Texas Rangers 2024-2025 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

Some international prospects are going to get left out in the cold as the team they have decided to sign with in January will sign Sasaki instead.

 

[saddles]

I really hope the Rangers can sign one of these guys in the new international signing period beginning next month.


Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez, SS
Elian Pena, SS
Cris Rodriguez, OF
Yorger Bautista, OF
Kevin Alvarez, OF
Dorian Soto, SS
Maykel Coret, OF

 

[saddles]

This guy is a good international catching prospect that would be nice to sign.

Moises Marchan, C

 

[saddles]

From Baseball America:

International bonus board for the 2025 class is dropping tomorrow at BA. New reports and the teams for big names to know for January 15 signings.

They gave their top 30, in order of signing bonus expected, and the teams that were signing those top 30. They didn't have the Rangers signing any of them.

 

[saddles]

They gave their top 30, in order of signing bonus expected, and the teams that were signing those top 30. They didn't have the Rangers signing any of them.

One of them is the brother to the Rangers prodpect, David Davalillo. Another one is the son of former Ranger, Pedro Strop.

 

[scotsman#1948]

They gave their top 30, in order of signing bonus expected, and the teams that were signing those top 30. They didn't have the Rangers signing any of them.

not surprising no one has the Rangers signing anyone

 

[Kelleyman]

not surprising no one has the Rangers signing anyone

Media has been up on Rangers international signings years gone by and they have done ok

I know the Rangers would like the bonus money for next year if pursuing Sasaki
But don’t know rules re bonus pool trades

 

[saddles]

Media has been up on Rangers international signings years gone by and they have done ok

I know the Rangers would like the bonus money for next year if pursuing Sasaki
But don’t know rules re bonus pool trades

It is very surprising that the Rangers didn't have anyone on their top 30 signing bonus list. Of course, that is not their top 30 best prospects, only who is getting the best signing bonuses. Those two usually are closely related, though.

Last year we signed the second best prospect.

We could pivot to one of those top guys should the team that they are supposed to sign with signs Sasaki instead.

 

[saddles]

From Evan Grant:

For those wondering: Evan Carter is swinging a bat, according to Rangers. He is expected to be ready without restriction for spring training. As are Corey Seager, Josh Jung & Adolis García.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

From Jamey Newberg:

Garcia earned $4.75 million last year. He’ll make $9.25 million in 2025, the final year of his two-year contract that will leave one remaining arbitration season when it expires. But for Joe Sheehan (Joe Sheehan Newsletter), Garcia’s contract status isn’t exactly an albatross:

Let’s put it this way: Hunter Renfroe is Kirkland Adolis Garcia, and he’s going to make $7.5 million this year. Cody Bellinger is a bit better than Garcia, and he’ll make $27.5 million. George Springer was just a bit better than Garcia last year, and he’ll make $22.5 million. Garcia, for his salary and with a controllable year beyond that, is a pretty good trade chip. With so many teams desperate for power, Chris Young should see what kind of innings — starter or reliever — Garcia can bring back. The Rangers’ lineup is just about locked down. Turning Garcia into a few wins’ worth of pitching is the best trade they can make. The Marlins, Royals, and maybe the Reds stick out as teams that could be in the market for a pitcher for Garcia trade.

 

[saddles]

More on Adolis from Newberg:

To be fair, however, the postseason-ending injury and the shortened offseason and the load-lightened spring training didn’t affect the start to Garcia’s season. Through 33 games in 2024, all but one of which he played, he was hitting .291/.346/.556 (.902 OPS) with eight homers.

But the bottom fell out after that. He hit under .200 in May and in June and in July, with an overall line in that stretch of .179/.245/.316 (.561 OPS). For the year as a whole, his walk rate dropped by 31 percent, and his chase rate rose 15 percent. And his typical ineffectiveness against high velocity plummeted to new depths: he was 15 runs below average against four-seam fastballs in 2024, according to Baseball Savant. No hitter in the league performed worse against any specific pitch, which covers more than 3,500 hitter/pitch outcomes.

Garcia’s dropoff as a right fielder may have been even more pronounced. As Michael Baumann of FanGraphs notes, in 2023 Garcia used plus range and a lethal arm to make him one of only six right fielders in the league to post a positive defensive WAR (at 2.9 runs above average, second only to Fernando Tatis Jr.) — while in 2024, his rating fell to 17.0 runs below average. His range was noticeably limited, his arm less effective. All of his movements looked uncomfortable — but even though he was diagnosed after the season with a strained patella tendon in his left knee, during the year the team insisted the musclebound outfielder wasn’t playing injured.

He just looked old.

 

[saddles]

From Jamey Newberg:

It’s the same question with Garcia. With a $9.25 million contract, he’s not a Javy Baez or Anthony Rendon problem. Whatever the arbitration process will set Garcia up for in 2026 is also a non-issue; if 2025 doesn’t go particularly well on the field, the Rangers can always non-tender him a year from now and move on. But he’s under contract for 2025, and if Texas decides it can’t afford to take care of the all-caps items on its winter shopping list the way things line up, the only way to move on from Garcia financially would be to trade him. And even then, to maximize the value of what would be coming back, the Rangers would likely have to throw in some cash.

There are lots of teams that probably feel they could use added power in right field or at DH, and in each season between 2021 and 2023, Garcia’s WAR production was worth three times his 2025 salary. Trading for Garcia now — in terms of what the cost might be — would certainly be buying low.

If we were to stick with the three teams Sheehan mentioned, the Marlins and Royals and Reds, I might explore trades like these:

• MARLINS: Garcia and some cash for RHP Edward Cabrera and OF Jesus Sanchez
• ROYALS: Garcia for LHP Kris Bubic, RHP James McArthur, and OF Gavin Cross
• REDS: Garcia for RHP Fernando Cruz, RHP Luis Mey, and RHP Zach Maxwell

Only the Miami trade, centered on the perennially dinged-up and underachieving starter Cabrera, brings Texas a replacement in right field, the very average Sanchez. The other deals bolster the bullpen (banking on upside more than reliability) but leave a hole in the outfield and lineup.

 

[Duane1952]

From Jamey Newberg:

It’s the same question with Garcia. With a $9.25 million contract, he’s not a Javy Baez or Anthony Rendon problem. Whatever the arbitration process will set Garcia up for in 2026 is also a non-issue; if 2025 doesn’t go particularly well on the field, the Rangers can always non-tender him a year from now and move on. But he’s under contract for 2025, and if Texas decides it can’t afford to take care of the all-caps items on its winter shopping list the way things line up, the only way to move on from Garcia financially would be to trade him. And even then, to maximize the value of what would be coming back, the Rangers would likely have to throw in some cash.

There are lots of teams that probably feel they could use added power in right field or at DH, and in each season between 2021 and 2023, Garcia’s WAR production was worth three times his 2025 salary. Trading for Garcia now — in terms of what the cost might be — would certainly be buying low.

If we were to stick with the three teams Sheehan mentioned, the Marlins and Royals and Reds, I might explore trades like these:

• MARLINS: Garcia and some cash for RHP Edward Cabrera and OF Jesus Sanchez
• ROYALS: Garcia for LHP Kris Bubic, RHP James McArthur, and OF Gavin Cross
• REDS: Garcia for RHP Fernando Cruz, RHP Luis Mey, and RHP Zach Maxwell

Only the Miami trade, centered on the perennially dinged-up and underachieving starter Cabrera, brings Texas a replacement in right field, the very average Sanchez. The other deals bolster the bullpen (banking on upside more than reliability) but leave a hole in the outfield and lineup.

I wouldn’t mind trading Garcia and going with Duran in right.

 

[Kelleyman]

More on Adolis from Newberg:

To be fair, however, the postseason-ending injury and the shortened offseason and the load-lightened spring training didn’t affect the start to Garcia’s season. Through 33 games in 2024, all but one of which he played, he was hitting .291/.346/.556 (.902 OPS) with eight homers.

But the bottom fell out after that. He hit under .200 in May and in June and in July, with an overall line in that stretch of .179/.245/.316 (.561 OPS). For the year as a whole, his walk rate dropped by 31 percent, and his chase rate rose 15 percent. And his typical ineffectiveness against high velocity plummeted to new depths: he was 15 runs below average against four-seam fastballs in 2024, according to Baseball Savant. No hitter in the league performed worse against any specific pitch, which covers more than 3,500 hitter/pitch outcomes.

Garcia’s dropoff as a right fielder may have been even more pronounced. As Michael Baumann of FanGraphs notes, in 2023 Garcia used plus range and a lethal arm to make him one of only six right fielders in the league to post a positive defensive WAR (at 2.9 runs above average, second only to Fernando Tatis Jr.) — while in 2024, his rating fell to 17.0 runs below average. His range was noticeably limited, his arm less effective. All of his movements looked uncomfortable — but even though he was diagnosed after the season with a strained patella tendon in his left knee, during the year the team insisted the musclebound outfielder wasn’t playing injured.

He just looked old.

Ok old and hurt

 

[saddles]

Ok old and hurt

The older you are the more time you spend hurt. Father Time slows you down and nicks you up.

 

[scotsman#1948]

From Jamey Newberg:

It’s the same question with Garcia. With a $9.25 million contract, he’s not a Javy Baez or Anthony Rendon problem. Whatever the arbitration process will set Garcia up for in 2026 is also a non-issue; if 2025 doesn’t go particularly well on the field, the Rangers can always non-tender him a year from now and move on. But he’s under contract for 2025, and if Texas decides it can’t afford to take care of the all-caps items on its winter shopping list the way things line up, the only way to move on from Garcia financially would be to trade him. And even then, to maximize the value of what would be coming back, the Rangers would likely have to throw in some cash.

There are lots of teams that probably feel they could use added power in right field or at DH, and in each season between 2021 and 2023, Garcia’s WAR production was worth three times his 2025 salary. Trading for Garcia now — in terms of what the cost might be — would certainly be buying low.

If we were to stick with the three teams Sheehan mentioned, the Marlins and Royals and Reds, I might explore trades like these:

• MARLINS: Garcia and some cash for RHP Edward Cabrera and OF Jesus Sanchez
• ROYALS: Garcia for LHP Kris Bubic, RHP James McArthur, and OF Gavin Cross
• REDS: Garcia for RHP Fernando Cruz, RHP Luis Mey, and RHP Zach Maxwell

Only the Miami trade, centered on the perennially dinged-up and underachieving starter Cabrera, brings Texas a replacement in right field, the very average Sanchez. The other deals bolster the bullpen (banking on upside more than reliability) but leave a hole in the outfield and lineup.

like any of these trades but i think the Rangers would have throw cash into the KC and Cincy trades too

 

[scotsman#1948]

I wouldn’t mind trading Garcia and going with Duran in right.

i know i'm in the minority on Duran but i've never liked him

 

[saddles]

Newberg also likes Austin Hays as a free agent signing. I think he would make a very good addition.

 

[DT LUNA]

i know i'm in the minority on Duran but i've never liked him

Like him in a utility role but not as a starter