Texas Rangers 2021 - 2022 Offseason Thread

[Kelleyman]

Elegy for 2021: Recapping the AL West, Team by Team

The Big Question
Unfortunately, the biggest question for the Rangers — just how long a full-scale rebuild would have to be — was one that could not possibly have been answered in 2021. Their attempted quick retool to coincide with the opening of the new stadium failed miserably, resulting in the need to start from scratch. And with the cupboard nearly empty of major league talent and a farm system that was still only middle of the pack, Texas’ goal in 2021 was simply to remain moderately interesting for the fans as the front office addressed some serious long-term problems.


How It Went
Texas assembled a reasonably competent bullpen, but one made up of journeymen and veterans rather than the farm paying out dividends. Neither Jordan Lyles nor Mike Foltynewicz showed enough life to fetch a return in a trade this summer, but Texas was able to turn Kyle Gibson into Spencer Howard once the Phillies grew desperate for pitching. Adolis García filled the fun side of the equation by hitting 31 homers and driving in 90 runs, but he’s already older than Joey Gallo, rather one-dimensional, and more likely to fill Renato Núñez’s role with the Orioles a few years ago rather than be someone who is one the roster three or four years from now. Nathaniel Lowe showed life at times, but not so much that he’s obviously the long-term answer at first base. Willie Calhoun still hasn’t shown he can actually hit in the majors, and Nick Solak remained as inconsistent as he was in 2020.

What’s Next?
The biggest concern about the Rangers — and the same one that has hindered Baltimore’s rebuild — is how few answers they got about their young hitting. No position players on the major league roster took the type of step forward to make you say, “OK, now that is a franchise guy.” Outside of Josh Jung, Yohel Pozo, and Justin Foscue, there are scant few hitters in the system I feel better about now than I did in March. That doesn’t mean the rebuild is a failure, but it means that the Rangers still are very, very early in that sorting-out process; little so far has stuck to the wall. At this point, Texas needs to hoard young talent like it was premium toilet paper in March 2020 and hope for the best.

Fangraphs hate the Rangers

 

[saddles]

Rangers' young arms eye breakout in 2022

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Ricky Vanasco's first pitch was inside to the left-handed TCU batter, barely missing his chest for ball one. Three pitches later, he actually hit the Horned Frogs’ Elijah Nunez. The next batter reached on a throwing error by Vanasco, and while he struck out the third

www.mlb.com

 

[Kelleyman]

Given the bleak current lineup. What is reasonable to foresee 2022 sliding into 2023

1B Lowe but upgrade possible
2B IKF placeholder for likely Foscue 2023
3B Jung
SS. Free agent likely Story
C. Trevino Heim placeholder for Huff 2023
LF FA hopefully Suzuki
CF. Big question mark but likely a placeholder for 2023 MILB infielder convert. Tough call on this. Maybe FA
RF Garcia
Pitching 2 FAs maybe one long term. We have Hearn Dunning Otto Alexy and Allard fight for other 2 spots plus long relief guy. Howard to AAA hopefully to figure it out. Not worried about other relief guys

We do this and we can start to compete. Pick up another FA 2023 for spot that does not pan out and maybe another SP and the wave of talented young SP fills in then we start to look competitive.

So yes there is some rebuilding to do. Maybe with trades we exchange MILB IF depth for a lock CF. I do like Buxtin as a fall back 2023

 

[Kelleyman]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

Hot Stove Notes: Rangers Meet With Boras on Seager, 'Serious Suitors' For Suzuki

The Texas Rangers' ambitious offseason plans are beginning to materialize.

www.si.com

 

[Duane1952]

I've wondered the same thing about Chris Taylor.

 

[saddles]

Latest On Shin-Soo Choo

8:29pm: Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News reports that Choo told Korean media last week that he trying to decide whether to return …

www.mlbtraderumors.com

 

[DTC]

It looks like we will shift from accumulating prospects to trading for players already in the big leagues. If we do trade a big league player, I think we will trade them for other big league players and not guys to put in Frisco. We may well see 4 or 5 prospects traded this winter for big league players.

It appears that the rebuilding plan has been revamped in a very big way. You could even speculate that they are done with rebuilding. If we see more prospects-for-veterans trading then that is a sure sign that they have scrapped any further plans to rebuild.

As long as Winn, Leiter, Jung and Huff aren’t traded I’m ok. Would like to keep Ibanez and Lowe.

If we lock down SS, LF and 2B with something like Suzuki, Story and Baez then sign 2 SP I wouldn’t mind trading Foscue, Otto, Henriquez, Y Rodriguez, Solak, Wendzel, Apostel, IKF etc to get a CF/RF and a DH.

 

[Kelleyman]

Here is a CF prospect I wish the Rangers had

 

[Kelleyman]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

Top 25 MLB free agent deals and landing spot predictions

Who are the 25 best potential Major League Baseball free agents in the 2021-22 offseason? Tim Kelly of Audacy Sports examines the possibilities and predicts what deals they will sign.

www.audacy.com

Prediction is Story at 6 years and $140 million, and Kershaw at 1 year for $18.5 million, to Texas.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

If Rangers are willing to spend money, Scott Boras is more than willing to listen

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, The Scott Boras Baseball Pontification and Comedy Hour arrived at the MLB GM meetings at the Omni La Costa...

www.dallasnews.com

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Cup of Coffee: November 11, 2021

The Rangers could jack their payroll up by $100 million​

From the GM Meetings comes a report that the Rangers could be big players on the free agent market this winter:

You couldn’t walk 15 feet at the GM meetings Tuesday without bumping into another baseball official who all but said the Rangers are going to make it rain in free agency.
[Rangers General Manager] Chris Young wasn’t exactly tamping that talk down Tuesday afternoon either.
“I think it’s all relative,” Young said when asked just how big a spender the Rangers will be. “But, we said towards the end of the season that we are committed to having a payroll consistent with our market size. We intend to push the payroll up.”
Next question: How much?
By as much as $100 million — if not more — a pair of industry sources indicated.

Seriously, though: the Rangers have a lot of holes to fill, have a lot of money from their new stadium and the fact that they are the only team in one of the largest markets in the county, and this is a pretty loaded free agent class, so I suppose there are sillier ideas. For what it’s worth we did hear yesterday, via Jon Morosi, that the Rangers met with Scott Boras recently, and Boras represents a lot of big free agents this winter, including Corey Seager, who Morosi thinks is interested in Texas.

I dunno. No one knows anything. But a team allegedly planning on spending big is fun to think about, so let’s think about it for a while.

 

[DTC]

It’s kind of fun looking at the top free agent predictions and then trying to figure out the best fits for $100 AAV.
Then trading a handful of guys while retaining our most prized prospects.

The team could be very competitive next year.

 

[saddles]

Cup of Coffee: November 11, 2021

The Rangers could jack their payroll up by $100 million​

From the GM Meetings comes a report that the Rangers could be big players on the free agent market this winter:



Seriously, though: the Rangers have a lot of holes to fill, have a lot of money from their new stadium and the fact that they are the only team in one of the largest markets in the county, and this is a pretty loaded free agent class, so I suppose there are sillier ideas. For what it’s worth we did hear yesterday, via Jon Morosi, that the Rangers met with Scott Boras recently, and Boras represents a lot of big free agents this winter, including Corey Seager, who Morosi thinks is interested in Texas.

I dunno. No one knows anything. But a team allegedly planning on spending big is fun to think about, so let’s think about it for a while.

I am not sure if it will be as much as $100 million. Maybe more like $75 million. I was going to be happy with $30-40 million going into the offseason, so anything above that is gravy. That is, unless it is spent so foolishly that it keeps them from spending the next time there is a need.

 

[DTC]

I would like Yan Gomez on a short term $5 AAV
Story on 6 $22 AAV
Schwarber on 4 $17.5
Suzuki on 4. $11 AAV
Kershaw 1 $15 if he makes over 25 starts he gets another $5 million. (Still not sure on him)
Matz or Desclafani 2 $15 AAV
Cruz 1 year $15

That would free up $30 million for 2023 not to mention the other $23 million falling off the books. Which would allow $53 million.

Then in 2024 another $20 million would fall off.

This would allow for prospects to come up and free up cash flow.

 

[saddles]

Would anyone be in favor of a two year deal for Nick Martinez? Say, 2 years and $7-8 million AAV?

I am still in favor of giving the vast majority of the starter innings to our young guys, but I have resigned myself to the idea that the front office has in mind to sign at least 2 starting pitchers. Based on his results in Japan this year, I would be okay with signing Martinez.