Hey, this is a great moment to be a Rangers fan! Texas just won the World Series for the first time in franchise history, capping up an incredible season that culminated in a postseason in which they defeated its rival and the defending champions while crushing every other opponent in their path.
The Rangers will enter 2024 as league leaders, with holes to fix but the primary goal of defending their crown the following season. This team boasts a core of incredibly talented but yet relatively young players, as well as a deep farm system that provides reinforcements when needed.
There are no major holes to be fixed on this team, but rather a few key decisions to be made on free agents and how to add pieces to support their championship team. This roster is set in win-now mode for the next five years and likely more, which will tell the story of this winter.
Money honestly will not be a factor for the Rangers after their spending spree the past few seasons and they’ll be willing to enter luxury tax if they can help bolster their roster.
The positional breakdown is the easiest way to understand where players could depart and what spots on the depth chart need to be filled by internal options or new additions to the roster.
Infield
Under Contract: Jonah Heim, Nathaniel Lowe, Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Josh Jung, Ezequiel Duran, Josh H. Smith, Sam Huff
The middle infield duo of Marcus Semien and Corey Seager proved to the world in the World Series why the Rangers paid them a combined $500 million dollars. They were exceptional and will continue to lead this offense for the duration of the decade.
It doesn’t stop there with the infield talent as Josh Jung took a huge step forward in his rookie season and is a potential extension candidate as he’s locked into the third base job in Texas. Nathaniel Lowe didn’t make a huge impact in the playoffs but he has remained a constant presence at first base and has three more years of control via arbitration.
To round out that group behind the plate is Jonah Heim who ascended to being one of the top catchers in baseball this season. That group of five is excellent and the only decisions to be made are in regard to the back-up catcher position and a potential utility infielder off the bench.
Mitch Garver is the only everyday offensive player on the roster headed for free agency and he’s the best hitting catcher on the market even though he’s not going to be an everyday catcher for essentially any team looking to sign him.
The Rangers could spend big and bring him back for his role as the regular designated hitter and backup catcher. This allowed him to shine in 2023 and it could be in the best interest of both sides to stick together.
If the Rangers become priced out due to the demand for Garver’s bat, they could turn to fellow free agent Austin Hedges as a defensive-minded backup catcher. He was acquired at the deadline when Heim was dealing with an injury and clearly became an emotional leader in the clubhouse.
If Texas has full confidence in their talented offense without Garver, a reunion with Hedges may make sense.
Sam Huff has exciting upside at the plate that could be tapped into but his defense behind the dish has been subpar and it doesn’t seem like the defending champions would like to have him as the secondary catcher on the roster behind Heim. It feels like bringing back either Garver or Hedges makes the most sense, but an external veteran backup could fit as well.
Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith are both depth options and Duran seems like a safe bet to make the roster in a utility role similar to that of last season. Adding another infielder who can play all over would be logical as well and there are plenty of veteran options available on the market. The Rangers are in an excellent position with their five starters in the infield locked in for next year.
Outfield
Under Contract: Evan Carter, Leody Tavares, Adolis Garcia, Ezequiel Duran
Free Agents: Robbie Grossman, Travis Jankowski
The Rangers utilized a platoon system with much of their outfield this past season, especially in left field. That is no longer going to be a problem since 21-year-old rookie Evan Carter established himself as a key member of this core. Furthermore, Leody Tavares took a step forward this season in center field and the Rangers lucked out with superstar prospect Wyatt Langford falling to them with the 4th overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Then there’s Adolis Garcia who is coming off one of the best postseasons we have ever seen from a hitter despite him missing the second half of the World Series with an oblique injury.
This outfield is in as good of a position as any in the league with Langford likely to make his way to the league sometime in 2024. Both Robbie Grossman and Travis Jankowski are set to be free agents, but the Rangers are going to be perfectly fine with or without the two of them.
The only addition that needs to be made is a potential platoon hitter to help ease the pressure on Carter against left-handed pitchers and can also back up Tavares on occasion. This role is frankly perfect for Grossman which could lead to a possibly short-term reunion with the veteran switch hitter.
There are additional options out there in free agency and Duran could also fill the role of right-handed hitter to match up against left-handed pitching. Once Langford, Just Baseball’s fourth-ranked prospect in baseball, makes his much-anticipated debut Tavares will become possibly the best fourth outfielder in baseball.
One free agent addition is likely needed whether it be a reunion with Grossman or an external option like Tommy Pham or Adam Duvall. This player would also factor into the designated hitter mix depending on whether or not Garver is brought back. No matter what move is made, this is another positional group where the Rangers are in a great position. Having Garcia, Carter, Tavares, and Langford in the mix for the future is about as much as a team can dream of rostering.
Starting Pitching
Under Contract: Nathan Eovaldi, Max Scherzer, Jon Gray, Dane Dunning, Andrew Heaney, Jacob deGrom*
The Rangers could lose one of their postseason aces in free agency while not expecting a return from Jacob deGrom until late season at the earliest and they’re somehow still in a good spot.
Jordan Montgomery’s free agency is the biggest question mark to watch this offseason in Texas as at least half the teams in the league will be seeking the services of the dependable veteran starter. He was a huge part of the Rangers’ run to a World Series title this year after being acquired at the deadline to stabilize an injury-riddled rotation.
