Spring Training is the most common time of year for teams and players to discuss extensions. With the exhibition game underway, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News spoke with the Rangers quarterback. Wyatt Langford about the possibility of a long-term agreement.
While Langford broadly expressed openness to the conversation, he felt no pressure to act. “It’s an amazing stadium, the facilities, the people and the leadership here. So there’s a lot to like about it. I can be open to it. There’s no rush to do anything,” the 24-year-old said. “That’s my opinion … about it. No matter what happens, I’ll be here for four more seasons, unless I’m traded or something.”
Langford broke camp in 2024 and has two years of MLB service. He will be eligible for compensation for the first time next winter. As he said, he’s still four years away from free agency (barring a major change in the process for the next round of negotiations). He is likely to hit the market before his age-28 season.
Although Langford played for nearly minor league salaries the past two years, he banked an $8MM signing bonus as the fourth round pick in 2023. He also earned nearly $1MM over the past two seasons using a pre-arbitration bonus. Langford must be in good financial shape to be able to continue year after year if he wants to bet.
Grant writes that there are no recent discussions before. He reports that they had brief discussions last season that did not progress and have not continued. It wouldn’t be surprising if the front office moved in with his representatives at Wasserman closer to Opening Day.
Langford is coming off a .241/.344/.431 showing with 22 homers and stolen bases overall in 573 plate appearances. He is a corner back who plays in midfield when the club needs it. They might use him primarily in the right place nearby Evan Carter again Brandon Nimmobut Langford could step in if Carter gets injured again.
He is closer to free agency than he is Jackson Merrill it was when he signed an eight-year, $135MM extension last April. He is a better defender than that Tyler Soderstromwho signed $86MM in the same years as the service class in December. Langford won’t be close to the $289MM guarantee Bobby Witt Jr. ordered as a franchise shortstop, but his camp may want between $150-200MM for a multi-year free agent signing.
Langford is locked into an everyday role on the field, but Texas has a few battles to resolve during camp. While second base appears to be one such position, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News writes that it appears Josh Smith loss function. The player has made both of his appearances in the main event and was promoted mid-game along with the rest of the team’s daily guesses.
Smith appeared to be the house favorite instead Marcus Semien since Texas dealt a veteran infielder to the Mets for Nimmo. Cody Freeman had the best chance to push him for that job, but he will miss almost all of Spring Training after being diagnosed with a broken lower back. Ezequiel Duran he should step into Smith’s previous role as a utility player.
An early first-round pick Justin Foscue he spent most of his minor league career at second base. Foscue likely doesn’t have an MLB record, however, and Texas plans to get him an outfield job in camp. That would give him a better chance to win the bench job. That took a bit of a hit this afternoon, as the 26-year-old left Monday’s game with right hamstring strain (reported by Kennedy Landry of MLB.com). Foscue had started the game first. He singled in his first at-bat but was removed after one inning.
