With the opening of Globe Life Field a little more than a year away, the Texas Rangers could have an intriguing lure for free agents this offseason.
Set to open in time for the 2020 season, the $1.2 billion retractable-roof Globe Life Field will replace the open-air Globe Life Park in Arlington as the home of the Rangers. After spending years playing home games in the Texas heat, the Rangers will have a new retractable-roof ballpark that should provide a more comfortable gameday experience for fans and players alike.
Typically a new ballpark can be a favorable offering from a team as it pursues free agents, and the Rangers might find that to be the case with the new Globe Life Field. Any free agent signing with the Rangers this offseason with would need a multiyear deal in order for Globe Life Field to be a consideration, but the impending arrival of a new ballpark with a retractable roof and the latest in player facilities could give general manager Jon Daniels and the club’s front office an intriguing element in their pitches to free agents. More from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
“It’s part of the story,” Daniels said. “We’ve talked more about the amenities we’re going to have. It’s going to be a place that players are going to want to play.”
The Rangers aren’t fooling themselves. They know that the bottom line will be the top dollar a player can receive, but it can’t hurt the Rangers to show off their new $1.2 billion digs.
“Finances play a huge role,” Daniels said. “A player’s ability to win is going to play a big role. Can their family be happy. There are a number of other factors below that, but I think those are the three biggest.”
The Rangers are coming off of a disappointing 67-95 season, but could perhaps look to make a turnaround and field a competitive club by the time Globe Life Field opens. Once Globe Life Field does open, it will be the first new ballpark in the majors since Atlanta’s SunTrust Park debuted in 2017.
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