Texas Rangers 2024-2025 Offseason Thread

[Kelleyman]

A closer would make 7 relievers.

Eovaldi, deGrom, Bradford, Mahle, Rocker, Gray, and Dunning gives us 7 more pirchers.

That is 14 pitchers. I guess Rocker goes to AAA to begin the season.

I guess Church and Pennington go to AAA as well.

Who are your projected relievers? I am thinking Dunning is our long man and not sure about Gray
Don’t think everyone we picked up start out in majorrs right?

 

[saddles]

Who are your projected relievers? I am thinking Dunning is our long man and not sure about Gray
Don’t think everyone we picked up start out in majorrs right?

I believe all of the relievers we have recently acquired are on big league contracts without options. I am not sure if Dunning has an option left. Bradford does and of course, Rocker does. I imagine Pennington has an option.

They could trade a newly acquired reliever, but that sure would make it appear as if they didn't know what they were doing.

I guess the relievers are the 7 new guys, if we acquire a closer, as well as Dunning.

 

[saddles]

Martin turned down more money from Boston. I guess he really wants to play with Roki Sasaki. Lol

 

[saddles]

Matt Festa has been DFAed.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

From Shawn McFarland:

Martin is the 6th relief pitcher that the Rangers have either signed to a major league contract or traded for this offseason, joining:

- LHP Hoby Milner
- RHP Luis Curvelo
- LHP Robert Garcia
- RHP Jacob Webb
- RHP Shawn Armstrong

I think a couple of these will pan out. Not sure which ones but many on this list have some positives that I hope they can build on.

 

[armadillooutlaw]

From Shawn McFarland:

Martin is the 6th relief pitcher that the Rangers have either signed to a major league contract or traded for this offseason, joining:

- LHP Hoby Milner
- RHP Luis Curvelo
- LHP Robert Garcia
- RHP Jacob Webb
- RHP Shawn Armstrong

Think Garcia, Webb, Milner and maybe Curvelo make the team but Armstrong will flop and not make it out of spring training.
With what they have to work with right now, My gut is we probably roll with a bullpen of Martin and Gray as the high leverage guys, with Garcia and Webb being next after them, then throw in Milner, Dunning, Pennington & Church.
Martin-Gray-Garcia-Webb-Milner-Dunning-Pennington-Church. That's the bullpen, barring injury, or re-signing Yates (would be my first choice), or trading away a guy like Gray.

 

[armadillooutlaw]

Martin turned down more money from Boston. I guess he really wants to play with Roki Sasaki. Lol

...if that actually happens...


...get ready for the next parade, lol.

 

[saddles]

Think Garcia, Webb, Milner and maybe Curvelo make the team but Armstrong will flop and not make it out of spring training.
With what they have to work with right now, My gut is we probably roll with a bullpen of Martin and Gray as the high leverage guys, with Garcia and Webb being next after them, then throw in Milner, Dunning, Pennington & Church.
Martin-Gray-Garcia-Webb-Milner-Dunning-Pennington-Church. That's the bullpen, barring injury, or re-signing Yates (would be my first choice), or trading away a guy like Gray.

I think they will keep Armstrong for awhile simply because they have to pay him anyway. I certainly didn't understand it when they signed him.

 

[armadillooutlaw]

I think they will keep Armstrong for awhile simply because they have to pay him anyway. I certainly didn't understand it when they signed him.

I didn't get it, either. And you could be right. But, if he flops hard enough or simply gets outperformed, they might be forced to reevaluate the situation.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Who else is extremely stoked that Grant Anderson is off the table for late inning situations?

 

[gregrey972]

I’m sitting here realizing the Rangers have quietly put together a great off season!

 

[saddles]

Roansy Contreras DFA’d to clear a spot for Nathan Eovaldi.

And now the Reds have DFAed him again.

 

[saddles]

I’m sitting here realizing the Rangers have quietly put together a great off season!

There is one more important step to go. They need a really good closer.

 

[Nightcrawler]

I’m sitting here realizing the Rangers have quietly put together a great off season!

It has been quiet and it has been good. I like the moves for the most part.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

I’m sitting here realizing the Rangers have quietly put together a great off season!

With the pitchers we have signed I just want to say I am pleased with adding Burger and Pederson to the roster. So I agree.

 

[saddles]

From Jared Sandler:

CHRIS MARTIN THREAD

Some basic info...

Among P (min. 150 batters) in 2024, Chris Martin’s 16.67 K/BB rate was easily BEST IN BASEBALL.

1—C. MARTIN, 16.67
t2—B. Garrett, 8.50
t2—Ty. Rogers, 8.50
4—G. Kirby, 7.78
5—B. Woo, 7.77

A strong K/BB rate isn’t unusual for Martin…

Martin’s 1.7% BB rate was MLB’s BEST in 24 (min. 150 BF) & MLB’s SINGLE-SEASON BEST since his 14 debut. Martin owns 3/11 lowest BB% seasons since his 2014 debut.

Overall, Martin’s BB% of 3.2% since '14 debut is 4TH BEST IN MLB among 594 P (min. 1000 BF) & BEST AMONG RP.

Since his debut, MLB avg BB% is 8.3%, more than 2x Martin’s. But he also Ks guys. The MLB avg K% since his debut is 22.0% while Martin’s is 25.3%. This, however, includes his first 3 yrs in which his K% was just 20.0%. Since? it’s been 26.1% including 3 straight 30%+ seasons.

Martin has experience as a leverage reliever, though more in 7th/8th than 9th. Since his return to MLB from Japan in 2018, Martin has 310.1 IP, but only 52.1 IP in the 9th & only around half in save opps. 70%+ of his IP have come in the 7th/8th w/ just under 50% in the 8th.

Martin has consistently been a strong ground ball pitcher w/ a career 48.8% GB rate (league average of 44.6% in that time).

He’s also been good at stranding inheriting runners, allowing just 13% to score since 2022, way better than the league average of 32.4%

Unlike most leverage relievers who rely on 2--maybe 3 pitches, Martin throws 4 pitches 10%+ combined over the last two years, leaning mostly on his cutter and four-seamer.

2024
CT: 45.5%
4FB: 31.1%
SPL: 13.1%
SNK: 9.4%

2023
CT: 34.5%
4FB: 34.5%
SPL: 10.7%
SNK: 15.0%

Martin induced a 34.8% chase (via SR), 17th best in MLB (min. 150 BF). League average is 28.5%. While some pitchers might have a single dominant pitch in this regard, Martin has a strong chase rate on all four (SEE PIC).

He's been 30% all but one year since MLB return in 2018.

 

[saddles]

A closer would make 7 relievers.

Eovaldi, deGrom, Bradford, Mahle, Rocker, Gray, and Dunning gives us 7 more pirchers.

That is 14 pitchers. I guess Rocker goes to AAA to begin the season.

I guess Church and Pennington go to AAA as well.

Let me correct this post. Curvelo will be in the minors. He does not have to pitch in the big leagues. That allows a little more wiggle room for either Rocker to be in the rotation or for someone like Pennington or Church to be on the 26-man roster when the season starts. Of course, that could change if we sign the best free agent pitcher, here in a few days.

 

[saddles]

Some helpful information from Jeff Wilson to keep in mind when reading Rangers related things on the internet.

"The Monday edition of the DLLS Rangers Podcast started off with a question about the Adolis Garcia trade rumors. John Rhadigan and I racked our brains, quickly searched the internet and quickly came to a familiar conclusion."

"A fan site for another club concocted some clickbait."

"Much of what is presented as news and pops up in Google and Yahoo search is either aggregated from more credible sources (like DLLS) or a writer for a fan site trying to connect some dots. Some of it makes a lot of sense."

"Stories like these have been especially prolific regarding Roki Sasaki based on the media’s latest interaction with agent Joel Wolfe. Here’s the story: No one knows anything, and Wolfe at the time knew only slightly more."

"Trust the national guys, like Ken Rosenthal and Jeff Passan, and the local beat writers."

"And let’s be careful out there."

 

[Kelleyman]

Let me correct this post. Curvelo will be in the minors. He does not have to pitch in the big leagues. That allows a little more wiggle room for either Rocker to be in the rotation or for someone like Pennington or Church to be on the 26-man roster when the season starts. Of course, that could change if we sign the best free agent pitcher, here in a few days.

I noticed that too. Garcia has options as well but he may be one of the better pitchers

Still a SP logjam. And hard for me to see both Dunning and Gray in pen

 

[Kelleyman]

Some helpful information from Jeff Wilson to keep in mind when reading Rangers related things on the internet.

"The Monday edition of the DLLS Rangers Podcast started off with a question about the Adolis Garcia trade rumors. John Rhadigan and I racked our brains, quickly searched the internet and quickly came to a familiar conclusion."

"A fan site for another club concocted some clickbait."

"Much of what is presented as news and pops up in Google and Yahoo search is either aggregated from more credible sources (like DLLS) or a writer for a fan site trying to connect some dots. Some of it makes a lot of sense."

"Stories like these have been especially prolific regarding Roki Sasaki based on the media’s latest interaction with agent Joel Wolfe. Here’s the story: No one knows anything, and Wolfe at the time knew only slightly more."

"Trust the national guys, like Ken Rosenthal and Jeff Passan, and the local beat writers."

"And let’s be careful out there."

Or a coaches son if he starts a Twitter account