The Texas Rangers have traded Isiah Kiner-Falefa, their starting shortstop last season who was supplanted by the blockbuster addition of Corey Seager, to the Minnesota Twins for catcher Mitch Garver.

Texas also sent minor league pitcher Ronny Henriquez to Minnesota in the deal Saturday, the day before the mandatory reporting date for players following the end of Major League Baseball’s 99-day lockout.

Kiner-Falefa won a Gold Glove playing third base during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season for the Rangers, who announced after that season that he would move to shortstop.

Just before the MLB lockout began Dec. 2, the Rangers signed All-Star shortstop Seager to a $325 million, 10-year contract and Gold Glove second baseman Marcus Semien to a $175 million, seven-year deal.

It appeared that Kiner-Falefa would get the opportunity to be their starting third baseman again this season, especially after top prospect Josh Jung had shoulder surgery last month. Now it looks like Kiner-Falefa, a Hawaii native who turns 27 later this month, will be at his preferred position of shortstop in Minnesota.

The Twins had a hole at shortstop after letting Andrelton Simmons leave in free agency. One of their best hitters, Jorge Polanco, broke in as a shortstop but has since moved to second base, where the Twins would prefer to keep him.

Garver had a breakout season in 2019 with 31 homers in 93 games while winning a Silver Slugger award, but the 31-year-old catcher has had injury issues the past two years. He struggled through the pandemic season in 2020, then missed most of the 2021 season after taking a foul tip to the groin area and needing surgery.

Kiner-Falefa is a .265 career hitter over the past four seasons. Early in his career, the Rangers sometimes used him as a catcher as a way of getting him into the lineup. He hit .271 with eight homers and 53 RBI in 158 games last season.

Garver hit .256 with 13 homers and 34 RBI in 68 games last season. In 309 games over the past five seasons, he hit .256 with 53 homers and 154 RBI.

ATHLETICS-METS: All-Star righty Chris Bassitt, who made a remarkable recovery from a frightening line drive to the head last year, was traded by the Oakland Athletics to the New York Mets for a pair of minor league pitchers.

The Mets sent right-handers J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller to the A’s.

Bassitt gives the Mets a much-needed starter for the middle of the rotation, seemingly a good fit behind aces Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer.

The 33-year-old Bassitt came back to make two starts in late September, just more than a month after he took a 100 mph liner to the face on Aug. 17 in Chicago. The drive came off Brian Goodwin’s bat in the second inning of a 9-0 loss to the White Sox.

Bassitt underwent surgery for three fractures in his right cheekbone. Immediately after the injury, his right eye was swollen shut.

Bassitt wound up 12-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 27 starts and was a first-time All-Star. He had been an AL Cy Young candidate when he got hurt and his absence took a toll on the A’s beyond the field. He was 12-3 with a 3.06 ERA and leading the AL in victories when he was injured.

NATIONALS: Right-handed reliever Steve Cishek agreed to a one-year contract for 2022, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

The Athletic first reported Cishek and Washington had a deal in place; MLB.com reported it is worth $1.75 million.

The 35-year-old Cishek, who throws side-arm, brings some late-inning veteran experience to a Nationals bullpen that has been torn down as part of the team’s rebuild.

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