Jake Burger's decision to join the Texas Rangers was filled with numerous reasons for excitement. He was thrilled to become a part of a World Series-winning lineup and have his former manager Skip Schumaker by his side as a senior advisor to the Rangers president. Playing under Bruce Bochy and reuniting with Dane Dunning, his former teammate in the Chicago White Sox organization, added to his enthusiasm.

Family and Medical Considerations

Most importantly, Burger's family was relocating to North Texas, bringing them closer to Children's Health and its specialized Pediatric Down syndrome clinic. During a prenatal screening, Burger and his wife Ashlyn learned that their second child was diagnosed with Down syndrome. Their daughter Penelope was born on Oct. 25. "Our initial thought was simple. We just looked at each other and I said to Ash, 'Okay, and?'" Burger shared with People.com. "Life isn't meant to be easy; it's meant to be fulfilling, and this is God's way of making it so."

Baseball and Life Benefits

For Burger, coming to Arlington was a blessing. "It was kind of insane how everything worked together," he said. During the offseason, he resides in Nashville. He noted that Dallas is one of the best cities in terms of resources for Down syndrome, not just from a baseball perspective but also in life. "I feel like it was meant to be, and we couldn't be more excited about that," he added.

Reuniting with Teammates

Dunning was one of the first people Burger called about the trade. In 2018, the pair lived together while rehabbing injuries in Arizona. "It's incredible to get to work with [Schumaker and bench coach Luis Urueta] again," Burger said. "They helped me so much, both on and off the field. Getting back in an organization with them is awesome, and being Dunning's teammate again is amazing. It's just a lot of good feelings and exciting moments. I wish we were going down to Arizona tomorrow."