Texas Rangers 2024-2025 Offseason Thread

[Duane1952]

From Ken Rosenthal:

Burger led the Marlins last season with 29 home runs. He is a year away from arbitration and under club control for four more seasons.

He hit 34 in 2023.

 

[Duane1952]

What does this mean for Lowe.

If they keep Lowe, probably DH.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Burgers splits show he's better against RHed pitching, something the Rangers had a problem with last year. And Lowe is better at hitting LHed pitching so I'd say some platooning with Lowe and DHing is the likely course of action if they keep Lowe. If they trade Lowe it will be interesting to see what other move they make to play 1B with Burger...

He can also play 3rd but his defense there is suspect so I doubt he would get much if any time there considering they have Jung/Smith there...

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Burgers splits show he's better against RHed pitching, something the Rangers had a problem with last year. And Lowe is better at hitting LHed pitching so I'd say some platooning with Lowe and DHing is the likely course of action if they keep Lowe. If they trade Lowe it will be interesting to see what other move they make to play 1B with Burger...

He can also play 3rd but his defense there is suspect so I doubt he would get much if any time there considering they have Jung/Smith there...

His career average is 244 against LHers and 253 against RHers.

 

[saddles]

Jamey Newberg sees what the Rangers gave up for Burger as more valuable than I do. I had Vargas and Acosta as #32 and #33 on my latest top prospect list. He had Vargas as #8 on his latest and Acosta at #22, I believe.

Jamey described it this way. "A trade. If you are into prospects, this one might give you pause." Well, I do value prospects, but to me the Rangers are guilty of robbing the Marlins. Newberg likes the trade as well, but he did think we gave up a lot more than I do.

 

[saddles]

From Jeff Wilson:

While it’s apparent why Burger is attractive to the Rangers, their next move isn’t as apparent. By creating an infield logjam, they have created trade avenues for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and utility man Josh Smith.

Lowe, though, is projected to make around $10 million in 2025 despite not completely tapping into his raw power the past two seasons. Even though he is a Gold Glove winner at first base and one of the American League’s top on-base men, he would appear to be the more likely trade candidate than Smith.

The Rangers could carry Lowe and Burger, giving them at-bats at first base and designated hitter. Burger could be a full-time option at third base if Josh Jung continues to be bothered by his right wrist.

Smith showed more power than expected during his breakout season in 2024. He can play all four infield spots, manager Bruce Bochy said, in addition to all three outfield spots.

 

[saddles]

I wonder how good of a reliever the Rangers can get for Lowe, or maybe Lowe and a prospect or two.

 

[saddles]

The money saved from trading Lowe would allow the Rangers to sign a couple of really good relievers and maybe get one back in the Lowe trade as well.

If they can sign two really good relievers and keep Jon Gray as a late innings guy, then they don't even have to get a reliever for Lowe. They could even take a good prospect for Lowe and further load up in that area for a possible trade deadline acquisition in July.

They could still trade Taveras and save a little more money to sweeten the pot.

 

[saddles]

Almost everyone thinks we will lose reliever Bryan Magdaleno in this afternoon's Rule 5 draft. Jim Callis has a list of the 20 most likely, and Magdaleno is on his list. I have seen him on most every list I have come across. Many lists also include Cfim and some include Acker.

 

[saddles]

Mock draft from Future Star Series:

12. Texas Rangers​

Xavier Neyens, 3B — Mount Vernon HS
HOMETOWN: Mount Vernon, Washington
HEIGHT: 6-4
WEIGHT: 205
BAT/THROW: L-R

Whenever you’re picking this high in the draft you need to go for ceiling and upside. Size, impact, physicality or up-the-middle dynamic traits are a must. Neyens may have the loudest bat of any prep in the 2025 class. It’s comfortably ‘plus’ power with a baseball card that has pummeled guys two years older than him on the showcase circuit for a few years now.

His defensive position is still in question, though he’s made strides at third base and is a good enough athlete to project a potential average glove at the hot corner. If that doesn’t bore out Neyens has a very strong arm and could make for an imposing right fielder. Still, you’re buying the bat here. Neyens has a chance to develop into a guy with 35-plus homer upside and a left-handed stick to boot.

Everything is bigger in Texas and Neyens’ homers fit the bill.

 

[saddles]

Mock draft from Baseball Prospect Journal:

12. Rangers: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona (Calif.) HS ​

Hernandez is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound righty with frontline starter potential. He throws a mid-90s fastball, quality changeup and a swing-and-miss curveball from an athletic and repeatable delivery. He attacks the strike zone with his pitch mix.

 

[Kelleyman]

Jamey Newberg sees what the Rangers gave up for Burger as more valuable than I do. I had Vargas and Acosta as #32 and #33 on my latest top prospect list. He had Vargas as #8 on his latest and Acosta at #22, I believe.

Jamey described it this way. "A trade. If you are into prospects, this one might give you pause." Well, I do value prospects, but to me the Rangers are guilty of robbing the Marlins. Newberg likes the trade as well, but he did think we gave up a lot more than I do.

He was high on Acosta methinks. Not sure about LHP though. Have not heard much on him

 

[saddles]

Mock draft from Prep Baseball Report:

12

Aiva Arquette

SS

Oregon State

 

[saddles]

Not sure about LHP though. Have not heard much on him

He is still in very early stages of his career. To me, he has a chance to be the best of the three.

 

[Kelleyman]

He is still in very early stages of his career. To me, he has a chance to be the best of the three.

They was my concern on the trade

 

[saddles]

They was my concern on the trade

If he had had the kind of year he had and it had been at AA, I would have been concerned with trading him. I have seen a lot of guys excel at A ball and then they can't handle AA. Best wishes to him though. I hope he does great.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

If he had had the kind of year he had and it had been at AA, I would have been concerned with trading him. I have seen a lot of guys excel at A ball and then they can't handle AA. Best wishes to him though. I hope he does great.

Plus we have a habit of thinking we need to hold on to every prospect when in reality very few pan out. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice when you feel like you have a player you think could be be beneficial to the team.

 

[saddles]

Plus we have a habit of thinking we need to hold on to every prospect when in reality very few pan out. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice when you feel like you have a player you think could be be beneficial to the team.

Yeah, and I would much rather roll the dice with those 3 guys than with some other prospects. That is the beauty of having a really deep farm system.

 

[saddles]

Someone responded to Newberg on Twitter lamenting on how some fans didn't appreciate what the Rangers gave up for Burger enough. He says we are really thin on middle infield prospects, now.

For years, we loaded up on shortstops and then we traded for two more of them in the Gallo trade. Then 3 years ago we went out and signed two high dollar Free Agent shortstops. We collected shortstops like it was the newest fad, and then didn't trust a single one if them when it came to team building. So why collect so many?

Also, between Seager, Smith and Walcott we probably have the position covered all the way through the 2030s. We also have Yolfran Castillo and Cam Cauley. We are most likely going to acquire a couple with the new wave of international signings next month, unless we land Sasaki. We are also fairly likely to draft one in the first round in 7 months.

 

[saddles]

Jake Burger and Whataburger seems like a perfect marketing match.