The Rangers spent lavishly in free agency following the opening of their new stadium, inking Corey Seager (10 years, $325MM), Marcus Semien (seven years, $175MM), Jacob deGrom (five years, $185MM) to mega contracts. They also took on notable salary in trades (Max Scherzer, Jordan Montgomery) and doled out more modest but nevertheless notable guarantees for Jon Gray (four years, $56MM), Nathan Eovaldi (two years, $34MM) and Andrew Heaney (two years, $28MM), among others. Generally speaking, they were rewarded. Texas won the 2023 World Series — the first in franchise history.
The sheer magnitude of those expenditures added up, however, resulting in the Rangers paying the luxury tax both in 2023 and 2024. Texas has spent aggressively at times in the past, but not to this extent. As they face the potential of a third straight season as a luxury tax payor, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes that one of owner Ray Davis’ top priorities this winter — perhaps even his No. 1 priority — is to duck under the $241MM luxury threshold in order to reset the team’s penalty level.
For those unfamiliar or simply in need of a refresher, the luxury tax is calculated based on the combined average annual salaries of the players on a team’s roster (plus player benefits and a mandatory payment into the league’s pre-arbitration bonus pool). The tax threshold climbs every season — at predetermined levels stipulated in the collective bargaining agreement — and carries escalating penalties for teams that cross the tax barrier in consecutive seasons.
First-time offenders pay a 20% tax on the first $20MM by which they exceed the threshold. They’re then taxed at a 32% rate for the next $20MM. If they cross into the third tier of penalty, that results in a 62.5% tax on the next $20MM and sees the team’s top pick in the following year’s draft dropped by 10 spots. Exceeding the tax threshold by more than $60MM results in being taxed at 80% or any dollars spent thereafter.
That’s just for first-time offenders, however. Each of those penalty levels increases by at least 10% for a team that crosses the tax line in a second season. For a club crossing the tax threshold in a third straight year, the penalties become more burdensome: 50% for the first $20MM, 62% for the next $20MM, 95% for the next $20MM (plus the same draft pick penalty) and 110% for any dollars thereafter. That’s the set of potential penalties the Rangers would be facing if they cross the tax line again in 2025.
To this point, the Rangers’ penalties they’ve paid have been light, relatively speaking. They paid just $1.8MM for their first year of penalty in 2023. This year’s total has not yet been determined, but RosterResource estimates they were a bit more than $13MM north of 2024’s first-tier threshold of $237MM. At a 30% tax hit as a second-time payor, they’d be looking at roughly $4MM in penalties based on that number.
In theory, the 50% tax isn’t all that daunting, so long as the club only modestly exceeds the threshold once again. But the Rangers have quite a bit of work to do this winter, with as many as 10 players reaching free agency — pending option decisions on Nathan Eovaldi ($20MM player option), David Robertson ($7MM mutual option) and Andrew Chafin ($6.5MM club option). Eovaldi is all but certain to decline his option, as he can command something close to (perhaps even above) that same salary on a multi-year deal. Robertson will turn down his end of that mutual option after a strong season. Chafin’s is a borderline call, but if Texas wants to be conscious about its spending levels, that will probably be bought out for $500K.
At present, RosterResource projects nearly $189MM of luxury commitments already in place for the 2025 season — $52MM shy of next year’s $241MM threshold. That ostensibly leaves a fair bit of wiggle room — at least until considering the fact that the Rangers are losing three starters (Eovaldi, Scherzer, Heaney), their three top relievers (Robertson, Kirby Yates, Jose Leclerc) and several role players. They’ll not only need to remake a significant portion of the pitching staff but also look for ways to augment an offense that was among the game’s best in ’23 before growing stagnant in ’24.
Young has already called re-signing Eovaldi and/or Heaney “a priority” this offseason. Eovaldi, in particular, would eat up a significant portion of the funds available to the club this offseason. In a separate mailbag column, Grant suggests that if another team were interested in taking on the remaining year and $13MM of Jon Gray’s contract, the Rangers would pursue such an opportunity and could conceivably reallocate some of those funds to a reunion with Eovaldi.
Gray has performed reasonably well since signing in Texas but has been injured each season and watched his strikeout rate drop in consecutive years. The 32-year-old righty (33 next month) made only 19 starts this season and pitched to a serviceable 4.47 ERA with a 19.6% strikeout rate, 6.4% walk rate and 40.1% ground-ball rate. In three seasons with Texas, the hard-throwing former No. 3 overall pick carries a 4.16 ERA in 387 1/3 innings. His contract is hardly an albatross, but there also isn’t much (if any) surplus value on the deal.
Speculatively speaking, the Rangers could look to free up money in other ways if they feel crunched. Righty Dane Dunning’s projected $4.4MM salary (via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) makes him a potential non-tender or trade candidate after a rough season. Leody Taveras ($4.3MM projection) also had a tough year and could be moved with younger outfielders Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter both in the majors now (and hopefully healthier in 2025). Nathaniel Lowe’s $10.7MM projection isn’t unreasonable, but Texas could hypothetically move him and turn first base over to a prospect like Justin Foscue or Dustin Harris (or a cheaper first base option in free agency, such as Carlos Santana). It’d be hard to sell low on Adolis Garcia coming off a down season, and Grant suggests such a scenario isn’t likely.
Any of those trades would only open further holes, though the Rangers have the type of MLB-ready young players (Langford, Carter, Foscue, Harris) to try to address them internally. They also have some young arms on which they could lean in the rotation — Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter — but Leiter struggled in 2024 and Rocker will be on an innings limit in 2025 as he continues working back from Tommy John surgery. The need in the bullpen is arguably more acute, and the in-house options aren’t exactly plentiful.
It’ll be a challenging offseason for president of baseball operations Chris Young. The Rangers should have some money to spend, but the number of holes are as daunting as they are surprising for a team that’s just 12 months removed from hoisting a World Series trophy.
Texas Outlaw
I see a rough year ahead for the Rangers. They need many young pitchers to step up. Best case is they get hot and sneak into the wild card… but I see it as a re-tooling year.
NYCityRiddler
Oh my goodness, $4M in penalties! How in the world will they ever be able to come up with that kind of money? Sit down, shut up & pay the man! I guess everything ain’t bigger in TX. Ahahahaha!
ButchAdams79
Nobody talks about it much, but rangers typically pay 1/2 their payroll from tv contract money. And they don’t have one right now. And the $4m isn’t the problem. It’s the 50% going forward and having a bare pitching staff
paddyo furnichuh
Any form of “the Riddler,” shouldn’t be saying or typing “oh my goodness.”
NYCityRiddler
@paddyo -Oh my goodness, you’re right! Ahahaha!
User 2770661946
You knew it wouldn’t last.
drprofsps
This fan is crying. I agree we need a TV deal ASAP. But we cannot let those cheating losers in Houston beat us again!!! Go Rangers!!!
LordD99
I think the Astros are heading towards a rebuild.. Maybe not a full rebuild, but they have issues.
solaris602
They still have a hole at 1B, Bregman is a free agent, and Tucker enters his walk year. Addressing all 3 of those issues could be very expensive. Verlander is cooked, and everyone else is a year older. They’re still the favorites to win the West, but tomorrow isn’t nearly as bright as it once was.
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
Logically the mariners should be the best team in the division in 2025 since Houston and Texas are going through major retooling and Sacramento (woah I said that) and Anaheim are rebuilding
But I’ve learned that literally no team can screw up a wide open opportunity like the mariners
Lindor's Bodyguard
54% flies forever!
Damn_Yankees
Drp are you a player on the Rangers?
getrealgone2
They’re a flash in the pan.
Paleobros
More like the Texas Get-Out-of-the-Luxury-Tax Rangers amirite
Acoss1331
At least they got a championship out of their big expenditures. I would take that every day of the week.
Samuel
Acoss1331;
Yes…
The owner bought a championship. He got sick of waiting for youngsters to come up. canned the FO head – Jon Daniels – promoted retired pitcher Chris Young who’d been working under Joe Torre in the Commissioners Office to be head Baseball Ops for the Rangers. Young, raised and a high school ballplayer in Dallas is a graduate of Princeton University, and was highly regarded as some day working in a FO. The owner started him at the top with Daniels, then canned Daniels. Gave Young a huge budget and told him to buy what he needed to win.
Young brought in a number of star veterans, happily overpaying in dollars and years. The excess was so bad that Young gave Jacob deGrom a 5 year / $185m contract in spite of the fact that deGrom had only pitched 69, 92, and 64 innings for the Mets the previous 3 years due to injuries. In 2023 at age 35 he pitched 30 innings with the Rangers before injuries took hm out yet again.
In addition to the veteran players, Young brought in Bruce
Bochy to manage. A future HOF manager that had won 3 previous championships.
In short, the team did not “get hot”. They led the AL West for most of the season. They peaked during the playoffs which is what the best teams do – the veterans leading the way.
Now the owner (and Ranger fans) will be paying the price of that championship year for quite a few years to come. The veterans are old, and owed a lot of money on their contracts.
The goal was to buy a championship. They brought in the people that worked hard and did it. It was not a fluke. give credit to all those involved.
C Yards Jeff
Congrats Texas. You won a WS. The strategy of spending a lot of money to win one worked for you. Jealous in Baltimore.
Definition of a large market team? Stinking rich. Year in and out they can afford to spend big including absorbing financial penalties. Hey Texas, you’re not one of them. Neither are my Birds. To our good fortune, even though proven to be a very successful strategy to winning it all, spending gobs of money is not the only way to accomplish it.
Can’t wait until next year. Give’em hell all small market team warriors.
Gwynning
Amen Jeff!
Just Rob
I share your sentiment, but O’s need to pay Burnes. Need starting pitching. I wouldn’t be up set with Eovaldi on a 2-3 year deal (in addition to Burnes). Bradish is going to be on an innings limit. G-Rod’s lat is brittle. Eflin is solid, but not an A-1 ace. Povich needs to throw strikes. Burnes, Eflin, G-Rod, Eovaldi with Kremer / Povich at 5 and spelling G-Rods injury, and then Bradish working back in mid season is a solid, but expensive rotation.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
I think Burnes, though still very good, will be trending down slowly. We have already seen his peak. His strikeout % trending down , just not as uber-dominant as seen in Milwaukee. The team giving him a huge-a@@, long-a@@ contract is going to regret it probably in Year 2. Orioles spread your money around to create more starting rotation depth.
JoeBrady
Just Rob
but O’s need to pay Burnes. Need starting pitching.
=====================
I agree. IMO, this is kind of a defining moment for the owners. They have guys, they have a low payroll. Whether they choose to take the next step will define them. They are +350k fans Y-O-Y, and +900k over two years.
My guess is that they can add another 500k over the next year or two, but they need to show the fans they are serious about a WS.
BigV
I’m all for the small markets
Fever Pitch Guy
Acoss – Agreed! And I don’t consider the $4.3M in payroll they took on in the Monty trade to be notable.
SewaldSwansonSwoon
They were never for real in the first place. They are the epitome of the “got hot at the right time” fluke.
jhonny
They had 6 all stars in 2023, and 2 top 3 MVP finalists, and a legendary Manager. Not a fluke. They were a very strong team in 23.
fred-3
SewaldSwansonSwoon is right. The MLB postseason doesn’t determine who is the best team is in the given year. It’s about who gets hot at the right time.
Texas was a good team, but not a great one. They wouldn’t even have made the playoffs in most of the old postseason formats.
jhonny
They had the second best run differential in the American League, And they were hurt by key injuries down the stretch. They should have won the division
fred-3
Either way, both could be true. Texas were good enough to win the WS and they got hot at the right time. Just like how the Dodgers and Yankees are good this season and have gotten hot when it matters.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
@fred then tell me the team(s) in the American League that were better than the Rangers and should have been in the World Series instead?
Fever Pitch Guy
Fred – The entire basis of sports competition is succeeding when it counts the most.
Otherwise, what’s the point of a postseason? Why not remove all divisional and league groupings and simply award the championship to the team that wins the most games?
fred-3
@Fever Pitch Guy
if we’re being real with ourselves, the European soccer leagues have the best system to determine who’s the best in a given year, and they don’t have postseasons. The model MLB had from 1969-1993 was perfect, but TV execs and bad leadership got in the way and ruined the best postseason format in all of sports.
User 4245925809
Amount of players on the AS team and guys who got MVP votes does not matter. take a look at this team:
baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1977.shtml
4 future HOF’ers, if remember they had 7 on the AS team that year, yet finished 2nd in the AL East. It’s winning the most games and yeah.. When they count as well that matter the most.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
@johnsilver did that Red Sox team deserve to be higher in the standings that year and advance further, or was their talent level precisely at the level of a Second Place team in the AL East??
JoeBrady
yet finished 2nd in the AL East.
===============
They had 97 wins. That’s excellent even if someone else won more.
User 4245925809
They won 99 games the next year, then lost game 163 to finish 2nd Joe and also had 4 future HOF players, tho that year don’t remember how many AS members they had.
For ’77, Billy Martin was team Captain and it was “said” reason so many were picked was to keep them not rested, but look at the guys selected and easy to see why they had such great seasons. Typical 70’s RS.. All offense and Soupy Campbell the closer went..
It was easy to see why those teams could win 8-9 straight, then lose 4-5 in a row with weak starting overall.
SewaldSwansonSwoon
Jhonny – those all stars were also, largely, flukes. How many did they have this year, with a largely similar roster? I’ll wait.
Texas also almost blew their playoff chances in ‘23.
They were, and always will be, remembered accurately as a fluke. A beneficiary of a silly playoff system.
jhonny
Maybe you can notice the like ratio from your post and my post as a reflection as to how the Rangers will be remembered by the people on MLBTR. So don’t think your assessment is accurate big guy.
“Almost blew thier chances” They won the World Series, not sure where the almost is.
What does this year even have to do with anything? The Rangers were a dominant team for almost all of 23. Arguably the lack of performance from the Ranger’s offense this year appears like a fluke.
If you want to cry about the playoff format go ahead, but that has nothing to do with the Rangers. Maybe you are an Astros fan or something. It’s not clear what your actual point is here. Not sure who you think “deserved’ to win the World Series? Was it the Rays and Orioles who the Rangers swept? Was it the Astros who the Rangers beat in a legendary series? Was it the D’Backs who the Rangers Dominated in the World Series? Was it some other team that didn’t even make it there?
The Rangers championship was the product of a strong vision that was successfully implemented and led to an incredible Triumph. You clearly don’t respect the Rangers for some reason, but please don’t pretend as though your position is reasonable or commonly-held.
SewaldSwansonSwoon
Lol – Jhonny, MLBTR isn’t real life.
The Rangers will be remembered for being a fluke, because they were. This year was the norm. Last year was the outlier.
“Like ratio.” Oh, the science! Lol. Grow up.
JoeBrady
They were a very strong team in 23.
===========================
They were a 90-win team. This resembles the fortunes of life in general, but if the Rangers hadn’t come back from 3-2 deficit against Houston, then missed the playoffs in 2024, Young would’ve been fired and considered one of the worst GMs ever.
dudeman40
Getting hot at the right time wins championships!!
Please stop; go back to reading the Houston Post
thickiedon
I miss the Post!!
Melchez17
Getting hot in the playoffs is different. You only need to be hotter than the team you are playing at the moment.
Clofreesz
That’s a thing that I’ve heard way too much from other fans.
differentbears
They have Corey Seager. Sometimes that’s all you need.
JoeBrady
Unlike some of the Ranger fans in here, I’m betting on the over.
They had 5 good performers on offense last year with Semien, Seager,Wyatt, Smith and Lowe, with four more guys that could do well in Jung, Aroldis, Carter, and Taveras.
The rotation should be Gray, Bradford, Leiter, Rocker, Mahle and maybe Eovaldi. It’s a little shaky but with upside.
I wouldn’t bet on Yates and Robertson repeating their seasons, but the Rangers are not without talent.
Blackpink in the area
Yates and Robertson are free agents that’s the problem. They need a rather large bullpen makeover.
LordD99
I’m expecting Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter to make significant impacts next year, and Jung should also take a step forward. Growth from their young hitters will help drive them. Jacob deGrom will likely still be deGrom. His velocity was back.
I view the Rangers similar to the Padres last year. The Pads underperformed in 2023, so even while losing Soto, I saw an improvement coming. To me the Rangers underperformed this year, so they’re an early candidate to step forward if they patch a few holes. Concerns might be Semien beginning to age out, and Garcia’s strike-zone judgement issues accelerating.
Blackpink in the area
Some teams have a window to win and the Rangers are one of those teams. They gave Seager and Semien contracts that are all but guaranteed to go wrong down the road so the time to win is now. Of course they did win in 2023 so the pressure is off but they still gotta be in win now mode.
LordD99
Agreed. It’s why they can’t be passive this offseason.
justinkm19
Forgot about Degrom
jbigz12
Scherzer and DeGrom? Rangers look OK to me for next year if they stay healthy.
SewaldSwansonSwoon
They won’t stay healthy.
darkknight920
Does anyone know which teams are over the threshold?I would guess the Dodgers and Yankees, but that may be it. I think the Madres and Mets are under, for now.
YankeesBleacherCreature
Sportstrac has only the Yankees and Phillies over.
The A’s have $0 committed for ’25 and can non-tender their entire roster and roll out 26 guys earning the league min.
JoeBrady
You can’t always tell since some of the analyses are based on players opting in or out, and arb-eligile players getting an offer or non-tendered. But right now, the over teams are (per Cots):
Phillies #1
LAD
SDP
And the Houston & NYY are a rounding error under the cap.
Gwynning
Pads are NOT over the ’25 $241MM line, JB. Conservative figures have $204MM dedicated to 45 players (including Hosmer) next year and that is factoring Arb, pre-Arb and buyout(s). A more aggressive estimate puts them a tick over $209MM. They’ll add in the Offseason, perhaps even over the 1st line for the right players. Don’t be surprised…
JoeBrady
X 25
Darvish 18
Tatis 24
Musgrove 20
Machado 32
Cro 12
Suarez 9
Others 10
Arb 47
Benefits & related 29
Hosmer 17
Total 243
Champ world champion Texas Rangers
Paul Goldschmidt Texas Ranger that is a Bochy and CY move.
Blackpink in the area
I think Goldschmidts best years are behind him. His biggest strength at this point is his defense and I believe Lowe is a good defender. How about Willson Contreras? He’s a better hitter as of today.
vtadave
You think?
RodBecksBurnerAccount
Nah. Nate Lowe had a better year than Goldy. Goldy would have to take a huge pay cut to make it make sense.
Champ world champion Texas Rangers
He is
RodBecksBurnerAccount
Nate is projected to make $10.7 next year. Goldy made $26 million. The Rangers want to get under the luxury tax threshold. They’re losing their top 3 pitchers and top 3 relievers and only have $52 million to fill all those holes. Goldy would have to take a huge pay cut and they’d have to trade Nate. Possible but I think they’ll just use the money elsewhere and keep Nate.
Plus there’s no guarantee the Rangers are in contention next year. Goldy doesn’t have much more playing time left. I could see him going back to Arizona or to another contender (Yanks, Mets if Alonso signs elsewhere, Giants, Tigers, Seattle, Houston). Those all seem likelier than the Rangers.
Champ world champion Texas Rangers
Goldy is looking at 1 year 11 million
metsin4
I would definitely say Degrom is a top 3 pitcher for next year.
RodBecksBurnerAccount
That’s a big IF. Yes, when healthy DeGrom is a top 3 pitcher in the LEAGUE. But so far DeGrom has a grand total of 40 innings pitched in two years with the Rangers so no he isn’t in their current top 3 pitchers until he actually stays healthy.
RodBecksBurnerAccount
That’s likely for about what he will sign for, but that isn’t where he is going to start his negotiating. I’d like to see Goldy in Texas as I’ve always liked him, but 1B isn’t a need. There are several other needs for the Rangers and they are limiting themselves on what they will spend. If they can turn Lowe into a solid SP via trade, then it’s much more likely but until then I’d say the Rangers will focus elsewhere.
Blackpink in the area
Mock trade
Rangers get
Willson Contreras
Ryan Helsley
Jojo Romero
15 million or do
Cardinals get
Sebastian Walcott
Ezekiel Duran
Rangers get a closer and a set-up guy plus a middle of the order bat who can backup catcher and help at 1b or DH. Cardinals get a stud prospect to eventually take over 3b and a filler piece in Duran.
DonOsbourne
I would rather have Leody Taveras than Ezekiel Duran. Cards need a RH hitting complement in CF and the Rangers would probably be happy to move his salary.
Blackpink in the area
Yeah I thought so too but I looked up Taveras’ platoon splits and his OPS is 70 points higher for his career against righties. I agree a right hitting center fielder is a need for sure.
jhonny
I’d be really surprised if the Rangers trade Walcott. He’s one of few legit position player prospects they have. I think they’d just try to trade for Helsley, and be less interested in Contreras.
I think they’d try to go more bargain-bin to find some mediocre veteran hitter who can maybe hit homers still.
Blackpink in the area
The Rangers have Seager and Jung what do they need Walcott for?
They are trying to ball on a budget. Their pen is a mess. Getting Helsley is really the key to the deal here.
Clofreesz
Walcott can be moved to second in case if Semien ages poorly. He can also get some reps at DH.
Blackpink in the area
Walcott is projected to be ready in 2026. They gotta hope Semien is still good at that point. And moving Walcott to 2b makes him less valuable.
jhonny
Walcott is only 18, so he won’t be in the majors till 2026 at the earliest. Seager will be getting older, and maybe move to first. Jung has had a lot of injury issues generally. Also there has been speculation that Walcott will be the Right Fielder of the future.
I’m just under the impression that Walcott is valued really highly by the Rangers.
I agree that the bullpen is a total mess, and will need to be addressed in part, via trade. I would love Helsley on the Rangers.
Champ world champion Texas Rangers
Like Paul
Blackpink in the area
Of course Walcott is valued highly. So is Ryan Helsley. Again teams have to pick a lane and the Rangers gotta go for it. The best way to stay in contention without spending like a madman is trading prospects.
I also think they should trade Leiter. Rebuilding teams would line up for him. Keep Rocker trade Leiter.
JoeBrady
the Rangers gotta go for it
======================
I see no reason that the Rangers to go for it.
Smith, Langford, Taveras, Jung, Carter, Bradford, Leiter and Rocker are all young kids. Their only l/t contracts are DeGrom, Seager, and Semien, and all three are still good players.
They are in very good shape.
vtadave
Pretty sure Walcott could play a different position.
Blackpink in the area
Pretty sure the Rangers are set in their infield for years to come. Moving him to the outfield hurts his value
Gwynning
*Moving him to the outfield hurts his value*
Since when?!? And Helsley is in his walk year in ’25, right? No surprise you want a top-tier prospect for one year of a reliever. Do better Joel!
Clofreesz
Duran is not going to be enough. Give them Foscue and we’ll have something interesting.
Blackpink in the area
Foscue is worth about the same as Duran i think either one would be OK.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Dang, the kid’s only 18 years old. He could still land flat on his a$$. Remember all the Rangers hype about Langford going into 2024? He was the Second Coming of Roberto Clemente & Hank Greenberg rolled into one…I mean he was okay but the hype train didn’t land.
JoeBrady
Dang, the kid’s only 18 years old
========================
I agree. It’s difficult to judge kids playing at levels above their age, but he still had 125 Ks in 433 ABs in A+, and he had 24 errors in 683 IPs at SS, so I’m not sure he sticks there.
Blackpink in the area
Exactly SOB. Sure he COULD be a great player in 5 years but who knows he could also be a nobody. That’s a risk rebuilding teams take but a contending team usually is more worried about contending.
metsin4
Walcott will be the number 1 prospect in baseball by next year. You don’t trade those.
jbigz12
Exactly. Reds don’t trade Elly De La Cruz as a prospect. Guys like Walcott have superstar upside. They’re not getting dealt for a year of a reliever. Rangers have long term pieces.
Blackpink in the area
Look at the Rangers team needs. They can’t fill out the rest of their roster and stay under the tax line without making trades. This is why contending teams trade prospects.
Good lord folks. When my team was contending I didn’t sit around and tell everyone how great their prospects were i said let’s win a championship. The fact that everyone is saying some 18 year old kid isn’t worth that is flat out stupid.
Clofreesz
The Rangers should sign a catcher (until Heim gets his groove back), a good righty bat, a utility man, some No 3./4s., and a solid closer. I expect a return to the playoffs in 2025, but I’m not getting my hopes up for another ring.
Blackpink in the area
Willson Contreras imo makes a ton of sense for them. The Rangers need catching help, a big bat in the middle of the lineup, a backup catcher and a backup 1b too and he can be all of that.
Captainmike1
Money without talented management is a waste
Clearly the rangers are yet another example that money wisely spent is always the best move
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Wisely spent how? Yes you got your flag, but then what? I guess I’m not following your logic.
ckc12537
Jose Urquidy for Jon Gray?
Clofreesz
Heck no, for now.
User 2770661946
They shouldn’t have spent so much money on that aquarium looking stadium. Choctaw was perfectly fine. Typical of Dallas FortWorth mindset though. Build something gaudy like new money people do.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
The best looking women come out of Texas, it seems like.
AlistairC
Bullpen arms are generally so fluky year-to-year outside a few studs it’s easy to talk oneself into a bunch of budget arms and minor-league-with-opt-out “prove it” guys could work, but the fluky part means more than one GM has been bitten hard by that choice. Of course so have GMs who spent lavishly to get hot arms. The only way to hedge somewhat is to have lots of potential options in minors and Rangers do not have that.
So here’s to hoping for one or two turnaround stories and maybe a hidden gem or minor leaguer who puts it altogether, but this drink is also raised for helping ease the pain if the long odds don’t pay off.
kellin
As an Angels fan I can attest to the instability of bringing on random dudes to fill out a bullpen. Managed to have a pretty solid one this year, but I think that was mostly luck.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Remember the status of the Rangers bullpen through most of 2023? It was very subpar. But somehow guys like Sborz and LeClerc figured it out over the last couple months. Bullpens are weird and fluky.
MPrck
Hilarious. Degrom. 18-8 for 165 million dollars in the last 5 years, baseball salaries are just too high. I pray Detroit doesn’t spend a fortune this year. It’s insane.
Blackpink in the area
If you sign a guy and he has Tommy John surgery shortly after it tends to look like a bad contract. If you can predict injuries call the Tigers they could use your help.
Who knows what free agents are good or bad this offseason.
JoeBrady
You are cherry-picking years from the Mets. That would be like saying my Camry is overpriced based on the last three years, and ignoring the first 10 years.
Even with TX, with three years left, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him accumulate maybe 12 bWAR. That’s still a losing contract, but not egregiously so, and injuries cannot usually be anticipated.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Just don’t sign any pitcher longer than a 3 year deal, and if they haven’t had a Tommy John yet , forget about it. Like this offseason if I was a GM I would stay far away from Corbin Burnes. I don’t think that contract is going to age well.
holecamels35
The issue is now guys aren’t recovering well from tommy john sometimes and are getting two-three major arm surgeries in their careers. DeGrom, Marquez in Colorado recovered from TJ only to immediately have more trouble. John Means.
JoeBrady
if I was a GM I would stay far away from Corbin Burnes.
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I agree. His K9 went from 13.3 to 12.6 to 10.8 to 9.3 to 8.4.I seldom see a 4-year drop-off like that, and as often as not, there is an undisclosed injury.
DarrenDreifortsContract
Seager back to the Dodgers for Dustin May.
chemfinancing
Seager would yield Stone and Miller
Clofreesz
I’ll give you Daniel Robert for Shohei Ohtani. Deal?
But seriously, this isn’t a terrible deal. Throw in a good bat and this might work out.
metsin4
The Dodgers couldn’t afford him the first time.
DarrenDreifortsContract
It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford him. They had Trea Turner and thought Lux was going to be a stud.
ClevelandSteelEngines
Lowe, Taveras, and Gray should be moved. Send Taveras to Guardians for a high-leverage reliever. Send Lowe to Tigers for Mize. And send Gray to Royals for Blanco.
Clofreesz
No for Lowe.
Taveras for his defense, but I can see why he’ll be moved.
As for Gray, I don’t really know what to do with this guy yet.
Rays in the Bay
Rangers won’t be the only ones. Without TV deals most owners will cover their butts and strip their rosters down. Overpriced FAs will remain unsigned or picked up by the Dodgers, Mets, or mayyybe Yankees. Rangers went all in and won it all. Fans should be happy. As a Rays fan I now have to watch a team full of guys who will likely be paid less than 5 mil per year. Over that is too pricey for Sternberg. 3 mil may be pushing it as well.
Jswag
Semien, Lowe, Leiter. Foscue (and all salaries too) to the Brewers for Hoby Milner, Bryce Wilson, Jake Bauers, Elvis Peguero.
Clofreesz
The chance of that happening is the same as the chance of Pete Rose making it to the HOF.
HALfromVA
Referring to Foscue as “ major league ready” is a bit of a stretch, at this point, IMO. 2 hits in 42 at bats.
txrangers13
Great article