MLB Teams Considering Ex-Mariners All-Star; Injury History May Factor In

After losing in their bid for Jose Abreu, the Boston Red Sox are now diverting their attention to Mitch Haniger. Quinn Harris/Getty Images

KEY POINTS

The Red Sox turn their attention to Mitch Haniger after falling short of getting Jose Abreu
Haniger has struggled with injuries the past seasons
The Rangers are another team considering Haniger

Mitch Haniger is a former MLB All-Star and it makes sense for some teams to consider him.

However, the caveat is that the 31-year-old has battled injuries last season.

After failing in their bid to acquire Jose Abreu, the Boston Red Sox have allegedly turned their attention to Haniger according to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network.

Aside from Boston, another MLB team considering Haniger is the Texas Rangers.

Haniger, currently a free agent, is a right-handed power bat who is only two seasons removed from a 39-homer, 100-RBI campaign.

Also in 2018, he got his first All-Star nod with the Seattle Mariners.

Unfortunately, the succeeding years were not as kind to the California native.

In June 2019, he was sidelined after getting hit in the groin with a fastball. The incident forced him to miss the remainder of the season.

He did not see action during the 2020 MLB season due to numerous surgeries between the offseason and the pandemic-shortened season.

Haniger returned in 2021 and appeared to have gotten things together after setting career highs with 39 home runs, 100 runs batted in, and 110 runs scored.

Unfortunately, his redemption run did not last long after he was limited to 57 games in 2022 due to back and ankle injuries.

The Red Sox are hoping to recover from last season where they managed to finish with a 78-84 win-loss record.

Boston expected to be busy this offseason, and Haniger appears to be one of the pieces they are considering to help in their next campaign.

When healthy, Haniger is someone who can be a monster on the field.

Moreover, he appears to fit the recent Red Sox mold of low-cost targets.

His spate of injuries could whittle down the teams interested in his services, a potential reason why it may be wise for him to consider a short-term deal.

Either way, Haniger is hoping to get another chance to prove himself.

He went through a similar situation two years ago, admitting how painful it was to be sidelined and feeling broken.

"There's definitely been moments. I feel like once you go through stuff like that, that puts your career in jeopardy, you have to kind of be grateful and take some time to be thankful to be able to be healthy, to be back on the field and back in the clubhouse," Haniger told Seattle Times.