After being acquired by the Texas Rangers for Leury Garcia on Friday afternoon, Alex Rios showed why he could end up being one of the bigger midseason acquisitions in baseball.
The former Chicago White Sox outfielder, who has been labeled by many as "lazy" and said by scouts to have "one-gait speed" and go at "one speed, not all-out," the right fielder made a pretty quick positive impression on his new team over the weekend in Houston.
Remember when Adrian Beltre arrived in Texas via free agency with the reputation of not giving his all and not caring? Well, look where that's gone. Beltre is now a fan favorite, face of the franchise and is strengthening his case as an MLB Hall of Famer in the later years of his career.
It's funny what playing for a winning team in a playoff hunt will do for you.
In his two games with Texas over the weekend, Rios went 4-for-7 with a double and a triple, two RBIs and scored three runs. He also started a play that threw out Jose Altuve at third base when he hit Ian Kinsler, who relayed to third base to nail Altuve on what looked to be a sure triple.
Rios' ability is clear. His desire and "want-to" hasn't been so clear, according to several scouts. But he appears to already be reinvigorated by his move to Texas and not only playing for a winner but also for manager Ron Washington, who has a habit of getting guys to play their hardest for him.
