The Rangers told outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. that he will not earn a spot on their Opening Day roster, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. DeShields has been in camp as a non-roster invitee, but it’s not yet clear if he will remain in the organization. The Rangers will lean on Joey Gallo, David Dahl, Leody Tavaras and Eli White as their top four outfielders, while utilitymen Brock Holt and Charlie Culberson (who hasn’t yet made the team) are also capable of playing in the grass.
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The 28-year-old DeShields signed a minor league contract with the Rangers during the offseason in hopes of landing a second major league act with the club. He appeared in the majors with the Rangers in each season from 2015-19, topping out as a 2.1-fWAR contributor in 2017, but was never much of an offensive threat. While DeShields did amass 106 stolen bases as a Ranger, he batted just .246/.326/.342 (76 wRC+) with 18 home runs in 1,936 plate appearances.
DeShields’ first Texas tenure ended when the Rangers sent him to the Indians in December 2019 as part of a trade centering on two-time AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. Cleveland ended up getting little from DeShields, who hit .252/.310/.318 (72 wRC+) without a homer and stole just three bases in 120 PA last year. The Indians then non-tendered him during the winter.
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