Texas Rangers 2024-2025 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

Good outings from Leandro Lopez and Josh Stephan.

 

[saddles]

From MLB:

The 2024 @MLB #Postseason    marks the first time in the Division Series era (since 1995, plus 1981) that all four series are tied at 1-1 after two games.

 

[saddles]

From MLB Pipeline:

In a @MLBazFallLeague season opener dominated by pitching, Josh Stephan distinguished himself.

The @Rangers' No. 25 prospect, who fanned 55 in 58 1/3 innings at Double-A this year, spun three scoreless frames to open the campaign:

 

[Kelleyman]

I doubt we will too. I just think we should. We need more help this year than last year.

Hopefully we will at least sign 3 late innings guys and another swingman to be ready for long relief and some spot starts.

This seems realistic and you never know maybe we explore the trade market

 

[saddles]

Osuna getting some time in CF in Arizona.

 

[saddles]

This seems realistic and you never know maybe we explore the trade market

If we get a bat, it might have to be via trade. I doubt we are going to spend on Soto.

 

[Kelleyman]

Very curious off season. Wish we had some bats in the minors that might be MLB ready especially in OF

Closest one may be Crim lol who has been pigeonholed.

Wilson seemed to be only beat guy on Crim bandwagon

 

[Kelleyman]

If we get a bat, it might have to be via trade. I doubt we are going to spend on Soto.

Of course. We have our own alpha in Langford we may have to extend

 

[saddles]

From MLB Traderumors:

Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

• Nathaniel Lowe (4.145): $10.7MM
• Jonah Heim (4.097): $4.8MM
• Dane Dunning (4.078): $4.4MM
• Josh Sborz (4.055): $1.3MM
• Leody Taveras (3.124): $4.3MM

 

[saddles]

From Mlbtraderumors.com:

Could a bolder shake-up come to the offensive core? Speculatively speaking, a player like Garcia could be an intriguing trade chip, if Garcia’s down year has led to any doubts within the front office about his long-term future. Garcia turns 32 in March and is arbitration-controlled through the 2026 season, so another extension would be locking Garcia up into his age-34 season and beyond. The Rangers would be selling low on Garcia, but other teams haven’t forgotten about his past production, or his postseason heroics. Trading Garcia for another change-of-scenery type of player might help the Rangers and a trade partner fill mutual needs, and Texas could benefit from opening up right field either for internal candidates, or as a playing-time carrot to free agents.

 

[saddles]

Very curious off season. Wish we had some bats in the minors that might be MLB ready especially in OF

Closest one may be Crim lol who has been pigeonholed.

Wilson seemed to be only beat guy on Crim bandwagon

Within 12 months Osuna, Walcott, and Ortiz could be ready.

Huff and Crim should be options, but for some reason they don't appear to be.

I would give ample opportunities to Crim, Huff, Harris and Foscue in 2025 and see what we have.

One thing I see is that we really need to draft better. The Zavala, Cauley, and Moller picks a few years back have left us with the possibility of maybe one bench player among them, and that is Cauley. That draft should be producing one or two more starting position players by now.

It would be tempting to me to go with some of those younger guys I mentioned and then trade 2 or 3 veterans for some AA position players who may be a year away, and who have really good hit tools.

 

[Kelleyman]

Within 12 months Osuna, Walcott, and Ortiz could be ready.

Huff and Crim should be options, but for some reason they don't appear to be.

I would give ample opportunities to Crim, Huff, Harris and Foscue in 2025 and see what we have.

One thing I see is that we really need to draft better. The Zavala, Cauley, and Moller picks a few years back have left us with the possibility of maybe one bench player among them, and that is Cauley. That draft should be producing one or two more starting position players by now.

It would be tempting to me to go with some of those younger guys I mentioned and then trade 2 or 3 veterans for some AA position players who may be a year away, and who have really good hit tools.

I think the Rangers hold vets to see if lightning strikes vets especially while JDG is in the mix
Maybe we lose one but I think they pay Lowe whereas they might not of in July

 

[saddles]

I think the Rangers hold vets to see if lightning strikes vets especially while JDG is in the mix
Maybe we lose one but I think they pay Lowe whereas they might not of in July

They almost certainly will.

I do wonder if Huff and Ctim could give us more offense than Heim and Lowe in 2025.

 

[Duane1952]

It wouldn’t take much to give more offense than Heim provided last season.

 

[saddles]

It wouldn’t take much to give more offense than Heim provided last season.

The excuse that I hear is that he was overworked and will be better if he only catches about 60% of the time. If that is the case, then we had better get a better second catcher than we have had since Trevino was traded.

We most likely need to trade for a top notch catching prospect so we can get a better answer at this position a year or so from now.

 

[saddles]

The Bleacher Report named their Top 50 MLB rookies for 2024. Wyatt Langford was 15th on their list.

 

[saddles]

From Evan Grant:

MLB makes it official on the Rangers behalf: They are leaving Diamond Sports (parent of Bally Sports Southwest). But no determination on where Rangers will end up on TV has been officially made. Will explain more in a story coming in a moment.

 

[saddles]

From Alden Gonzalez:

MLB announced it will produce and distribute Guardians, Twins and Brewers games next season. They join the Padres, Diamondbacks and Rockies, who are also under MLB’s umbrella.

The Rangers decided not to go with Diamond Sports Group and are considering local media options.

 

[saddles]

Baseball America just came out with a list ot the 9 most underrated prospects, one for each position. I checked to see if any Rangers prospects the list. I was hoping for one Rangers' name. There wasn't one name, there were three. Acosta. Guerrero, and Osuna all made the list.

Max Acosta, SS, Rangers ​

Baseball America’s Josh Norris just listed Acosta as an intriguing Rule 5-eligible player heading to the Arizona Fall League. RoboScout agrees wholeheartedly. Acosta lowered his strikeout rate from 21% to 13% and increased his 90th percentile exit velocity by nearly two miles per hour from 2023. The Venezuelan middle infielder also cut his chase rate from 31% in 2023 to 24% while increasing his barrel rate from 13% to 20%. Acosta is also a defensive asset. He played two-thirds of his games at shortstop, showing above-average to plus run prevention. RoboScout projects his 2024 Double-A Frisco performance to be equivalent to an above-average major league bat with 15-18 home runs and 15-20 stolen bases and a batting average between .260 and .280. The fantasy prospect industry has yet to catch back up to Acosta’s reacquired shine.

Pablo Guerrero, OF, Rangers​

The younger brother of Vlad Guerrero Jr., Pablo Guerrero also shows some of the same hitting traits as the sluggers above while doing it at an even younger age. Although the 17-year-old has the worst chase rate of this cohort of sluggers, he was 1-2 years younger than the others. Again, for ease of comparison, here are the outfielder’s metrics accrued from 210 plate appearances at the complex and then 107 plate appearances for Low-A Down East compared to the same players:

Name	Age	Cont%	IZ-Cont%	90th EV	Chase%	Barrel%	xwOBAcon
Lazaro Montes	19	69%	74%	104.8 mph	26%	15%	.361
Eric Bitonti	18	67%	77%	104.8 mph	20%	24%	.437
Luis Merejo	18	68%	75%	105.9 mph	22%	19%	.364
Pablo Guerrero	17	67%	80%	105.7 mph	31%	17%	.392

Once Guerrero reached full-season ball at the end of July, his contact rate improved in Low-A, but his barrel rate and xwOBAcon were below-average for the level, as one might expect with a 64 wRC+. Still, with just over 100 plate appearances, RoboScout leans toward attributing this to growing pains while acclimating to a new level. It still projects the outfielder to be an above-average major league bat at peak, capable of annual seasons of approximately 25 home runs.

Alejandro Osuna, OF, Rangers​

The third Ranger on this list, Osuna had a solid season for High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco with a .292/.362/.507 slash line across the two levels. He hit 18 home runs, stole 17 bases and played above-average outfield defense, primarily in center field. In his age-21 season, the Mexican-born Osuna had a 75% contact rate and 104.1 mph 90th percentile exit velocity, both above-average marks for the level while chasing at a fringe-average 29% mark. With a firmly-plus xwOBAcon of .391, RoboScout sees Osuna as an above-average major league bat at peak with 20-25 home run power and double-digit steals, all while playing solid outfield defense. Still unranked in our latest Rangers Top 30, RoboScout thinks Osuna is highly underrated in an ascendant minor league organization.

 

[saddles]

Osuna and Acosta are close enough to be able to play for the Rangers at some point in the second half of 2025. They may have to protect Acosta now.

I have been guilty of underrating Acosta and Osuna, myself, but I have been wondering why Guerrero isn't more highly regarded.