The Rangers have finalized a minor league contract with utility player Sam Haggerty, as reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Haggerty, represented by BHSC, will join the big league camp this spring as a non-roster invitee.
The 30-year-old was non-tendered by the Mariners last November after suffering a torn Achilles tendon while pursuing a fly ball with their Triple-A team in May, which ended his season.
Haggerty has played parts of five seasons with the Mariners, and had a brief MLB stint with the Mets in 2019 (four plate appearances). Over 477 plate appearances, he has a career batting line of .232/.312/.351, including a personal best of .255/.345/.382 (113 wRC+) in 309 plate appearances with Seattle from 2022 to 2023.
Although he lacks power, Haggerty compensates with impressive speed and versatility. In 2023, Statcast measured his sprint speed in the 92nd percentile (29.2 ft/sec), and he has a strong record of 33 successful stolen bases out of 36 attempts (91.7%) in the majors. Haggerty has played all three outfield positions and filled in at first, second, and third base, with most of his experience in left field, where he has received good ratings for his defensive skills. He is ideally suited for a platoon role; despite being a switch hitter, he struggles against left-handed pitching, hitting only .209/.278/.272 from that side, while posting a more robust .263/.355/.452 from the right side.
Having spent the last five years in the AL West, the Rangers are familiar with Haggerty. He will provide Texas with added depth, particularly in the outfield, where Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter, and Adolis Garcia are expected starters and veteran Leody Taveras is projected as the fourth outfielder (with Taveras potentially being trade bait, which could improve Haggerty’s chances of making the roster). Should Haggerty make the major league team, he will have 4.036 years of MLB service, making him controllable through at least 2026.
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