World Series Champions, Texas Rangers 2023-2024 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

From Evan Grant:

Are they willing to pay the CBT payroll tax a second year?​

For the first time ever, the Rangers will pay the luxury tax for the 2023 roster. Threshold for the tax was $233 million this season. According to Baseball Prospectus’ database, the Rangers’ payroll for CBT purposes finished at $242 million. They will pay a 20% tax on the overage, about $1.8 million in fees.

A drop in the bucket, all things considered for a world champion. For 2024, the threshold jumps to $237 million. But, if the Rangers eclipse that, they’d be a second-time payor, meaning their tax rate would also rise. It would be 30% if they exceed the threshold by less than $20 million, 42% if they exceed it by between $20-40 million and, 75% for exceeding it by $40-60 million and 90% for anything above $60 million.

According to Baseball Prospectus, if the Rangers keep Leclerc and lose Heaney, they have roughly $162 million already committed for 2024 for eight players. The CBT tax uses the 40-man payroll compensation plus benefits. That accounted for almost $50 million on top of the 26-man opening day payroll. Do the math and you are looking at a team at about $210 million already committed with potentially eight arbitration cases pending and perhaps some long-term extensions to consider. Then again, the power of 500,000 people showing up in Arlington for a championship parade and what they might be willing to spend for tickets and merch in the future is a powerful temptation.

 

[scotsman1948]

Do you remember when you were ready to move on from Moreland after he won a Gold Glove in 2016?

Like most of the folks on here were?

Probably was because we needed so much. Now we’ve got a loaded team. If we do trade Lowe we damn well better get a king’s ransom and I don’t know too many teams that would give us that or are in position to give it

 

[scotsman1948]

The guy on the MLBTR chat seemed to doubt Taveras will be traded.

Seems to think they might keep as the 4th outfielder but Taveras is strictly a CF’er and we need a 4th outfielder who can comfortably play all 3 positions

 

[saddles]

Probably was because we needed so much. Now we’ve got a loaded team. If we do trade Lowe we damn well better get a king’s ransom and I don’t know too many teams that would give us that.

He became a free agent that offseason so we did need a 1B either way at the time. It's just that most on here were ready to move on from him despite him being decent with a bat and the best with a glove.

I always liked Mitch, myself.

If I was forced to say one way or another, I would say we do not trade Lowe this winter.

 

[Kelleyman]

Well, all of the talk on here has been offseason talk since the day after we won. And, all of the national writers are writing offseason stuff, so it is here upon us whether we are ready or not.

No criticism intended.
Taking mainly to self

 

[saddles]

Seems to think they might keep as the 4th outfielder but Taveras is strictly a CF’er and we need a 4th outfielder who can comfortably play all 3 positions

Can't most CF play the other positions as well?

 

[scotsman1948]

From Evan Grant:

Are they willing to pay the CBT payroll tax a second year?​

For the first time ever, the Rangers will pay the luxury tax for the 2023 roster. Threshold for the tax was $233 million this season. According to Baseball Prospectus’ database, the Rangers’ payroll for CBT purposes finished at $242 million. They will pay a 20% tax on the overage, about $1.8 million in fees.

A drop in the bucket, all things considered for a world champion. For 2024, the threshold jumps to $237 million. But, if the Rangers eclipse that, they’d be a second-time payor, meaning their tax rate would also rise. It would be 30% if they exceed the threshold by less than $20 million, 42% if they exceed it by between $20-40 million and, 75% for exceeding it by $40-60 million and 90% for anything above $60 million.

According to Baseball Prospectus, if the Rangers keep Leclerc and lose Heaney, they have roughly $162 million already committed for 2024 for eight players. The CBT tax uses the 40-man payroll compensation plus benefits. That accounted for almost $50 million on top of the 26-man opening day payroll. Do the math and you are looking at a team at about $210 million already committed with potentially eight arbitration cases pending and perhaps some long-term extensions to consider. Then again, the power of 500,000 people showing up in Arlington for a championship parade and what they might be willing to spend for tickets and merch in the future is a powerful temptation.

7 teams were over the CBT in 2023 and there could be up to 10 or more in 2024

 

[saddles]

No criticism intended.
Taking mainly to self

Yeah, I understood.

 

[scotsman1948]

Can't most CF play the other positions as well?

He doesn’t

 

[saddles]

He doesn’t

He hasn't up here, but he has in the minors and in the Winter Leagues. He played more of the other positions in the minors than Carter did.

 

[Duane1952]

Huff has never showed he can hit mlb pitching

He has to be given consistent at bats to show he can hit. You can’t do that sitting on the bench. He hit 256 with three homers with a 801 ops. He’s never been given a fair opportunity when he’s been called up.

 

[scotsman1948]

Heaney picks up his option and the Rangers picked up Leclerc’ option

 

[scotsman1948]

He has to be given consistent at bats to show he can hit. You can’t do that sitting on the bench. He hit 256 with three homers with a 801 ops. He’s never been given a fair opportunity when he’s been called up.

I’m serving as the Devil’s Advocate on this thread so whom would you have benched so Huff would have gotten those bats. It would have to Heim or Lowe so which?

 

[saddles]

Huff has never showed he can hit mlb pitching

His stats beg to differ. Lol

 

[saddles]

He has to be given consistent at bats to show he can hit. You can’t do that sitting on the bench. He hit 256 with three homers with a 801 ops. He’s never been given a fair opportunity when he’s been called up.

Exactly. Even with the terrible way he has been used, he still has good MLB career stats.

 

[scotsman1948]

Exactly. Even with the terrible way he has been used, he still has good MLB career stats.

Tell me who you bench to get him in the lineup. I know the 1st base silver slugger winner in 2022 and one of 4 AL nominees in 2023

 

[saddles]

Tell me who you bench to get him in the lineup.

That doesn't matter any longer.

How he has hit does matter. Unlike what you claimed earlier, he has shown he can hit big league pitching. The numbers do not lie. What's more, he has shown that, despite not ever being given consistent playing time for an extended basis.

 

[scotsman1948]

That doesn't matter any longer.

How he has hit does matter. Unlike what you claimed earlier, he has shown he can hit big league pitching. The numbers do not lie. What's more, he has shown that, despite not ever being given consistent playing time for an extended basis.

No argument except you still haven’t said which of Heim or Lowe or Garver you were going to put on the bench to give that consistent playing time. Unfortunately with the way this team has performed you would have to shoot yourself in the foot to give him the time. That’s the way it is

 

[saddles]

I sure would like to revisit the conversation I had with folks on Twitter who insisted Mason Englert would come back to the Rangers at some point in 2023.

 

[saddles]

No argument except you still haven’t said which of Heim or Lowe or Garver you were going to put on the bench to give that consistent playing time. Unfortunately with the way this team has performed you would have to shoot yourself in the foot to give him the time. That’s the way it is

There have been plenty of opportunities in the past where he could have gotten more playing time, but this discussion was started about Huff's ability to hit big league pitching. He has that ability and that has been shown.