Offseason Outlook: Texas Rangers
The Rangers never seemed to snap out of a World Series hangover, as the team stumbled to a 78-84 record one year after capturing its first championship. Texas now has several holes to be filled on the pitching staff, and the lingering question of how much money is available for roster upgrades.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Corey Seager, SS: $218MM through 2031
- Jacob deGrom, SP: $115MM through 2027 (club option for 2028 worth at least $20MM)
- Marcus Semien, 2B: $98MMM through 2028
- Tyler Mahle, SP: $16.5MM through 2025
- Jon Gray, SP: $13MM through 2025
- Adolis Garcia, OF: $9.25MM through 2025 (eligible for arbitration through '26)
Option Decisions
- Nathan Eovaldi, SP: $20MM player option for 2025
- David Robertson, RP: $7MM mutual option for 2025 ($1.5MM buyout)
- Andrew Chafin, RP: $6.5MM club option for 2025 ($500K buyout)
2025 financial commitments: $136.75MM ($170.25MM if all options are exercised)
Total future commitments: $469.75MM ($503.25MM if all options are exercised)
Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Nathaniel Lowe (4.145): $10.7MM
- Jonah Heim (4.097): $4.8MM
- Dane Dunning (4.078): $4.4MM
- Josh Sborz (4.055): $1.3MM
- Leody Taveras (3.124): $4.3MM
- Non-tender candidates: Dunning, Sborz
Free Agents
The first bit of the Rangers' offseason business was addressed in September, when Chris Young was signed to a new contract extension and promoted from GM to president of baseball operations. Young's previous deal was up at the end of the 2024 season, and despite this year's struggles in Arlington, the Commissioner's Trophy from 2023 was surely enough for Young to earn some extra job security.
Now entering his third winter in charge of the Texas front office, Young faces another unique challenge. The 2022-23 offseason was all about the Rangers trying to finally get back into contention, and Jacob deGrom's five-year, $185MM free agent deal added to the club's spending spree from the previous offseason under former PBO Jon Daniels. Last offseason, with a championship now in tow, Young basically just stood pat, as the Rangers scaled back spending due to the big salary commitments already in place, and plenty of concern over the team's broadcasting revenues.
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Player’s Closet Project: A New Era Of Authentic Athlete Memorabilia For Fans (Sponsored)
This is a sponsored post from Legends Memorabilia.
In a groundbreaking new initiative aimed at connecting fans directly with their favorite athletes, Legends Memorabilia Collection has launched the Player’s Closet Project. This innovative project brings fans exclusive, personally owned and autographed items from the personal collections of some of the biggest stars in sports. Legends Memorabilia Collection (LMC) is a wholly owned for-profit subsidiary of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA). With access to thousands of former big- league players, LMC offers an unparalleled experience in Major League Baseball memorabilia.
The Player’s Closet Project stands out from traditional memorabilia offerings by delivering items that have been a part of an athlete’s personal journey. They are tied to meaningful moments in an athlete’s career—whether it’s a pair of sneakers worn during a training session, an autographed locker room sign, a jacket worn during the season, or an autograph exchanged with a fellow player after the game. Each item comes with a certificate of authenticity, ensuring the piece’s source and its significance to the athlete’s personal history.
The Player’s Closet Project already has a growing roster of athletes across different eras of baseball who are participating in the initiative. Each athlete has carefully selected items from their personal closets and will make them available in limited quantities.
Some of the high-profile names involved in the project include exclusive Legends Memorabilia Collection athlete and baseball superstar Mike Trout, 2006 MVP Ryan Howard and two-time World Series champion Johnny Damon. From Trout’s batting gloves to Howard’s game-day cleats, fans can expect unique, one-of-a-kind items to hit the site regularly. Damon has even contributed a pair of autographed seats from Old Yankee Stadium! With more athletes being announced routinely, fans can look forward to a constantly evolving collection of unique items.
Whether you’re a seasoned memorabilia collector or a lifelong sports fan looking for that perfect piece, the Player’s Closet Project offers something for everyone. With exclusive, personally owned items coming directly from the athletes themselves, this project is set to redefine how fans engage with the memorabilia market.
From iconic game-day gear to behind-the-scenes keepsakes, the Player’s Closet Project is a fan’s dream come true—bringing the game, and the players, closer than ever before.
For more information on the Player’s Closet Project and to see the latest drops, visit https://shoplegends.com/pages/players-closet-project.
Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript
MLBTR’s Anthony Franco held a live chat, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!
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Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Angels
The Angels are coming off the worst season in franchise history. The farm system isn't highly regarded, while the team didn't get much out of its two highest-paid players. No team has a longer active playoff drought and that's unlikely to change in the next season or two.
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MLB Mailbag: Dodgers, Cardinals, Yankees
This week's mailbag delves into the Dodgers' rotation for 2025, the likelihood of Cody Bellinger opting out, the Cardinals' reset, the Yankees' infield, and much more.
Ben asks:
I'm curious as to how you expect the Dodgers to address their rotation this offseason. The team is laden with talented starters, yet the number of injuries is astounding. Do you expect the team to continue adopting a high-risk, high-reward approach? Will we see them sign a low upside inning-eater or two as insurance? How likely is a reunion with Buehler, and what might the season-opening rotation look like?
When I consider Yoshinobu Yamamoto, I wouldn't say he had a higher injury risk than any other top starter the Dodgers could've gotten. Nor was Trevor Bauer high-risk, healthwise. Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir, and Rich Hill were high injury risk three or four-year deals, but those were eight to ten years ago.
Otherwise, Andrew Friedman has generally gone for one-year starting pitcher deals in free agency: James Paxton, Noah Syndergaard, Tyler Anderson, and Andrew Heaney in recent years. Trade pickups have included Alex Wood, Max Scherzer, and Tyler Glasnow.
I don't know that I see a pattern there, other than eschewing long-term free agent deals for less youthful pitchers. For example, if Max Fried is going to sign for five or six years, I don't expect the Dodgers to do that. Innings eaters have not really been Friedman's thing, with the possible exception of Tyler Anderson coming off a 167-inning campaign.
You could argue that Buehler would be Friedman's type if he was coming from another team. But the Dodgers had all year to try to get him on track this year and failed to do so, so my guess is that they will not re-sign him.
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Offseason Outlook: Washington Nationals
After more than three years of rebuilding, the Nationals enter the offseason with a very clean long-term payroll outlook, young core players emerging at multiple spots on the roster, and a front office that sounds motivated to get back into contention sooner than later.
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Offseason Outlook: Colorado Rockies
The Rockies just wrapped up their sixth straight losing season and second straight with over 100 losses. There are some internal reasons for optimism but they have a difficult path out of the National League West basement.
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From Minor League Deal To Top Reliever In The Upcoming Free Agent Class
Perhaps you haven't heard this before, but relief pitching is volatile. Reliever performance often fluctuates wildly from year to year. At times, that leads to rapid ascensions from obscurity to stardom for players. Look no further than last year's three-year, $33MM deal for Robert Stephenson with the Angels. He'd been designated for assignment less than a calendar year prior but was so dominant in 42 games with the Rays that the Angels ponied up that weighty three-year deal.
Stephenson is just one of many instances of this, of course. Liam Hendriks had been designated for assignment by four different teams before breaking out with the A's. In fact, Oakland was one of the four teams who'd chosen to DFA him. He went unclaimed on waivers. Drew Pomeranz had been bounced from the Giants' rotation in 2019 and was potentially on the cusp of being cut loose himself when a stretch of just four relief appearances prompted the Brewers to give up a legitimate infield prospect (Mauricio Dubon) to acquire him in a trade. Pomeranz dominated for Milwaukee for two more months and went on to ink a four-year, $34MM deal in free agency.
Reliever fortunes can turn quickly, and the upcoming free agent class offers the latest example. It's always fun to wonder who might be the next Hendriks, Pomeranz or Stephenson -- and in this instance, it's even more fun because the buzz name on the market was traded for one of those very relievers just a few years back.
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Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript
MLBTR’s Anthony Franco held live chat today, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Anthony took questions on the Tigers' surprising playoff run, the A's outlook for 2025, what the Giants should do this offseason, the status of the Nationals' rebuild, the state of the American League, Pittsburgh's catching situation, and much more.
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MLB Mailbag: Red Sox, Cubs, Adames, Adell
Today's mailbag gets into offseason needs for the Red Sox, how the Cubs might fit Matt Shaw in, possible suitors for Willy Adames, whether Jo Adell has turned a corner, and much more.
Dave asks:
As a disgruntled Red Sox fan (mostly due to John Henry pulling in the purse strings), what are the Red Sox's biggest needs going into next season? I think as always the need for another innings eater in the rotation. Also curious as to if Duran was offered as trade, what type of starting pitching would he command? As for free agents - I don't think the Sox will bring back any of them. Although for the right price maybe Pivetta.
Here's how the team sets up right now:
- C - Connor Wong (R)
- 1B - Triston Casas (L)
- 2B - Vaughn Grissom (R)
- SS - Trevor Story (R)
- 3B - Rafael Devers (L)
- LF - Jarren Duran (L)
- CF - Ceddanne Rafaela (R)
- RF - Wilyer Abreu (L)
- DH - Masataka Yoshida (L)
That doesn't include a quartet of highly-regarded position player prospects: outfielder Roman Anthony, shortstop Marcelo Mayer, infielder/center fielder Kristian Campbell, and catcher Kyle Teel. And of course, Rafaela can play center as well as the middle infield.
The Red Sox will need someone to split time at catcher with Wong until Teel is ready, whether it's Danny Jansen or another veteran. Second base has been an issue, with Grissom, Enmanuel Valdez, and David Hamilton getting the bulk of the playing time there. With Mayer, Campbell, and Rafaela all options there, I don't see much room for a veteran.
The outfield pieces can move around as well. Wilyer Abreu has had an excellent rookie season, though he has not shown the ability to hit left-handed pitching. That problem extended even to Devers and Duran this year. Of the prospects I mentioned, only Campbell bats right-handed. Baseball America touched on this issue recently.
Devers had a strong year, while Story's contract demands a starting job. Yoshida, also well-paid, might not have that luxury. The Red Sox signed Rafaela to a $50MM contract in April, but he really hasn't hit outside of July and is on track for a 1-WAR season. I'm not sure where he fits.
At 4.71 runs scored per game, this has been a good offense. That's despite giving regular playing time to Rafaela. It also includes big contributions from Tyler O'Neill, who seems likely to leave as a free agent, and Rob Refsnyder, who's unlikely to repeat.
Given the versatility and uncertainty around several of these players, there are a lot of ways next year's lineup can shake out. I've seen the idea of trading Duran mentioned here and there. Duran, 28, will be arbitration eligible for the first of four times in 2025 and is under control through 2028. He's split his time between center and left field in his breakout season, and played both positions capably. He's one of baseball's fastest players, his arm is strong, and his Statcast hitting metrics are solidly red.
Duran is on track for a 7-WAR season that in many years would make him an MVP frontrunner. He provided the bulk of his offensive value from June through August, during which he had a 168 wRC+. Duran has an 87 wRC+ against lefties this year, though he did hit southpaws well in June and July.
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