The Texas Rangers are welcoming back a franchise legend in former second baseman Ian Kinsler.

Th 40-year-old and Rangers Hall-of-Famer is joining the team’s front office as a special assistant to General Manager Chris Young.

Kinsler was drafted by the Rangers in 2003 out of the University of Missouri and made his debut in 2006.

He helped lead the Rangers to the World Series in 2010 and 2011 before ultimately being traded to the Detroit Tigers.

Kinsler was with the Rangers until 2014, spending eight seasons with the team as a player.

On Twitter, the Rangers welcomed back their franchise legend, announcing his new role with the team.

Welcome back, Ian!

We've named Rangers Hall of Famer Ian Kinsler Special Assistant to the General Manager. pic.twitter.com/2nR9oHMe5H

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— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) February 6, 2023

During his eight years in Texas, Kinsler hit for a .273 batting average and hit a total of 156 home runs.

He also drove in 539 runs and had an OPS of .804.

Kinsler and the Rangers came to within one strike of winning the World Series in 2011 before the St. Louis Cardinals battled back to force Game 7 and ultimately defeat them, but he was a key piece of the puzzle and helped turn the Rangers into a contender.

He also spent time with the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Padres, winning his only World Series ring in 2018 with Boston.

But he’s best known for his contributions in Texas.

Kinsler was selected to four All-Star teams and won two Gold Glove Awards during his 14-year career.

Now, he’ll officially rejoin the Rangers in a new position as the team looks to build off of a strong offseason and bounce back into contention.

The post Rangers Welcome Back A Franchise Legend appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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Calvin Ridley is an interesting case study.

Ridley was suspended for the entirety of the 2022 NFL season, given that he had gambled on a few games in the past while he was injured.

However, Ridley has been since traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars, which has been met with mixed opinions across the league.

One fan, in particular, believes in Ridley for the 2023 NFL campaign, citing several examples to support his hypothesis.

Making The Case For Calvin Ridley

5-Star Prospect
Elite College Performer
RD1 NFL Draft Pick
Proven NFL Performer
Elite QB Play
Pass-Happy System
Healthy
Motivated
Top-5 Upside
WR32 Price Tag

[A THREAD]

— David J. Gautieri (@GuruFantasyWrld) February 6, 2023

Ridley hasn’t played in the NFL for over a year.

Although Deshaun Watson was suspended for a different reason, his situation is similar to Ridley’s, considering he had a long hiatus from the league.

As seen in the case of Watson, he wasn’t quite able to knock off the rust in the six games he started this season and will look to improve mightily in 2023.

Ridley has been injured and hasn’t been able to practice in an NFL training facility because of his suspension.

What will Ridley look like in the Jaguars offense next season?

Trevor Lawrence took a massive step forward in 2022, leading the Jaguars to his first-ever playoff victory.

If Ridley is fully healthy, he might be a great addition to this Jaguars team, giving them another veteran presence at the wide receiver position.

The Jaguars already have Christian Kirk and Zay Jones under contract, and both are great young receivers.

However, someone like Ridley could make an immediate impact, as he could take over as the number one overall receiver, taking a bit of pressure off the plates of Kirk and Jones.

The post NFL Fan Makes Case For A Calvin Ridley Breakout Campaign appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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The departure of Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets has substantially changed the team.

Obviously, Irving was a major part of the team and its offensive output, meaning they will have to play a lot harder in order to keep winning.

There has been some speculation that Irving’s exit means the team could make even more huge changes.

Numerous people even wonder if the team will end up shipping away Kevin Durant.

Stephen A. Smith on Kevin Durant:

“I’m hearing he’s on the verge of potentially being moved, I’m hearing Boston is making some calls, keep your eye on that. Jaylen Brown.”

(via @FirstTake) pic.twitter.com/e40ViADcTy

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 6, 2023

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Stephen A. Smith thinks that’s possible.

The NBA insider was on ESPN and said he’s hearing that Durant may be on the move.

“I’m hearing he’s on the verge of potentially being moved, I’m hearing Boston is making some calls, keep your eye on that. Jaylen Brown,” Smith said.

The idea of Durant leaving the Nets seems crazy on the surface but it makes sense in some ways too.

Durant is one of the biggest basketball players alive right now and is a future Hall of Famer.

That means that he would only be traded for a positively huge haul.

If the Nets decide now is the time to blow the team up and start from scratch, they would get a good start in that process by trading Durant.

As for the Celtics, would they really be willing to part ways with Brown?

The team is currently the best in the entire NBA so why would they take a chance and possibly ruin such a good thing?

Is the allure of Durant that strong?

There have been rumors of Durant for Brown before and they never amounted to anything so this could again end without any changes to either team.

We will know within the next few days.

The post NBA Insider Makes Big Claim About Kevin Durant appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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