James Loney to Rangers: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

Free-agent first baseman James Loney's short stint with the New York Mets earned him a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers on Friday, according to Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball.

If he makes the major league roster, he will earn $1 million in 2017.

Loney began the 2016 season as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, the team he spent the past three seasons with, but was released on April 3.

After being picked up by the San Diego Padres, Loney was sent to Triple-A El Paso and was quickly purchased by the Mets, who were in dire need of first base help after Lucas Duda went on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his lower back in May.

In New York, the 32-year-old turned things around by batting .265 with nine home runs and 34 RBI in 100 games. The year before in Tampa Bay, Loney had just four home runs and 32 RBI in four more games.  

Not only did Loney provide a decent bat for the lower portion of the Mets lineup, but he also brought a steady glove, posting just eight errors in 734 chances. 

But he saved his heroics until the final series of the season, hitting the go-ahead home run against the Philadelphia Phillies to help the Mets clinch the No. 1 wild-card spot in the National League, via MLB.com:

The Rangers will be hoping that Loney can provide just as pleasant a surprise with them as he provided for the Mets. 

As a left-handed bat who can hit the ball to all parts of the field, Loney doesn't provide the power that is looked for in an ideal first baseman, but his ability to put the ball in play could be invaluable when it comes to situations with runners on base. 

His presence could also provide insurance to an uncertain Rangers first base situation that is set to feature Ryan Rua, who is replacing Mitch Moreland after he signed with the Boston Red Sox. If Texas isn't getting the production it would like out of Rua, Loney could get a call-up to the majors. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.