ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -Sammy Sosa wasn’t offered salary arbitration by the Texas Rangers, who still may be interested in bringing back the slugger.
Sosa, 39, hit .252 with a team-high 21 home runs and 92 RBIs in 114 games for Texas following a year out of baseball. He became a part-time player after joining the 600-homer club, starting only 19 of the last 56 games while the Rangers evaluated younger players.
Even though the Rangers didn’t offer arbitration, which wasn’t a surprise, that doesn’t preclude Sosa from re-signing with them at any time.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said there have been some conversations with Sosa’s agent, Adam Katz, about the slugger returning next season. But Katz is also still trying to get a feel for what Sosa’s value is as a free agent.
“We haven’t exchanged anything,” Daniels said. “We agreed to stay in touch.”
When Sosa joined the Rangers last spring, he got a minor league deal and made the roster out of spring training with a base salary of $600,000. He earned another $1.35 million performance bonuses.
The Rangers also didn’t offer salary arbitration for right-hander Jamey Wright, first baseman/outfielder Brad Wilkerson and utility player Jerry Hairston Jr. The Rangers have talked to Wright about returning, but don’t expect to re-sign Wilkerson and Hairston.
Add A Comment