Texas Rangers 2024-2025 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

Once the club stays under the Luxury Tax this year, the revenue from this new TV package of deals should allow the Rangers to significantly add to payroll in 2026 and beyond. Just as we are about to have some cheap young arms join the rotation we will also have more money to spend. With the new revenue, coupled with young cheap pitchers replacing the $30 million or so being spent on Mahle and Gray, there could be a lot of money spent on free agents next offseason.

If a guy such as Garcia, Heim or Semien continue to struggle, he could conceivably be replaced next offseason. Maybe we could even spend big on a closer.

Things are looking up. The Rangers have a very bright future.

 

[saddles]

 

[scotsman#1948]

I agree that Closer was, and Is, the biggest need. That doesn't mean that nothing else should get done just because CY doesn't agree.

He does not believe in spending very much on the back end of the pen. He believes in spending a whole lot of money on the rotation amd a good bit of money on a part time DH.

We still needed other bullpen pieces and an OF who could platoon against tough lefties with Carter. CY saw the need for the rest of the pen. He didn't agree with us on the closer. He didn't agree with me on Austin Hays.

I am still going to want needed pieces for the team whether CY fulfills his end or not. Lol

and you seem to think trading Taveras and bring in Hays would have made some kind of sense. we are at that point just before Spring Training when logic says Address the only real needs the team has. then do the minor adjustments

 

[saddles]

MLB.com also has a list of breakout candidates

 

[saddles]

and you seem to think trading Taveras and bring in Hays would have made some kind of sense. we are at that point just before Spring Training when logic says Address the only real needs the team has. then do the minor adjustments

Never mind. You are not going to listen to reasoning. I wanted us to sign Hays over a month ago.

We are in complete agreement about the need for a closer, yet you just have to be argumentive for some reason. Signing Hays or not signing him has absolutely nothing to do with whether we get a closer or not. NOTHING!!!

This conversation has become a comedy. Who' is on first and What is on second.

 

[saddles]

From the MLB article about their breakout candidates:

Cody Bradford, SP, Rangers
With Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle all sidelined to start the season, Bradford opened 2024 in the Rangers’ rotation and got off to a hot start (3-0, 1.40 ERA through three starts) before suffering an injury of his own, a low back strain that kept him out more than three months. Despite the lengthy absence, Bradford picked up where he left off upon rejoining Texas’ starting staff in August. Overcoming mediocre stuff with pinpoint control, the soft-tossing lefty finished the season with a 3.54 ERA, a 3.59 FIP and a 5.38 K/BB ratio over 76 1/3 innings. Given the injury histories of the Rangers’ other starting options, Bradford could prove to be a key arm for Texas in 2025, even if he doesn’t open the season with a starting job.

 

[Kelleyman]

I would have no problem trading Leody although a guy who is a CF defensive specialist is preferred although I do see the RHB aaa a hedge against EC
Still no guarantee EX is perfect health but he is underrated if healthy IMO

 

[saddles]

I would have no problem trading Leody although a guy who is a CF defensive specialist is preferred although I do see the RHB aaa a hedge against EC
Still no guarantee EX is perfect health but he is underrated if healthy IMO

I think we are stuck with Leody for another year, unfortunately. His value will only deteriorate.

Since they haven't trade him yet, they most likely never intended to.

 

[scotsman#1948]

I would have no problem trading Leody although a guy who is a CF defensive specialist is preferred although I do see the RHB aaa a hedge against EC
Still no guarantee EX is perfect health but he is underrated if healthy IMO

i agree in in the end trading Taveras but right now we're okay positionally to go into the season. i do agree with Saddles that we are loaded at the starting position but i remember someone at some point saying "You can never have enough starting pitching going into Spring Training" but i would put Gray out there and 4M and see where it lands.
i would also push St Louis, who has made it clear they are not going to discuss an extension with Helsley and let him walk next year. i really like Alejandro Osuna and Mitch Bratt but if they and maybe a PTBNL could swing the trade i would do it. the PTBNL level would be contingent on whether we could get Helsley to agree to an extension with the team. i'm thinking 5 years $80M. 2025 salary would be $8.1M followed by 10M, 12M, 14M, 16M & 18M.
we could still possibly bring in Kahnle and/or Raley depending on what they agree on AAV and still be under the Tax level depending on where we are right now under the cap

and then after ST, if Evan Carter shows he's healthy, we can still look to trade Taveras

 

[saddles]

I guess we are looking at going into the season with Chris Martin as the closer. That is very disappointing.

If we were going to trade someone to free up money, surely we would have already done so. It looks like this is the club we are opening the season with.

In order to save the season we are going to have to get very lucky and have someone prove to be a decent closer until at least Sborz comes back. At that point we would have to be lucky again to have Sborz actually both be healthy and effective. Then we would have to make a deadline deal for a closer.

That sure involves a lot of luck. It also involves finding a trading partner in July, which is not a given.

 

[saddles]

Kahnle to the Tigers and Stanek to the Dodgers.

 

[scotsman#1948]

oh well guess we're not going to do anything else.

 

[Duane1952]

oh well guess we're not going to do anything else.

It sure seems like JD is running this off season.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

I guess we are looking at going into the season with Chris Martin as the closer. That is very disappointing.

If we were going to trade someone to free up money, surely we would have already done so. It looks like this is the club we are opening the season with.

In order to save the season we are going to have to get very lucky and have someone prove to be a decent closer until at least Sborz comes back. At that point we would have to be lucky again to have Sborz actually both be healthy and effective. Then we would have to make a deadline deal for a closer.

That sure involves a lot of luck. It also involves finding a trading partner in July, which is not a given.

I sure hope Gray gets the closer role over Martin if we do nothing else.

 

[scotsman#1948]

It sure seems like JD is running this off season.

we should be okay with starting pitching and be adequate with defense and offense, but we will suck with bull pen (projecting that with what we have in the pen right now that we will only convert 1/3rd of save opportunities and holds

 

[scotsman#1948]

I sure hope Gray gets the closer role over Martin if we do nothing else.

neither gives me much of a good feeling

 

[saddles]

Frisco is having a Kumar Rocker bobblehead night on Jine 6. The bobblehead has Rocker sitting in a rocking chair. It is not a giveaway, however. You have to add $15 to your ticket price to get it.

 

[saddles]

I sure hope Gray gets the closer role over Martin if we do nothing else.

Me too, but every day we don't hear about that possibility from the Rangers, means there is less and less chance of that happening.

 

[Kelleyman]

Grays FB peripherals don’t look so good but last year to me is an outlier and 2023 was not so good but he may still play

We have about a month and 1/2

 

[scotsman#1948]

Grays FB peripherals don’t look so good but last year to me is an outlier and 2023 was not so good but he may still play

We have about a month and 1/2

maybe in a year if he turns himself in to a fulltime closer, he might actually be decent