Texas Rangers 2024-2025 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

The Rangers 4 arbitration eligible guys, Sborz, Dunning, Heim and Taveras, signed for a total of $13.085 million. Thy is a combined savings of $3.865 million from what Spotrac.com had estimated when making their luxury tax payroll salary figures.

That savings gives the Rangers $12,528,334 left to spend in 2025 without going over the Luxury tax threshold.

That's why we haven't seen them sign a closer yet. There is still going to be a money-saving trade to be made if they want to sign a closer.

It would seem that the leading candidates to be traded would be Taveras, Mahle and Gray. Taveras would only give them an additional $4.75 million. A trade of Gray would free up $14 million and a trade of Mahle would free up $11 million. Of course, the Rangers may be forced to eat some of those dollars if they traded one of the two pitchers.

My choice would be to trade Mahle and Taveras and sign Scott and Austin Hays.

I would offer Scott a 3 year deal that is slightly backloaded.

$18 million in 2025
$21 million in 2026 and $21,500,000 in 2027

That would allow Scott, Hays and a few million to save in case a trade deadline acquisition is needed.

According to Jeff Wilson, the contract details for Joc Pederson causes a lesser hit against the salary figure for luxury tax purposes than has been shown on Spotrac.com. Wilson says it is a $5 million difference. That means there is room for $17.5 million plus, left to spend.

 

[Duane1952]

Who do you think he sits to play Leody? Carter, Langford, or Garcia? Then there is the other OF who became one of Bochy's favorites last year, Josh Smith.

Robbie should have sat after the all star break last season and he didn’t. if I had to pick one it would be Carter. Bochy has a record of not giving players fair chances to play.

 

[saddles]

The Nationals and Lowe did not reach agreement.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Who do you think he sits to play Leody? Carter, Langford, or Garcia? Then there is the other OF who became one of Bochy's favorites last year, Josh Smith.

Don't see Langford sitting and I doubt Garcia. If Evan is healthy then ship Leody.

 

[saddles]

Reliever Andrew Kittredge is off the board. One year at $9 million to the Orioles.

 

[saddles]

A's Open To Further Rotation Additions

Athletics general manager David Forst hopes to make one or two more additions -- one of them in the rotation. Read more at MLB Trade Rumors.

www.mlbtraderumors.com

They could use Tyler Mahle.

 

[scotsman#1948]

A's Open To Further Rotation Additions

Athletics general manager David Forst hopes to make one or two more additions -- one of them in the rotation. Read more at MLB Trade Rumors.

www.mlbtraderumors.com

They could use Tyler Mahle.

or Jon Gray

 

[saddles]

From Jeff Wilson:

The door for the Texas Rangers acquiring a closer might be more ajar than it was earlier this week.

President of baseball operations Chris Young said Thursday on the Foul Territory podcast that the Rangers will continue to look at high-leverage arms the rest of the offseason even though they have added five relievers this offseason.


“We’ve had a number of signings that we think have improved our bullpen,” he said. “We’re still open-minded in terms of improving our bullpen and finding the right leverage arms to help us close out games.”

That echoes the Tuesday comments of general manager Ross Fenstermaker, who said that adding a closer wasn’t a priority but the Rangers would be open to the right opportunity. Fenstermaker showed great confidence in the new relievers, the latest being right-hander Chris Martin.

Young said that the Rangers goal to start the offseason was to raise the floor of the bullpen by adding veterans in the middle and late innings. The five additions, though, have only 29 career saves.


The free-agent closer market, which includes 2024 Rangers All-Star Kirby Yates, hasn’t budged this offseason, and the Rangers might be content to let another team set the market.

 

[saddles]

I would offer rhe A's Tyler Mahle for RHP Steven Echavarria. Echavarria would rank right about where Mitch Bratt ranks among our prospects, and would give us deeper pitching depth to trade from at the deadline.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

The 2025 international signing period begins in 4 days and 15 hours.

 

[saddles]

Hoffman to the Blue Jays.

3 years/$33 million

The closer market is set. Let's go CY.

 

[Kelleyman]

Hoffman to the Blue Jays.

3 years/$33 million

The closer market is set. Let's go CY.

After Baltimore balked once again

 

[saddles]

2025 Rangers' Prospect Breakout Candidates

From Baseball America:

David Davalillo, RHP​

Preseason Rank: 17
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Davalillo was originally signed by the Mets—where his father has been a longtime minor league coach—in 2021 but was released after the season and signed by the Rangers the next year. He spent most of his next two seasons in Rookie ball save for one start at Low-A. The righthander broke out in 2024 in a major way. His 1.88 ERA was the best in the minor leagues and his 113 strikeouts ranked ninth in the system.

Scouting Report: Nothing in Davalillo’s arsenal jumps out as a true plus pitch, but nothing in his mix is worse than fringe-average. His fastball sits around 93 mph and touches 96, and he switched its shape from four-seam to two-seam as the season wore on. Davalillo’s best offspeed is his split-changeup. The pitch garnered a 57.8% miss rate, the highest of any part of his repertoire. He throws two distinct breaking balls: a curveball in the mid 70s and a sweeper in the low 80s. Both pitches earned fringe-average grades from scouts. He pounded the zone with his entire arsenal and walked just 32 hitters in 110.1 innings. His results didn’t skip a beat after the move to High-A, a fact scouts inside and outside the organization attribute to his cerebral nature and excellent feel to pitch.

The Future: After a breakout season, Davalillo will reach Double-A for the first time in 2025. If he can tame the hitter-friendly upper levels of the Rangers’ system he’ll jump up the ranks and work toward a future as a back-end starter.

Scouting Grades: FB: 50. CB: 45. SWP: 45. SPLT: 55. CTL: 55.

Kolton Curtis, RHP​

Preseason Rank: 23
BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: Curtis pitched at Bishop Verot High in Fort Myers, Fla., and was committed to Barry University before the Rangers signed him as an undrafted free agent. He made his debut in the Arizona Complex League in 2023, then turned in a standout season at Low-A Down East.

Scouting Report: Curtis is a tall, projectable righthander with a four-pitch mix that should take steps forward as he adds strength to his frame. His four-seam fastball averaged 93 mph and touched 96 while showing nearly 18 inches of induced vertical break. He backs it with a slider, curveball and changeup. Some scouts see the changeup as his best pitch while others prefer the slider, which has gyro shape and solid depth. The changeup, thrown in the high 70s, shows solid sinking action. The curveball is a top-down breaker that offers a north-south contrast to the east-west pattern created by his slider and a split-changeup, though its break is inconsistent. Curtis’ command and control are below-average, and he walked 12.2% of hitters at Low-A.

The Future: The Rangers have been aggressive with undrafted free agents in recent years, and Curtis looks like their latest success story. Scouts who saw him in the Carolina League reported a pitcher with the potential to fit in the back end of a rotation. To do so, he’ll have to keep adding strength to his frame and throw a few more strikes. His next stop is High-A Hickory.

Scouting Grades: FB: 50. CB: 40. SL: 55. CH: 55. CTL: 40.

 

[saddles]

Jim Bowden gives the Rangers a B+ on the offseason and predicts them to finish in first place.

 

[Kelleyman]

Jim Bowden gives the Rangers a B+ on the offseason and predicts them to finish in first place.

Yeah I noticed this although the oddsmakers pick Houston still

 

[saddles]

Yeah I noticed this although the oddsmakers pick Houston still

Yeah, they have to make into account how folks will bet. A lot of those folks who bet aren't as informed as they should be.