Four infielders, including potential regulars Josh Jung, Jake Burger and Josh Smith, avoid salary arbitration by reaching agreements with the Texas Rangers. The first hurdle any arbitration-eligible player must clear...
Four infielders, including potential regulars Josh Jung, Jake Burger and Josh Smith, avoid salary arbitration by reaching agreements with the Texas Rangers.
The first hurdle any arbitration-eligible player must clear is to be tendered a contract, and Josh Jung, Jake Burger and Josh Smith were Nov. 21 by the Texas Rangers. The next hurdle is avoiding salary arbitration.
That trio, plus fellow infielder Ezequiel Duran, did that Thursday ahead of the deadline for teams and players to exchange salary figures for 2026. The Rangers haven’t been to an arbitration hearing since 2000 with Lee Stevens.
In doing so, the Rangers might have sewn up the infield picture.
Jung, Burger and Smith are projected to be regulars at third base, first base and second base, and Duran could become a platoon partner with Smith as the Rangers attempt to replace Marcus Semien.
Corey Seager returns for the fifth season of his 10-year, $325 million contract. With Seager’s injury history, Smith and Duran could see multiple games at shortstop.
Cody Freeman, a pre-arbitration player, is also in the mix at second base. Sam Haggerty, who avoided arbitration Nov. 21, can also play second base.
The Rangers are counting on Jung and Burger to rebound after mediocre showings in 2025. Both were sent to Triple A Round Rock after prolonged slumps, and Burger spent much of the season dealing with injuries that led to offseason surgery on his left wrist.
Smith would be an everyday player for the first time, even though he has received everyday at-bats the past two seasons because of injuries. He must overcome the second-half woes of 2024 and 2025.
Jeff Wilson, [email protected]
Category: General Sports
