While this isn’t the kind of ‘Passan bomb’ that will send fans into a frenzy, this signing provides a valuable depth piece for the Rangers.
The signing reunites Bride with Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, who led him during his most productive Major League season.
Bride’s standout performance came with Schumaker’s Marlins in 2024, where he posted a .276/.357/.461 slash line and hit 11 home runs. That hot streak was enough to earn him the designated hitter job on Opening Day this season.
However, Bride struggled his first 12 games, hitting just .100, leading Miami to designate him for assignment.
The Texas Rangers are trading Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in exchange for Brandon Nimmo and $5 million
The Marlins then traded Bride to the Minnesota Twins.
The right-handed hitter also didn’t find success with Minnesota, posting a .208/.275/.236 line in 80 trips to the plate before receiving his second DFA of the year.
He went undrafted due to waivers and finished the season with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints, where he thrived against minor league pitching.
In 43 games, Bride hit .281/.423/.453 while recording an equal number of walks and strikeouts.
The 29-year-old plays primarily at the corner infield positions, with most of his experience coming at third base, with a fair amount of reps on the right side of the infield as well.
While he’s down on power, his typically patient approach has generated an impressive .294/.430/.498 slash line over four Triple-A seasons. His limited Major League track record sits at .221/.311/.313 in nearly 700 plate appearances, but as previously mentioned, he provides Texas with capable organizational depth.
Bride isn’t expected to be an everyday player, but his chances of a bench role would increase if third baseman Josh Jung or first baseman Jake Burger were traded later in the offseason.
The deal includes an invitation to Major League camp.
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