The Rangers have signed utility player Sam Haggerty to a minor league contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Represented by BHSC, Haggerty will join the team’s big league camp as a non-roster invitee this spring.
The 30-year-old was non-tendered by the Mariners in November after suffering a torn Achilles tendon while chasing a flyball in Triple-A last May, a season-ending injury.
Haggerty has played parts of five seasons with Seattle, along with a brief MLB debut for the Mets in 2019, where he had just four plate appearances. Over his career, he has posted a .232/.312/.351 batting line across 477 plate appearances, including a career-high .255/.345/.382 (113 wRC+) in 309 trips to the plate between 2022 and 2023.
While not known for his power, Haggerty compensates with speed and versatility. Statcast recorded his sprint speed in the 92nd percentile (29.2 ft/sec) as recently as 2023, and he has an impressive 33-for-36 (91.7%) success rate in stolen base attempts. Defensively, he has experience across the diamond, playing all three outfield positions as well as first, second, and third base. Most of his time has been spent in left field, where he has received solid defensive ratings.
At the plate, Haggerty is best suited for a platoon role. Despite being a switch-hitter, he has struggled from the left side (.209/.278/.272) but has performed well from the right (.263/.355/.452).
Having spent several years in the AL West, the Rangers are familiar with Haggerty. He adds depth to their roster, particularly in the outfield, where Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter, and Adolis GarcÃa are expected to start, with Leody Taveras as the fourth outfielder. If Texas moves Taveras in a trade, Haggerty’s chances of making the team could improve. If he secures a roster spot, he will have 4.036 years of MLB service time, keeping him under team control through at least 2026.
