The Rangers were vying for first baseman Edwin Encarnacion before he reportedly agreed to a deal with Cleveland Thursday night.
The result: Texas is now considered a "front runner" to bring back first baseman Mike Napoli to fill the position after losing Mitch Moreland, Carlos Beltran and Prince Fielder. ESPN's Jim Bowden first reported the news.
Paul Kinzer just told us that the A’s and Rangers were both in on Encarnacion until the last minutes and turned down more money from Oak
— Jim Bowden (@JimBowden_ESPN) December 23, 2016
SportsDay Rangers insider Evan Grant also weighed in on what the signing could mean for the team and for prospect Joey Gallo's development.