Texas Rangers 2024-2025 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

From Jeff Wilson:

Pretty interesting to listen to Joel Wolfe, agent for Roki Sasaki. Wolfe says that a smaller market with a smaller media pool might be more to Sasaki’s liking. He also said that Sasaki doesn’t need a team with a Japanese mentor or be on the West Coast.

 

[Kelleyman]

Either way, I wish the Eovaldi decision would be done and over with by noon tomorrow.

I think it might. EG states #1 priority. Right or wrong. Definitely understand we need to move on to relief pitching soon. Maybe they are doing both

 

[saddles]

Max Fried is said to probably be deciding on s team by Thursday. The Rangers are supposed be be in on him, along with the Yankees, BlueJays and Red Sox.

 

[saddles]

From Jamey Newberg:

• Chris Young said on MLB Network this morning that the Rangers’ focus is basically all-encompassing (my word, not his), with a focus on replenishing the bullpen, fortifying the rotation, and exploring opportunities for offensive help as well (though he feels good about the lineup core).
• Bruce Bochy went into a little more detail (but not much) on MLB Network Radio, sharing that evaluating ways to add pitching — from “frontline starters” to back-end relievers — has been “pretty much all we’re doing in the war room.” But he also made reference to spots in the lineup that need improvement, whether that comes from bounceback years or help from the outside — and added that he was “so excited” to get a deal done with catcher Kyle Higashioka, to whom he offered just about the highest compliment a manager can pay: “He’s a baseball player.” (And, Bochy added, tremendous at handling his pitching staff.)
• Bochy added his understanding that the Rangers should have something concrete soon on the club’s TV situation.

 

[saddles]

More from Jamey Newberg:

Roki Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolfe had a whole lot to say today:

• Fabian Ardaya (The Athletic) tweets that Wolfe “will meet with Sasaki in coming days to formulate his plan for the posting process, [and] they will meet with an unspecified number of teams starting next week.”
• According to Foul Territory TV, a “few teams have already begun submitting presentations” — and Wolfe believes Sasaki “could benefit from a ‘soft landing’ [with] a small to mid-market team, partially because of how tough the Japanese media has been on his mental health.”
• Elaborating on the last point, Ben Nicholson-Smith (SportsNet) shares that Wolfe said that “[t]here’s been a lot of negativity directed toward him . . . it’s been very detrimental to his mental state.” Also from Nicholson-Smith:
  • Sasaki “has paid attention to how teams have done as far as overall success both this year and in years past. He does watch a lot of Major League Baseball.” The young pitcher also “asks questions about weather, comfortability, and pitching development.”

 

[saddles]

In the first round of the 2025 MLB draft the Rangers will select 12th

 

[saddles]

The Mariners and the Cardinals will get a lottery pick, despite finishing with the 17th and 15th worst record.

 

[saddles]

Other teams in the lottery are the Rockies, Angels, Nationals, and Pirates.

 

[saddles]

Every team in our division except the Astros will pick in front of us.

 

[saddles]

Mariners will pick 3rd. The Angels are still left for a top 2 pick.

 

[saddles]

Angels will pick second and the Nationals get the first pick.

 

[saddles]

The Mariners with the 17th worst record will pick third. lol

 

[saddles]

Fried signs with the Yankees.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

2B Andres Gimenez from Cleveland to Toronto.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Fried signs with the Yankees.

8 years and $218 million. Unreal.

 

[Kelleyman]

Fried signs with the Yankees.

Yanks saving face

 

[Duane1952]

Loooks like the only way the Rangers get any pitching is to trade for it.

 

[saddles]

Baseball America has their first mock draft out.

12. Rangers — Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina​

Bodine has contact traits that stand out in the 2025 class, and over two seasons with Coastal Carolina, he’s a .347/.432/.564 hitter with just an 8.1% strikeout rate. He’s a switch hitter who has a knack for the barrel from both sides of the plate and has managed an 89% overall contact rate in college, as well as a 94% in-zone contact rate. Defensively, Bodine has above-average arm strength and earns strong reviews for his receiving and blocking.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Yanks saving face

They need to concentrate more on pitching. In the past they have loaded up offensively which hurts them in the playoffs.

 

[DT LUNA]

They need to concentrate more on pitching. In the past they have loaded up offensively which hurts them in the playoffs.

Agree. Would bring Huff up and go after pitching.