Texas Rangers sign Ian Desmond to one year, $8 million deal

The Texas Rangers have signed free agent Ian Desmond to a one year deal, per Ken Rosenthal on Twitter.

I'm absolutely speechless.  I have no idea what is going on here.

The Rangers will be giving up the #19 pick in the draft to add Desmond, a shortstop who hit .233/.290/.384 last season.  Per Jim Bowden, the Rangers' plan is for Desmond to be their starting left fielder.

If, in fact, finances are as tight as is being reported, giving up the #19 pick could be a feature, not a bug, in this deal, since it means that the Rangers will be spending a couple of million dollars less in the draft this summer.

Still, I don't get this move at all.  Desmond has a career .264/.312/.424 slash line.  I'm not sure how you aren't just as well off limping along with your existing options rather than bringing in Desmond and forfeiting a first rounder.

We shall have to wait and see what the financial component of this is, but I don't understand this.  At all.

UPDATE -- Desmond is getting $8 milliion this year, per Ken Rosenthal on Twitter.  I have given virtually no thought to the possibility of Desmond being a Ranger, so I have to think about this a little.  I will offer some more thoughts on it later this morning.