Texas Rangers 2024-2025 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

From Ken Rosenthal:

Lance Lynn, closer? Evidently, some teams like the idea.

Lynn, 37, has not pitched out of the bullpen since 2018. But his agent, Kevin Lustig, recently informed him that several clubs asked if he would be interested in pitching the ninth inning.

“He said, ‘I got a couple of weird calls today.’ I was like, ‘What? Did someone ask me for a minor-league deal?’” said Lynn, who remains a free agent. “He started dying laughing. He was like, ‘No, they asked what you thought about being a back-end guy, a closer.’

“I went, ‘Oooooh. Is the second act, the final act of my career, closing games?’ It sounds fun. I was kind of joking with my wife about it. She was like, ‘Cool, I don’t have to be at the start of games. I can just come halfway through and watch you at the end.’”

Lynn said he is “intrigued” by the possibility of getting the final three outs. Years ago, he recalls Tony La Russa, his former manager with the St. Louis Cardinals, telling him, “you have closer mentality.” Lynn, whose competitive streak is well-established, said, “I’m not surprised that it’s something that around the league people see.”

Several clubs are still looking for late-innings help. Detroit Tigers general manager Scott Harris, after signing free-agent reliever Tommy Kahnle on Wednesday, said he was still looking to upgrade his bullpen. Arizona Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen recently made the same acknowledgment.

The Los Angeles Angels have told at least one agent they have two or three bullpen spots to fill. The Cincinnati Reds might want to create competition for Alexis Díaz, who was inconsistent last season.

 

[saddles]

Scherzer to the Blue Jays

 

[saddles]

Scherzer to the Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are spending $15.5 million to get a handful of starts out of him.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

The Blue Jays are spending $15.5 million to get a handful of starts out of him.

If they get that much. It would be par for the course if he did well.

 

[Duane1952]

The Blue Jays are spending $15.5 million to get a handful of starts out of him.

He needs to call it a career and retire.

 

[Kelleyman]

Lance Lynn- like his mentality. Not sure I trust his stuff anymore

 

[scotsman#1948]

Lance Lynn- like his mentality. Not sure I trust his stuff anymore

unless he's willing to sign for less than $800000 he won't get any nibbles from this team

 

[saddles]

Austin Hays signed for cheaper than Taveras will be paid.

 

[saddles]

Ryan Brasier DFAed by the Dodgers. Someone will claim him.

 

[saddles]

Finally someone besides me is mentioning the wisdom of trading Mahle instead of Gray.

This is from Evan Grant:

If the Rangers move a contract to optimize flexibility below the CBT threshold, Tyler Mahle and Gray, both of whom can be free agents after the season, are the most likely candidates. Mahle’s Competitive Balance Tax hit is $11 million and could go as high as $16 million with makeable innings-based incentives; Gray’s CBT hit is $14 million. Moving either would probably get the Rangers safely below the $241 million CBT threshold.

While Gray’s guaranteed salary is a bit higher, he has to be considered more valuable to the Rangers at the moment. With 260 innings over the last two years to Mahle’s 37, he has a higher workload capacity. Also, Gray’s stuff can play in the back of the bullpen if that becomes a more pressing need.

 

[saddles]

From Evan Grant:

On the subject of Taveras, he’s a great option as a fourth outfielder and insurance policy (particularly if García gets hurt or doesn’t bounce back), but $4.75 million might be an expensive premium to pay for a team butting up against the CBT. Taveras’ talent remains tantalizing and among guys the club could move for salary flexibility, he might draw the most interest (read: value).

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Any thoughts on Kendall Graveman being signed to work out of the BP. He was pretty decent before his injury but he is ready to pitch when the season starts.

 

[scotsman#1948]

Any thoughts on Kendall Graveman being signed to work out of the BP. He was pretty decent before his injury but he is ready to pitch when the season starts.

i'll wait to be told

 

[saddles]

Any thoughts on Kendall Graveman being signed to work out of the BP. He was pretty decent before his injury but he is ready to pitch when the season starts.

I would be interested in him and Brasier.

 

[saddles]

12 More Days

 

[saddles]

From Evan Grant:

If the Rangers want to give themselves the maximum flexibility to allow them to add at the deadline, it, too, comes with a price.

To be able to add, the Rangers would probably have to subtract a contract or a substantial part of one. It’s not an ideal position to be in for making trades, because it looks and smells like dumping salaries and opposing teams pick up on that. It would potentially force the Rangers to take very little in return, while also letting go of a piece that may end up being vital.

The Rangers have two starters in Jon Gray and Mahle who are free agents after this year. Both are making more than $10 million. Trading either, providing the acquiring team took on the bulk of the salary, would likely give the Rangers lots of flexibility. But, at the moment, both are needed in the starting rotation. Gray might also have value as a potential closer. Mahle, whose AAV for the year is $11 million, has the biggest pot of potential incentives, maxing out at an additional $5 million for a reachable innings plateau. That’s a lot of dollars in incentives to be managing

 

[saddles]

Frim Evan Grant:

While no database has payrolls correctly added to the penny, Baseball Prospectus calculates the Rangers with approximately $215.7 million in guaranteed salaries (which are calculated at the average annual value for long-term deals) for the coming year. Add $17.5 million in player benefits and another $1.67 million for the pre-arbitration bonus pool and the Rangers are staring at roughly $235 million in current CBT accounting. That’s still $6 million below the threshold.

Here’s where it gets tricky: According to the same website, Rangers pitchers can earn more than $8 million in makeable innings- or games-based performance incentives. That’s to say nothing of potential awards bonuses for things like All-Star berths and Silver Sluggers for hitters, most of which are relatively cheap in professional baseball circles, like $50,000 to $100,000. But the Rangers are in the funky spot where every penny may count, because the bonuses could carry them just over the threshold into the $245 million range.

 

[saddles]

Rangers Have Fielded Interest In Leody Taveras

The Rangers have received calls on center fielder Leody Taveras. Read more about who might be involved at MLB Trade Rumors.

www.mlbtraderumors.com

 

[scotsman#1948]

damn saw a report on Espn saying Rangers trade and got all excited then realized it was the New York Rangers Hockey Team. so another day and nothing

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Should we trade Taveras and Mahle to free up money for a closer or solid BP piece?