A look at the past decade should serve as a reminder that late-November to mid-December is a busy time for the Texas Rangers in player acquisition.
Joe Nathan signed a free-agent deal Nov. 21, 2011. Prince Fielder was swapped for Ian Kinsler on Nov. 20, 2013. Jeff Mathis signed a two-year deal exactly five years later.
Mike Minor signed his deal Dec. 6, 2017, and Lance Lynn agreed to his Dec. 12, 2018.
The Rangers struck early again Wednesday, agreeing to a three-year, $30 million deal with right-hander Kyle Gibson. A source said the deal is pending a physical exam, which should be completed next week.
Gibson is not the caliber of Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg or Zack Wheeler, the three big pitchers on the market. But the Rangers still have money to chase another starting pitcher and are trying to figure out what the final dollars will be on their targets.
Make no mistake, the Rangers consider Gibson to be an upgrade. They feel that he has upside that wasn't tapped into during his first seven MLB seasons with the Minnesota Twins.
Here's why the Rangers believe there is more to Gibson than his career 4.52 ERA and 1.411 WHIP.
