Free agency is a great way to build a bullpen and several teams seem to have that in mind this winter. A hot name on the reliever market is fireballer Jordan Hicks, who has no shortage of teams interested in him, including AL West rivals the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros.

The last two World Series champions are joined by the Los Angeles Angels and others for the 27-year-old who is coming off his best season as a pro. Hicks is a free agent for the first time in his career and picked a good time to have a great second half.

Hicks tossed a total of 65.2 innings last season with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Toronto Blue Jays. He posted a 3.29 ERA and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings, both career bests in a season he pitched more than 30 innings in.

The Rangers and Astros battled it out all season for the AL West crown, then took their 2023 ALCS to seven games. It's only fitting that they're interested in some of the same free agents as both teams try to retool for what will likely be another 162-game grind in 2024.

Hicks will play almost the entire 2024 season at age 27, giving the Rangers, Astros and other teams incentive to ink him to a multi-year deal. Though mainly used as a set-up man or whenever the team needs a strikeout, Hicks has experience as a closer, as evidenced by his 32 career saves.

Jordan Hicks has appeared in 212 MLB games. It will be intriguing to see if he's signed as a closer or not, but the Astros seem set at that position, while the Rangers do have an opening.