Rangers Acquire Jake Burger in Trade with Marlins

By Nate Miller

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

December 10, 2024

Hours after they re-signed Nathan Eovaldi, the Texas Rangers made a trade with the Miami Marlins for infielder Jake Burger. The deal came together Wednesday at the Winter Meetings in Dallas. It was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Burger, who turns 29 in April, is one year away from arbitration and is under club control for four more seasons. The Rangers, meanwhile, are sending minor-league infielders Echedry Vargas and Max Acosta along with left-hander Brayan Mendoza.

Added Pop to the Lineup

Jake Burger adds an affordable presence to the Rangers’ lineup. They struggled to produce offense this year with a .238/.305/.380 team batting line that slotted in the bottom third of the majors. They finished 18th in scoring. It was a far cry from the 2023 lineup that mashed its way to a World Series title.

Burger will fit in nicely into the middle of the order. He belted 29 home runs with a .250/.306/.460 slash line over 579 plate appearances in 2024. The former first-round pick combined for 34 homers between the Marlins and the Chicago White Sox in 2023. Over the past two seasons combined, he launched 63 home runs, tying him with José Ramírez and Corey Seager for 15th in all of baseball.

Early Injuries

The White Sox selected Jake Burger 11th overall in the 2017 Draft. Despite having lofty expectations placed upon him, Burger’s career was thrown an unexpected curve after he suffered back-to-back Achilles injuries in 2018.

Though a massive blow that kept the prospect out of action for years, Burger’s resilience allowed him to return to the minor leagues in 2021. He slashed an impressive .274/.332/.513 with Triple-A Charlotte. In that same season, Burger made his major league debut with the White Sox in July. He appeared in 15 games for the team.

More Opportunities

Over the next two seasons, Burger saw his role with the White Sox expand and eventually became a regular fixture in the lineup in 2023. He hit 25 home runs in 88 games in his final stint with the team. He was dealt another curve in a surprise trade-deadline move that sent him to the Marlins.