Texas Rangers 2024-2025 Offseason Thread

[WastinSomeTime]

Trevor Bauer is going to pitch in Japan.

Are you surprised that no team has taken a shot with him?

 

[saddles]

The Rangers have 3 prospects listed in Keith Law's latest top 100 prospects rankings.

2 Sebastian Walcott
51 Kumar Rocker
64 Alejandro Rosario

 

[saddles]

So despite the stats, I just was not impressed with him and thought he was on the way downhill
But a Napkike trade for someone would certainly be welcome

He would be free after this year so he wouldn't be a big gamble. But, I doubt he is on their radar. I think they need someone dirt cheap if they sign or trade for anyone at all.

 

[saddles]

Are you surprised that no team has taken a shot with him?

Surprised? No. Do i think it is foolish for a team needing pitching not to take a flyer on him? Yes.

If he had been accused of drunk driving he would have been signed a couple of years ago.

 

[saddles]

Baseball Prospectus
#10 Sebastian Walcott
#41 Kumar Rocker
#72 Alejandro Rosario

Baseball America
No. 20 Kumar Rocker
No. 21 Sebastian Walcott
No. 49 Alejandro Rosario

MLB Pipeline
17 Walcott
44 Rocker
50 Rosario

Keith Law
2 Sebastian Walcott
51 Kumar Rocker
64 Alejandro Rosario

Average Rankings
12 Sebastian Walcott
39 Kumar Rocker
59 Alejandro Rosario

 

[scotsman#1948]

So despite the stats, I just was not impressed with him and thought he was on the way downhill
But a Napkike trade for someone would certainly be welcome

i would like to see the Rangers to do something about the Bullpen. what we have right now is a Bullpen with 3 saves in 2024. basically, we have maybe 8 or 9 middle relievers, no set-up man and no closer. that bodes for a lot of late inning losses and blown saves in the 50 to 60% area.

 

[saddles]

The Front Officevl just has different priorities than we do.

They believe in spending enough to have 7 or 8 starting pitchers and a fairly expensive DH before spending more than a few million dollars on a set up man or a closer. I think some of us disagree with that philosophy. I know I do.

To me, if spending on the back end of the bullpen meant going without Pederson I would have done so. If it meant doing without Pederson and going with a cheaper pitcher than Eovaldi, I would have done both of those things to shore up the pen.

If they try Gray and he works out that would be great. That is a huge risk though. You would need a very strong Plan 1A if you decided to go that option, I would think. We don't have a strong Plan 1A or a strong Plan B, for that matter.

 

[saddles]

I heard this morning that the rest of the television coverage package will be announced soon. It sounds like they are talking about within a few days.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Surprised? No. Do i think it is foolish for a team needing pitching not to take a flyer on him? Yes.

If he had been accused of drunk driving he would have been signed a couple of years ago.

I agree with you that at least one team should roll the dice.

 

[Kelleyman]

I think Bauer is being blackballed and not quite as good as many think

 

[Kelleyman]

i would like to see the Rangers to do something about the Bullpen. what we have right now is a Bullpen with 3 saves in 2024. basically, we have maybe 8 or 9 middle relievers, no set-up man and no closer. that bodes for a lot of late inning losses and blown saves in the 50 to 60% area.

Yes we all would prefer that. But off-season is still not over

 

[saddles]

Jesse Chavez signed to a minor league deal.

 

[saddles]

I think Bauer is being blackballed and not quite as good as many think

He is being blackballed. He will not be as good as he once was simply because he has been forced to sit out too long. Could that change after a year in Japan? Maybe.

 

[saddles]

"Fannin" isn't coming to the Alamo of the Rangers bullpen.

 

[Duane1952]

Jesse Chavez signed to a minor league deal.

Yea, he’s only 41, what a waste of money.

 

[saddles]

Yes we all would prefer that. But off-season is still not over

The offseason may be over, but the budget room apparently is.

 

[saddles]

From Texas Rangers PR:

The Texas Rangers today formally announced agreements with RHPs David Buchanan and Jesse Chavez, OF Cody Thomas, and C Chad Wallach on minor league contracts with invitations to 2025 Major League Spring Training camp.

Additionally, the Rangers extended Major League Spring Training camp invitations to 11 players from within the organization.

Those 15 players (in alphabetical order):

 

[saddles]

Looking forward to what Acker, Crim, Drake, Freeman, Hales, Ortiz, Osuna and Walcott show us in Spring Training.

 

[saddles]

I would have liked to have seen Bryan Magdaleno get an invite to ST.

Ryan Garcia, too.

 

[saddles]

This is from a MLBTRADERUMORS.COM article from last August:

Buchanan figures to get at least one start for a Reds team that been hit hard by rotation injuries, and it represents a rather remarkable comeback story. The 35-year-old Buchanan last pitched in the majors way back in 2015 as a member of the Phillies rotation, and he spent the 2016 with Triple-A Lehigh Valley before embarking on a long stint overseas. Buchanan pitched for Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball in 2017-19, and he then spent the 2020-23 seasons with the KBO League’s Samsung Lions.