Today's mailbag gets into possible offensive additions for the Rangers, Bo Bichette trade scenarios, the White Sox and the record books, requiring starters to go six innings, Jordan Walker's future, and much more.
Kevin asks:
Do you see the Rangers getting a DH/ outfielder that hits for power?
Evan Carter was the Rangers' starting left fielder entering the season, but he struggled to hit and his season ended in May with a back injury. Carter is only 22 years old and went into this season as one of the game's best prospects. He'll have to re-establish himself a bit but I assume the Rangers will generally keep a spot open for him.
Carter could play center field, which was manned by Leody Taveras this year. Taveras fits better in a fourth outfielder role. But making Carter your starting center fielder coming off a serious back injury and without having proven himself as a big league hitter would be a risky plan.
Carter is something of a question mark, but then there's Adolis Garcia. Garcia, 32 in March, is under contract for $9.25MM in 2025 and then potentially under control for 2026 as an arbitration-eligible player. Garcia was an All-Star from 2021-23 before a lost '24. Garcia's 2024 season has gone like this: insane in April, basically unplayable from May through July, and then about league average since August. Do you trade him at a low point? The bounceback potential is lower for a guy who will be turning 32.
Much-hyped rookie Wyatt Langford has logged 25 games at DH plus 729 innings in the outfield (mostly left). 23 in November, Langford has held his own with a league average bat, flashing star potential in June as well as over the last 10 days or so. His likely home is left field.
The '23 Rangers saw big power from Carter (briefly), Corey Seager, Garcia, Mitch Garver, Marcus Semien, and Josh Jung. Seager and Jung have continued to show pretty good power, and Langford certainly could next year. Carter and Garcia are unknowns, with Semien joining them and not necessarily expected to bounce back at age 34. The Rangers also don't get much pop at first base in Nathaniel Lowe.
A center fielder who can hit would fit better than a corner guy, but good luck finding one. Luis Robert should be available, but he's coming off a Garcia-like season himself. Cody Bellinger could fit on the Rangers position-wise, but he's posted a 105 wRC+ this season. Bellinger's contract makes him hard to trade, as he'll make $27.5MM in '25 with a $25MM player option and $5MM buyout for '26 (assuming he doesn't opt out this winter).
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Just a sidebar, but if MLB is going to talk at all about “restoring the prominence” of starting pitching, it needs to start with the All-Star Game, which has become a parade of middle relievers in recent years.
There should be a limit on the number of relief pitchers selected to each team. Maybe one closer and two setup men, and that’s it. The rest of the All-Star staffs should be starters because those are the guys people want to see pitch. ,
The whole point of an all-star game is to parade the best players… Not who we want to see pitch, even tho that’s what the spectacle has become. Relievers are people too
One might argue that many RPs are failed starters.
One might, but it’s sorta foolish for one to argue that someone is a failure when they’re playing a game for work and still in the top 30% in their peer group… Easy to for one to make that argument in the comments
I agree that the “Bo wants out” take is probably more speculation rather than anything that is actually concrete. A trade might make sense for both team and player, but that doesn’t mean he’s unhappy in Toronto.
Aloha, as a Cub fan, nothing against Cody B, I hope he finishes strong and opts out as he could be “blocking” others from coming up. Time for some of the younger players to have an opportunity. If he stays, the FO needs to be creative to move him, salary dump.
In other news, late here on the west coast, just announced that Chapman and the Giants agreed on a 6yr/$151mil extension. Happy for him and SF, he’s had a good season for them, one of their brighter spots this year. Mahalo