The MLB offseason is well underway now, and we have already seen some big moves being made across the league. While it may be awhile until some of the bigger names come off the market, that doesn't mean that there won't be any rumors. One such big name who is drawing a ton of interest in the early going is starting pitcher Jacob deGrom.
If it weren't for Aaron Judge hitting free agency after breaking the American League home run record, deGrom would likely be the top free agent available this offseason. He has proven to be the most electric starter in the league when he's fully healthy, and considering his strong finish to the 2022 season with the New York Mets, he will likely command a massive deal this offseason.
One of the teams interested in deGrom is the Texas Rangers, and it sounds like the feeling may be mutual, as deGrom has said he would be interested in potentially defecting from the only club he's ever known in the Mets to help Texas turn things around. With that in mind, let's take a look at two big reasons why the Rangers need to break the bank and do whatever it takes to land deGrom in free agency.
2. The Rangers already have a strong lineup
This may seem like a strange reason to sign deGrom, but it's actually part of the reason why adding a starting pitcher has to be high up on the Rangers to-do list this offseason. Texas already has a pretty decent lineup in place, so there's really no reason to invest more money into that unit this offseason. Instead, they need to throw all their money at a guy like deGrom instead.
Last offseason, the Rangers pulled off huge deals for Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to shore up their middle infield, and give them two huge bats in the middle of the lineup. Sure enough, Texas' lineup produced this season, and while they could use a few guys at the bottom of their lineup to shore things up, there's no need for them to go out and spend on the biggest bats on the market.
With Seager and Semien leading the way, and Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis Garcia being solid secondary bats as well, Texas already has a very strong core group leading their lineup. Again, they can fill out the back if they want, as they have a few positions that could certainly use some help, but there's no sense to spend exorbitantly after what they did last offseason.
It's clear that last season, the Rangers biggest weakness was their starting rotation. For that reason, they should go out and sign a starter this offseason. However, they can't afford to continually add depth arms; they need to go out and get a de facto ace, which leads up to the main reason the Rangers need to sign deGrom this offseason.
1. The Rangers desperately need an ace like Jacob deGrom to lead their starting rotation
The Rangers didn't have a good 2022 campaign, and that was largely because they ignored their biggest need last offseason, and that was pitching. Through and through, the Rangers did not have a pitching staff that was designed to lead their team to wins, and that needs to change pronto if they want to change their fortunes come next season.
Texas has already kept Martin Perez around after he accepted their qualifying offer on Tuesday afternoon, but betting on him to pitch like he did in 2022 is quite a risk. Perez was an ace last season, but everyone behind him was not even close to matching his breakout campaign, and that's why the Rangers need to invest in adding a big time starter,
The Rangers really only had four consistent starters last season, and two of them had ERA's hovering at or above 4.50. Jon Gray was OK with a 3.96 ERA, but even then, that's not nearly good enough for a guy who was being asked to be a number two starter. There's a gaping hole with deGrom's name written all over it in Texas' starting rotation.
The Rangers can't afford to continue to ignore their starting rotation. The rest of their roster has some promise, but their starters need to be able to deliver on a consistent basis. deGrom's addition wouldn't solve everything, but it sure would help. Considering Perez is already back on his qualifying offer, that would give Texas a solid one-two punch atop their rotation that they haven't had in years.
Jacob deGrom is the best starter on the market, and he has said he would be open to joining the Rangers. There aren't many reasons for the Rangers to not pursue deGrom to be their next ace, and if they can land him, they may be able to make a playoff push next season.
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