Through nine games, the Rangers’ trade deadline investment is paying off. Since acquiring former Milwaukee Brewer Jonathan Lucroy, the catcher has hit four home runs for Texas. And Carlos Beltran has been equally impressive, hitting .310 since the Rangers landed the former Yankees outfielder.
Speaking of the deals general manager Jon Daniels made at the deadline, Rangers manager Jeff Banister spoke glowingly about the new additions, saying he feels “blessed to be able to be the one who gets to write their names on the lineup card.”
The manager’s impression of the new guys is clearly shared by the other players on the roster.
Judging by the way teammates speak about them and greet them in the dugout in games, both Beltran and Lucroy seem to have made the transition into the new clubhouse quickly. This is both a credit to the two new players, but also speaks volumes about a Texas roster that has developed a reputation for being welcoming to new faces on the team.
“They’ve done a great job of putting together a roster with character guys,” said Rangers outfielder Ian Desmond, who, in his first season with Texas, has also felt immediately accepted in the clubhouse. “It makes it easy to feel welcome. It makes for a really smooth transition.”
And it’s provided a path to success on the diamond. Going into a weekend series with the Detroit Tigers, Lucroy and Beltran’s performances have helped pave the way to a run of five wins in six games for the Rangers.
