Texas Rangers 2024-2025 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

Jeff Wilson has an article out about today's roster decisions. I will post some of them today. Here is what he has to say about Dane Acker.

Dane Acker, RHP​

Acker has had trouble staying healthy since the Rangers acquired him in the 2021 Elvis Andrus trade with the A’s, but did so in 2024. He didn’t have a dominant season, occasionally hampered by an inability to put away hitters, but still posted a 3.05 ERA at Double A Frisco. He has the stuff to pitch in the majors, and losing him would put a dent in the Rangers’ minor-league depth for 2025. He also opened some eyes as a reliever late in the season after he hit his innings limit. He has a strong case to be on the 40-man.

 

[saddles]

Jeff Wison on the case for Josh Stephan:

Josh Stephan, RHP​

An undrafted free agent from South Grand Prairie after the wonky 2020 draft, Stephan has developed into an intriguing prospect but can’t avoid injuries. Stephan was the top starting pitcher in the heavily scouted Arizona Fall League after missing much of the regular season with an elbow injury. He missed half of the 2023 campaign with a back injury. A tough call here for the Rangers

 

[Kelleyman]

Writers like Jeff Wilson

Here is the order I think the Rangers are most likely to protect these guys.

Teodo
Santos
Stephan
Acosta
Acker
Magdaleno
Ortiz
Crim
Garcia

I think they will add no more than 4 or 5.

I think we will lose 3 guys in the draft.

Writers like Jeff Wilson Are hesitant to name any specific player to be chopped although to us it is obvious

Surely more than 3 will be added including Stephan. Losing 3 players are a stretch

Will be good to see closer to 5 how many roster openings exist for each team

I do expect some movement/ openings made especially Carson who has no shot to pitch this year. But unfortunately they will keep Grant and one of White/Winn

 

[saddles]

Writers like Jeff Wilson

Writers like Jeff Wilson Are hesitant to name any specific player to be chopped although to us it is obvious

Surely more than 3 will be added including Stephan. Losing 3 players are a stretch

Will be good to see closer to 5 how many roster openings exist for each team

I do expect some movement/ openings made especially Carson who has no shot to pitch this year. But unfortunately they will keep Grant and one of White/Winn

Jeff is usually very plugged in, so I am thinking since he is so sure they they will roster only 3 new additions, then that is probably what is going to happen. That is a shame though.

 

[saddles]

Surely more than 3 will be added including Stephan. Losing 3 players are a stretch

I think pitchers are easy for teams to stash on their 26-man roster. Of the 6 pitchers on my list, I can see another club being willing to take just about any of them, with maybe Garcia being an exception.

Position players are harder to keep on your roster if they aren't ready. Some team could take a shot with Acosta. To me, Crim is a no-brainer. If he is left unprotected, he seems certain to be taken.

 

[saddles]

Jeff Wilson's take on Magdaleno:

Bryan Magdaleno, LHP​

This guy is intriguing. He didn’t make his professional debut until 2021 and his stateside debut until 2022, and he wasn’t particularly good. In 2024, though, he pitched at three levels and didn’t allow a run over the final three months. As such, he was named the Rangers Minor League Reliever of the Year. He uses a mid-90s fastball and a slider from a funky arm slot. The Rangers can always use relievers, and they have one who might entice another team.

 

[Kelleyman]

Jeff is usually very plugged in, so I am thinking since he is so sure they they will roster only 3 new additions, then that is probably what is going to happen. That is a shame though.

We shall see But did he name them. He seems hesitant about Stephan

 

[saddles]

We shall see But did he name them. He seems hesitant about Stephan

Other than Teodo and Santos, no. He seems to think Acker is the most likely. He also thinks Magdaleno, Garcia, Stephan and Crim could be considered.

The thing is, they could easily make room for all of those guys he mentions as considerations.

 

[saddles]

Jeff Wilson on Ryan Garcua's chance at being added:

Ryan Garcia, RHP​

The Rangers’ second-round pick in 2019 finally got over the hump at Frisco and pitched even better at Triple A Round Rock, which has fueled speculation that he could be protected this year. Garcia, who was slowed by Tommy John surgery and oblique injuries early in his career, throws harder than he did in college but still knows how to use his offspeed pitches effectively. If the Rangers are concerned about losing starting depth, they will think long and hard about Garcia.


Wilson is the only local guy who even mentioned Ryan Garcia. Neither Grant nor Newberg even considered him.

 

[saddles]

Jeff Wilson's take on the Crim Reaper's chance at being added:

Blaine Crim, 1B​

Crim is Rule 5-eligible for the second time and is entering his final season before minor-league free agency. He will be in big-league spring training, again, and will do well, again, and he will perform well enough to get big-league at-bats again. Will it be for the Rangers? His .295 career average and .876 OPS are pretty hard to ignore.

 

[saddles]

My suggestions to Evan Grant for roster deletions and his response to each.

Anderson - Perhaps

Coleman - Yes

Festa - Yes

Garabito - Perhaps

Latz - No

White - Not after late-season bullpen showing

Winn - Maybe, but easy 60-day assignment early

Ornelas - Yes, for Acosta

Fabian - Probably

 

[Duane1952]

My suggestions to Evan Grant for roster deletions and his response to each.

Anderson - Perhaps

Coleman - Yes

Festa - Yes

Garabito - Perhaps

Latz - No

White - Not after late-season bullpen showing

Winn - Maybe, but easy 60-day assignment early

Ornelas - Yes, for Acosta

Fabian - Probably

White needs to go.

 

[scotsman#1948]

The Rangers have several guys on the roster that are no longer worth having more so than the above guys that they need to protect.

The following guys should be in the chopping block.

Anderson
Coleman
Festa
Garabito
Latz
White
Winn
Ornelas
Fabian

i would include Robert to that list

 

[saddles]

i would include Robert to that list

Yes, him too. I am not sure how i missed him.

 

[Kelleyman]

I think we have to start looking barring additions what does our current pen looks like

 

[scotsman#1948]

I think we have to start looking barring additions what does our current pen looks like

Sborz

 

[WastinSomeTime]

White needs to go.

Anderson too.

 

[saddles]

Home game times have been announced.

 

[saddles]

I think we have to start looking barring additions what does our current pen looks like

Our current pen looks atrocious. And I am afraid much of what we will see in the pen on the 2025 Opening Day roster will be made up by mostly those same guys.

 

[saddles]

Sborz

And his health is very much up in the air. They still haven't decided what they are going to do about that, the last I heard.