvis Andrus
1B - Prince Fielder
3B - Adrian Beltre
LF - Alex Rios
DH - Mitch Moreland
2B - Jurickson Profar
C - Geovany Soto
CF - Leonys Martin
I really like the middle of the Rangers lineup there, and Choo has a real chance at leading the majors in runs scored in 2014 if he does sign.
I ranked him as my #13 outfielder for 2014, and that sounds about right, even if he does sign with the Rangers. He leaves one hitters park for another, and head to a slightly better lineup behind him, in my opinion.
Sullivan just posted another blog piece saying the Rangers are not optimistic about Choo accepting their offer:
The Rangers have made their best effort toward signing free agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. They remain in communication with his agent Scott Boras. The two sides have apparently talked numbers but a Rangers source said they do not feel optimistic that he is giving strong consideration to anything that has been presented.
I am not sure another team goes eight years for Choo, but Scott Boras is his agent, and he got Jacoby Ellsbury a 7 year deal, so he might be using that contract to get Choo one more year.
Would this be a good move for the Rangers? I think it would be. Let us hear your thoughts by voting in the poll and in the comments section.