Though the MLB offseason has begun, the Texas Rangers will long be celebrating their first World Series title in franchise history. That doesn’t mean they won’t be busy making moves and improving their championship-winning roster. There's always room for improvement the Rangers can’t stay put if they want to have sustained success.
Texas won't be blowing it up and starting anew. They have a bulk of pieces in place in several key positions for the foreseeable future. Their team is anchored up the middle by Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, and the rotation, when fully healthy, is five-deep with two future Hall of Famers – Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer – leading the way.
The Rangers are reportedly in on the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes and have not been shy of flashing the cash and making huge signings in recent years. This year's free agent crop is a little weak, which could lead to more trades among contending teams as everyone jostles for positioning before spring training.
Several All-Stars could be on the move this winter and there's always one or two unexpected moves that leave the MLB world speechless. Perhaps the Rangers will be involved in one of those moves and solidify their standing as the MLB's best team. Making one of these moves would certainly turn heads in the baseball world and make the Rangers more feared than ever.
Adding a power bat
The Rangers were one of the best offensive teams in the MLB last season, finishing in the top five of most categories. Texas ranked third in both home runs and runs scored en route to a 90-win season and soon after a World Series title.
The Rangers already have plenty of power in their lineup, but why not add a little more pop by trading for perhaps the best young slugger in the game, Chicago White Sox star Eloy Jimenez.
While there is no immediate indication that the White Sox intend to move on from Jimenez, plans could change and force Chicago into a full-blown rebuild. Dylan Cease would remain the most highly coveted trade piece the White Sox have to offer, but they'd be wise to at the very least listen to offers on Jimenez.
Jimenez, who turns 27 at the end of the month, is under team control for three more seasons as his contract holds a team option in 2025 and 2026. That means the White Sox can garner a pretty penny for Jimenez and by no means have to trade him.
What the Rangers, or any team that inquires about Jimenez, will get is a light pole power bat with a decent glove and plenty of upside. Injuries have his growth, but Eloy Jimenez when healthy is a very feared hitter. He averages 33 home runs in a 162-game season with a .811 OPS. He has all the talent in the world but averaged just 86 games per season in each of the last three years.
Playing in 120 games in 2023 was a good sign and Jimenez should be fully healthy to start 2024. The Rangers have an opening at designated hitter and should try to get ahead of the game with Jimenez before he is officially on the block.
Bolstering the bullpen
If there is one flaw on the Rangers roster it's the bullpen. Texas ranked 24th in bullpen ERA during the regular season and followed it up with a 4.08 ERA in the playoffs. Will Smith led the Rangers in saves but had a 4.40 ERA in the regular season and allowed four runs across five postseason games.
The Rangers could use a legitimate closer, one Bruce Bochy can give the ball to without hesitation every time there's a save situation. The best available closer on the market is Josh Hader who will demand a hefty contract in free agency. The next best may be Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar.
Bednar was an All-Star in each of the last two seasons and is one of the best and most consistent relievers in the game. He posted a 2.27 ERA in 111 games across the last two seasons with 58 saves to boot. He led the National League in saves in 2023 with 39 and was once again a strikeout machine.
Though the Pirates showed some flashes of a bright future last season, they are still a few years away from putting it all together. Bednar won’t be a free agent for another three seasons, but the Pirates could elect to ship him out a maximum value this offseason in hopes of bolstering their already stellar crop of prospects.
Bednar is a rare breed among this era of closers and he is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. Him as the anchor of a contending team's bullpen would be lethal and a nightmare for other teams. Could it be the Rangers who swoop in on him?
Making a splash
The Rangers unexpectedly made a pair of monster signings on the same day in December 2021 that sent shockwaves through the MLB offseason. The same could be in the cards for Texas this winter.
Without a doubt the biggest name on the MLB rumor mill is Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes. Trade speculation has followed the former Cy Young Award winner ever since he won the National League's top pitching honor. His inability to strike an extension with the Brewers indicates he could be on the move as he enters his final season before free agency.
Burnes struggled at times in 2023 but had a fantastic second half and looked like his old self late in the season. A brutal playoff start painted a dim light on his season but Burnes was again one of the NL's best hurlers.
With both manager Craig Counsell and general manager David Stearns moving onto greener pastures, the Brewers are expected to entertain the idea of a rebuild. The first step in such a strategy would be to trade Corbin Burnes and he will have no shortage of suitors.
Since the start of the 2020 season, Burnes ranks in the top five in innings pitched, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP. Yet to turn 30, he will garner a massive contract one way or another in the next 16 months.
The Brewers don’t seem likely to give him that deal, which means they should find a trade partner for Burnes this offseason. The Rangers have enough to poach Burnes and add him to another star-studded rotation. With only one year of team control, he should come slightly cheap and why wouldn’t he want to go to a contender?
Corbin Burnes is more likely than not to be traded this offseason. The Rangers should certainly give them a ring.
Follow Us
Subscribe
