Bird lands in Texas.


Greg Bird looked like he was going to be the Yankees first baseman of the future, taking over for Mark Teixeira.

He got the job toward the end the 2015 season and hit 11 home runs, driving in 31, in just 46 games. Yankees fans always over value the home run so he was worshipped as the next great Yankee.

But from there it was a career mostly punctuated with injury. Which led to disappointment. 

He lost all of 2016 to a shoulder injury.

A right ankle injury kept him out of most of 2017, just 48 games, and 2018, just 82 games.

He came back healthy in 2019, was the Yankees opening day first baseman, homered, then ten games later was lost for the season with plantar fasciitis.  

That’s a hard injury to come back from. So, the Yankees cut him. Now he gets new life with the Rangers.

The 27-year-old lefthanded hitter has power though. He’s racked up 32 home runs and 98 RBIs in what is basically slightly over a season’s worth of games (186 total) spread out over four seasons.

But he’s a lifetime .211 hitter with a career on-base of .301. 

Bird is a home run or nothing guy. Just what the Rangers need. He’s a lefthanded bat. Also, just what the Rangers need. 

All he has is upside. Here’s hoping he finds it.