Texas Rangers receiving trade interest in Evan Carter: Should Chris Young consider offers?

Texas Rangers receiving trade interest in Evan Carter: Should Chris Young consider offers?

The winter meetings have come and gone, and what’s left on the Ranger to-do list? Well, pretty much everything. You are Locked On Rangers, your daily Texas Rangers podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. You are locked on with the Texas Rangers, the first and best daily Rangers podcast. I’m Bryce Patrick, a crippingly addicted Texas Rangers fan. Coming to this team for 12 seasons, including all seven as the founder and host of this podcast. Thank you all so much for making Locked On Rangers your first listen every single day. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, now the number one sports podcast network. Thank you all so much for making Locked On Range your first listen every single day. Now, on today’s show, we’re going to talk about Hobie Milner no longer being employed by the Texas Rangers, some other deals that might impact the Rangers plans this off seasonason. what we learned from the Rangers during these winter meetings and what the heck is left on the Rangers to-do list. Before we get into all of that, today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code locked on MLB for $20 off your first purchase. Now, the Rangers came and went through the winter meetings without really a whole lot happening. Just some rumors, some rumblings. At least we did get some kind of credible rumblings. Now, they were about a possible Cory Seager trade. We’ll talk a little bit more about that in the second segment of this show and also some rumblings about another possible bat who other teams are trying to trade for from these Texas Rangers and why I don’t think that Rangers should do it. But the Rangers are no longer going to have Hobie Milner in their bullpen because he signed a one-year $3.5 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. The second Texas Rangers reliever to sign with the Chicago Cubs. The second guy who I really would have loved to have back in this Rangers bullpen who is alas going to Chicago. The other one of course was Phil Mton signing a 2-year $15 million deal with those very same Chicago Cubs. And this kind of shows you what the market is for relievers at this point. Now, Hobie Milner was not great down the stretch for the Texas Raider, but for the first half, I mean, the Rangers used and quite frankly a little bit abused Hobie Milner with how frequently they were throwing him. He is a little bit rubber armed. He is a sidearming lefty. So, usually that means the recovery time is just a little bit better than the traditional over-the-top kind of guy. They’re they’re less able to throw on back-to-back days. And Hobie Miller was throwing pretty often. Hobo Miller had a pretty good season with the Rangers last year in the first half his erra below 2 and a half and then finished the season with a 384 RA because the last month and change for Hobie were just pretty awful. But the Cubs are bounding are betting on a bounceback from him and giving him a pretty sizable deal. There are some incentives there that could take it all the way up to I believe $4 million on the high end. Phil Matton is signing at 14.5 million dollars. There’s also a club option for a third year with him. I think there might be a club option in Hobie Milner’s deal, but uh either way over $3 million. That is a pay jump from the 2.5 million the Rangers paid him last year. And the kind of market for those guys, Ryan Yarro signing for a lesser deal than Hobie Milner, I was a little surprised by. Yarro had a really good year, but a similar type of pitcher, a left-handed funky, very very funky lefty who signed basically the same deal deal that that Hobie Milner signed last year, Yarro signing to go back with the Yankees at one year, $2.5 million. But relievers, they are expensive this year. I mean, Gregory Sto, a left-handed heaterthrower, signed with the Pirates 7 and $7.75 million. I mean, these are expensive times for relievers. Mark Lighter Jr. signing a one-year $2.85 million deal with the A’s. A solid season for Mark Lighter Jr. last year overall with the Yankees and now going to Oakland. Not exactly Oakland. It is also a year where there are a lot of really, really good relievers on the market and they are getting paid handsomely. Edwin Diaz signing the highest average annual value deal for a closer at three years, $69 million. That’s $23 million, $23 million a year, which is more than Josh Hater got. And Edwin Diaz is heading into his age 32 season. So, I mean, it’s not exactly like he’s some spring chicken. Robert Suarez, who is also a little bit on the older side, but he he’s got an interesting career path to the major leagues hanging into his age 35 season. He signed a three-year $45 million total deal with the Atlanta Braves. And the Braves had just signed Rice Lacius just a couple weeks ago to a one-year $16 million deal. So paying two relievers a combined $31 million. The Braves are serious about getting back to October. They had a terrible bullpen last year. They had a pretty bad offense as well and just a crap ton of injuries in their starting rotation. a good good team who has been inquiring about the services about of Corey Seager. We’ll talk about that in a conversation I had with our friends over at Locked on Braves about why that’s absolutely not happening. The Braves also getting aggressive and trying to improve their offense, signing Mike Ystreky to a 2-year $23 million deal. Ystreky, there’s an option for 2028. And Ystreky is 35 years old. He’s making $9 million in the first year of that deal. 10 million in the second year of that deal, so when he’s 36. And then there’s a $7 million club option for when he’s 37 or a $4 million buyout, which takes the total to that $23 million. And I just want to remind you that Adulus Garcia heading into what is it? His age 32 season, heading into his age 33 season, was scheduled to make around $12 million. And that was deemed an unreasonable price for a guy who has a a similar war to Mike Estreky. Mikey around 2 and a half 2.7 which is right where Garcia was last year. Just just something to keep in mind. And and Ystreky is a couple years older than Adulles Garcia. Just just something to keep in mind for when you think about, huh, what’s that actually all that much for an outfielder cuz Lane Thomas, who is a guy who does not really hit righties all that particularly well. He is a guy who just matches lefties who the Rangers really could have used. But at one year, five and a4 million dollars. He signed with the Kansas City Royals, a team that was desperately in need of help. Any kind of offensive help they could get, that is a good signing for them. is a guy who I had at least kept an eye on for the Rangers as somebody who they they still have plenty to do this off seasonason and really need to improve their offense in a way that they haven’t really they kind of have in adding Brendan Nemo swapping him out for Marcus Simeon and maybe offensively you’re going to get a little bit more out of whoever’s playing second base whether that’s Josh Smith whether that’s a combination of Josh Smith and Sam Hagerty and maybe Zeke Durant or maybe it’s a little bit of Cody Freeman or maybe it’s a little bit of Michael Helman against lefties. I I don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like, but it seems like right now Josh Smith is going to be the one getting the bulk of those at bats unless the Rangers somehow miraculously swing a trade for Catel Marte, who I I don’t think the Rangers are going to swing a trade for. I would love them to. I think that would really vastly improve what this team is and including anybody shy of of Sebastian Walcott. that’s on the ta that would be on the table for a Catel Marte trade. I have no inside information. The Rangers are one of those teams that are asking about him that are trying to trade for him, but I think they should be I think they should absolutely be all in on a guy who is that supremely talented under contract for that long and a pretty pretty reasonable contract for how incredibly talented Cel Marte is. tal talked about that at Nauseium this winter. So, I’m not going to talk about that too much more, but this was a slow slow winter beatings. There are a lot of the top players at each position that are off the board. I’d say the best hitter that was a free agent this year. He’s off the board in Kyle Schwarber. Going back to the Phillies, Dylan Cas, I think, is the best starting pitcher on this market. He was already off the board I believe before we even got into the winter meetings signing with the Blue Jays for seven years. I mean Pete Alonzo if you think he is the best bet on this market then he is also off the table signing that fiveyear deal. the most average annual value for anybody on this free reagent market is Pete Alonzo so far which which feels kind of wild but even the top closer Edwin Diaz Deon Williams Robert Suarez the top three the very clear top three and even Ameiliano Pagon Ailio Pagan who I think maybe is in that top somewhere in that top five same with Risio Glacius basically every top closer which there were a lot of this winter all those guys are off the market already and the Rangers are in need of a closer they’re in need some of some starting pitch ing and there have already been some, you know, pretty reasonable, reasonably priced free agents that are off the board. Drew Anderson, a guy coming over back over from the KBO signing a one-year $7 million deal with the Tigers for a guy who I think could be very easily a number three, probably more likely a number four or number five in your rotation. But at $7 million for one year, that is a very low risk and something why that’s something that I think the Rangers should have very much been all in on. I mean, going as as high as $10 million for a guy who could be your number four, five, three in your rotation just give you some depth that this team desperately needs. I don’t know why they weren’t higher in on him or higher in on Cody Pon, who also came over from the KBO, signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Blue Jays, a guy who just won the KBO MVP, set the league record for strikeouts in a single season. reasonably priced. $10 million a year for a backend to middle rotation starter. That is perfectly reasonable and I don’t know why the Rangers weren’t more in on it. But there have also been some trade rumblings, rumorings around the Rangers during these winter meetings, but I don’t think they’re likely to make a move. Talk about why right after this. This show is brought to you by Game Time. The World Cup is coming back to North America for the first time since 1994. And with 48 teams for the first time ever, it’s going to be massive. But let’s be honest, getting tickets is usually the hardest part. That’s where the Game Time app is clutch. It’s finally giving fans a real advantage when it comes to snagging those seats. With Game Time, you can track price drops in real time, get alerts when great seats open, and buy tickets the moment they hit the app. It puts the power back in your hands. Makes going to the World Cup realistic instead of impossible. You can pull up the app and the layout makes it so simple to scroll through matches and compare seat views. Pick a game, tap a section, and you have tickets within minutes. 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But to give you some context, teams are quite literally always just just talking just talking about hypothetically if we were to trade this XYZ player that’s really really good. What what kind of a return would we get? What what kind of a return could we get if we decided to pull the trigger? If we decided to say, “Hey, actually, you know what? We’re we’re kind of out on this guy. Let’s see what we can get.” They these general managers these poss people are always just talking just shooting the breeze people saying hey what what kind of a deal would you give us if if hypothetically we were to trade you a Cory Seager and that’s kind of as far as it’s gotten but somehow it ballooned into oh yeah the Rangers are definitely trading Cory Seager. Every single fan base who has a little bit of money to spend says oh yeah those those poor Rangers they’re going to trade away Siger for cents on the dollar. You want to have our 15th best prospect and this major leager who’s washed. That that’ll surely get the deal done. And all respect to my good friends over at locked on Braves. But my boy saying I will give the Rangers Shawn Murphy and any pro combination of prospects that they want to go and bring Corey Singer to the Atlanta Braves. And now, credit to my guy Jake that he said it’s not happening, he at least is realistic and knows that because not only is that not happening because the Rangers are are not wanting anything are not giving up Cory Seager, they also, I don’t think, want anything that the Atlanta Braves have. And starting with Shawn Murphy, who’s heading into his age 31 season, who has at least three years left on his contract, possibly a fourth year in 2029 as a 34 year old catcher. He’s making $15 million every single year for the life of that contract. The last year is a $15 million team option. I’m not sure exactly what the buyout or lack of buyout would be on that deal, but Shawn Murphy in 2023, if the Rangers were trading for him at the deadline, I would have said, “Yeah, that’s great. That’s awesome.” If they’re trading for him before the 2023 season, I said, “Yeah, this is great. This is a guy who I would want on my team.” But for the last two years, this has not been a good player. Offensively, he has been bad, below average. This year he did have 16 home runs but he hit below 200 for the second consecutive year he had a 709 OPS and on base right at 300 where 2024 at age 29 he only played in 72 games he had 10 home runs a 193 batting average a 284 on base and a 636 OPS 24% worse than league average by OPS plus last year a 98 OPS plus so still worse than league average and defensively he has fallen off. He is not the same framer. He’s not the same guy controlling the running game. He has been hurt and bad even in 2023. In the second half of 2023, I mean, in the first half, this guy was one of the best hitters in all of baseball in the first half of 2023. That’s why he was an all-star. That’s why he was so darn good in that first half. A 999 OPS in the first half of 2023. But in the second half, he was one of the worst hitters in baseball. a 585 OPS in that second half. So since the second half of 2023, not even just the last two years, for the last two and a half years, Shawn Murphy has been bad. He has a catcher whose offense is deeply unpredictable. Maybe there’s another couple of good seasons left in Shawn Murphy, but I’m leaning more towards no because he’s on the wrong side of 30. And other Braves fans trying to chime in and say, “Oh, he’s a top 10 catcher.” Top 10 where? He’s not top one on his team. And if the Rangers were making a trade with the Atlanta Braves, they have two prospects that are in the top 100 of MLB pipeline. There’s a left-handed pitcher, Cam Kimiti, at 72, and then J.R. Richie, a right-handed pitcher at 86 on MLB’s top 100 prospects. If the Rangers are making a trade with the Atlanta Braves for Cory Seager, the ask starts and ends with Drake Baldwin, a 24 year old catcher who just had an 810 OPS season, won NL rookie of the year, and is under contract for a long time. An actual hitting catcher who’s decent defensively, who could be a bat in the middle of your lineup. That’s what the ass starts with. And the Braves should say no. They should say no. No, that is such an incredibly rare thing. We had this kid who was incredible, already one of their best hitters last year, and he’s a catcher, and he’s a decent defensive catcher. They should say no. And the Yankees, who always think that every good player is predestined to be a member of the New York Yankees, there’s not a whole lot in their system that I’m excited about either. They do have more top 100 prospects than the Braves. They have four top 100 prospects. starting at the bottom of the list is Spencer Jones. A guy who I I would not trade for at all any any player of value because I just I don’t trust that he’s not going to swing and miss. He’s not going to swing and miss too much to be a competent big leager. He’s a guy with, you know, just lightwe power when he gets into one. He really gets into one. He’s an outfielder. He’s a right-hand hitter, but I I don’t know that he’s going to be an above average to elite offensive bat. Like maybe his ceiling might be. There’s a couple other pitchers that are, you know, in the lower levels of the system in Elmer Rodriguez, who’s at 97 on LB Pipelines top 100. There’s another righty Carlos Lraange at 74 on MLB Pipelines top 100. And then George Lombard Jr., who I believe was their 2023 first round pick, listed as the 25th prospect in Pipeline’s top 100, but his numbers overall are not at all that impressive, even though he’s a 20-year-old in double A. The Rangers already have a a 20-year-old shortstop, not even 20-year-old shortstop who has been in double and put up significantly better numbers than George Lombard Jr. and has a much higher ceiling than George Lombard Jr. That’s of course Sebastian Walcott. And you look at the the Yankees big league team. I mean, there’s a couple of guys that are are kind of exciting. The ask starts with Cam Schlitler, and the Yankees probably say no because Cam Schlitler was incredible, at least in the postseason. Last year, uh during the regular season, still pretty good. put a 296 erra in 14 starts, 73 innings, 10 and a half strikeouts per nine, fewer than four walks per nine. A solid solid season for the 24 year old. But the Yankees probably say, “No, this is a young controllable starting pitcher who just dominated in the postseason. We are not going to give that up.” And I would commend the Yankees for doing for not doing so. I mean, that makes sense. It is a very very hard find getting a guy with stuff like that who can dominate in the postseason at such a young age and is under club control for a long long time. So that’s what it really boils down to. There’s not any teams that, you know, can take on this money, would want to take on this money, and have the prospect capital unless unless we go off the board and the Dodgers say, “Hey, here’s two or three of our top 10 prospects who are all top 100 guys who have insane ceilings and also maybe here’s a good major league.” Like, I don’t see the Dodgers doing that, though. It’s possible, and they have the money and the resources in the farm system to do so, but I don’t I don’t see them doing that. And even so, it would take a massive, massive hall for the Rangers to have to get past what it would take, what kind of a hit it would take on the fan base, what kind of backlash they would receive from the fan base of trading away their only World Series MVP in franchise history, less than two years after that, when he is still very much in his prime, still very much one of the best players in baseball. and then go on and say, “Yeah, we’re still trying to compete, but we traded away our best player.” That there there is a really really no way to explain away that the Rangers are trying to win. You cannot with a straight face say, “Oh, yeah, we’re trying to win this year, but we also just trade away Cory Seager for some guys who are in double A or AAA or or or high A.” That that you can’t do that with a straight face. You can say it, but you’re going to be a liar and nobody is going to believe you. Least of all the fan base. But Cory Seager isn’t the only left-handed bat that some teams are asking about. Evan Carter is apparently receiving some kind significant kind of interest from opposing teams. Should the Rangers do it or is he more valuable to stay here? How about that and more right after this? This show is brought to you by FanDuel. NFL Sundays move fast. One big play and suddenly everything feels different. That’s what making live bets is so exciting with FanDuel. You’re not just watching the game, you’re reacting to it in real time. With FanDuel, you can place bets as the action unfolds. Every drive, every momentum swing, every single highlight. Let’s look at some of these odds that FanDuel has right now for the NFL. What are we looking at right now? Let’s see just from this weekend’s games. The New York Jets are not the favorites over the Jacksonville Jaguars. That that feels pretty darn obvious. 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And while there’s been no speculation as to what the prospect cost would be to acquire an Evan Carter, the fact that there are teams that are asking about Evan Carter makes makes me at least encouraged that other teams think that this guy is still a legitimate weapon, is still a guy who is valuable, is still a guy who is worth trading for because the last couple of seasons have been it’s been a little rough since that 2023 World Series for I mean pretty much everybody on this Rangers roster, but mostly for Evan Carter. I mean, missing most of in 2024 with back injuries this year, missing a little bit of time starting the season in the minor leagues because he looked truly lost at the plate offensively in spring training. Found his way, found ways to mitigate some of those chronic back issues. Had a few other little nicks about him. He is a little bit of a skinnier guy. I really think that adding a little bit more weight would be a pretty good thing for Evan Carter because his season ended when he got hit in the pit hit in the wrist by a pitch in August when he was really starting to hit his stride. Finishes the year with 63 games played, more than the 45 he played in 2024. Still, he just turned 23 years old and has played 131 big league games, excuse me, 131 regular season big league games because he also played all 17 of Texas Rangers postseason games when they won their first and only World Series championship back in 2023. But this guy is still supremely talented. And if the Raiders can just get him healthy, it seems like they’re banking a lot, a lot on Evan Carter. And it makes me think, would he be more valuable as a trade ship? And I think the answer right now is no. No, he would not be more valuable as a trade shift because he still has so many years under club control. He has so many years before he even hits arbitration. And this guy is still supremely talented. I mean, last year nearly a two- win season in just those 63 games. 1.9 baseball reference war in basically a third of a season. That’s a on pace for a 64 season. The guy still had a 114 OPS plus. Still played great defense out there in center field. Still had a really good on base percentage in the mid 330s. Still hit for some power. Five home runs in those 63 games last year. This is still a supremely talented player. But I think relying on him versus hoping for him are two different things. I think relying and expecting that he is going to play 100 to 120 games. That that’s the highend for my expectation for Evan Carter. And I think maybe that’s a bit generous. I hope I hope I’m wrong. I very much hope that I’m wrong. And he can play 140 150 games. honestly feels really extra generous for the kind of injuries that Evan Carter has dealt with already in his young career. But this guy still when he is on the field, he is an impact talent. I mean, missing him for the vast majority of this season really impacted this Rangers offense. He has fantastic quality at bats. He hits right-handers incredibly well. He’s getting better against lefties. He just hasn’t had all that many opportunities and he will get some this year. Now, whether he plays every day in left field or center field, I’m not entirely sure. or at least most days. I guess I think Wyatt Langford should probably be the Rangers everyday center fielder at this point moving forward. Maybe that takes a little bit of stress off the back of Evan Carter having to play in left field covering a little bit less ground. Maybe that makes the difference. I’m not entirely sure. But at this point, I think banking on Evan Carter being that everyday player playing 30 to 150 games is a bit out of the realm of possibility. Does that mean they should trade him? I think no. I think no because I don’t know exactly what kind of a prospect hall the Rangers could get back. I think other teams would be deeply skeptical and rightly so that Evan Carter is going to play every single day. I think they would be banking on the talent, banking on their own medical staff to get the most out of Evan Carter. But I think just the risk of trading him away and him blossoming somewhere else is not going to be worth whatever kind of reward in terms of prospect capital or players that you get back. I I just I can’t see other teams being willing to give up what for me and what I think for this front office would be worth it to give up on the chance to have a guy who is still 23 years old and at his best is an all-star. Is an all-star. even at when he’s healthy, he is allstar caliber and under control for so many years and just such a big boost to this offense that very very very desperately needs it. And so for that reason, I don’t think these these talks with Evan Carter are going to go for. It can be encouraging that teams are checking in on him and you know view him as valuable. But I think for right now whatever unless some team really really blows you away with an offer and you say okay that that is absolutely worth it. You’re still going to have to sit there one day and wrestle with the possibility of maybe seeing Evan Carter blossom elsewhere where the guys you get back in that return are not going to be probably anywhere near the ceiling of who Evan Carter is. So, for that reason, I I just I don’t see the Rangers actually pulling the trigger on any kind of Evan Carter deal that that is barring some kind of truly insane return. So, now that the Rangers are done with the winter meetings, now that everybody’s done with the M winter meetings, what is left to do? Well, kind of still everything at this point. I mean, the Rangers didn’t do all that much during these winter meetings. They still have quite a few relievers to sign. They made a deal for Carter Carter Bumler. Yes, Bumler, not Bromemler from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Their rule five selection, trading away Jiker Garcia and cash considerations to Pittsburgh for Bumler. We’ll see if he ends up sticking on this roster for the entirety of this season. But the Rangers are really trying to go cheapo mode on this bullpin, which they already did last year with a decent amount of success. They spent $12 million on the bullpin last year. That was honestly pretty solid. really good for $12 million. And to bring those players back this year, it probably cost somewhere in the range of $20 million that I don’t think the Rangers are going to spend. They need to spend some of it getting a starting pitcher. I’ve heard no rumor rumorings or rumblings of which starting pitchers they might sign, but they need at the very very very least one cuz like I talked about on yesterday’s show, they’re still not yet committed to Jacob Latz being an everyday starter. And even if you are just the highest guy on Kamar Rocker, which I I think I lean more towards that camp, I don’t know how much you’re going to get out of rocker next year in terms of starts and in terms of innings. If he can get somewhere in the 20 to 25 start range, can give you somewhere between 100 and 150 innings, I I’d consider that a pretty massive win, especially if those are are good starts or quality starts or are starts of the caliber that you think Kamar Rocker is capable of at the high end. That would be super super nice. But even then, right now, the Rangers starting rotation in opening day, Jacob Deg Grom, Nathan Yvaldi, Jack Lighter, Kamar Rocker, and then Jacob Latz. And behind them, not a whole lot. So, something needs to be done there. They still need to sign several guys in this bullpen. I don’t know if there’s interest in bringing back a Jacob Web. Robert Garcia is still there. Hobie Milner is gone. Chris Martin, I think, is probably retiring. Uh Cole Win will still be in this bullpen. So there’s still probably four slots you need to spot you you need to add. If you’re really really high on Bumler, you think he can stick in this big league bullpen for the entirety of the season, then you have three guys to go get. If you’re also super high on Luis Carllo, then maybe you could see a place where there’s just two guys to go get. But I don’t It feels like the Rangers aren’t going to go and get much of anything this offseason. still have to go get a catcher, another catcher to help lighten the load off of no longer Jonah but just Kyle Hagashio. Unless for some weird reason you think Willie McGyver is going to be the solve at backup catcher. That that is not going to be the case. You probably need to go get another guy who can mash left-handed pitching, who can play one to two outfield positions. I I would love that to be Rob Ref Snider. That would be really sick. I don’t know if the Rangers are going to be out bid for just a Rob Rest Snider, a platoon bat who only hits left-handed pitching really. That kind of feels like the state of these Rangers finances right now. But they still at this point are projected around $180 million with what they’ve got on the books right now. That gives them about $20 million to spend to get to the bar minimum that Chris Young said out loud to people in front of people that we’re not going to go below $200 million. Cuz if you do, it is really hard to build a successful team with less than $200 million on your payroll, especially you don’t have a lot of supremely supremely talented pre-arbitration players, which the Raiders have quite a few of. They have several. They have a really good starting pitcher who is pre-arbitration in Jack Lighter. have a superstar out there in the outfield whether he’s left field whether he’s in center field in Wyatt Langford he’s still pre-arbitration and same with Evan Carter at this point he is also pre-arbitration but the Rangers still have a lot left to do they did not really do much of anything during these winter meetings it’s just kind of a bunch of noise and nothing happening and if Buster only is right in the executive that he talked to this is going to be a long off season especially for starters at the top end of this market, just for players at the top end of this market, which means it’ll be even longer for guys at the middle to bottom end of this market. So, strap in because it might be a while before the Rangers do anything else. That’s going to do it for today’s show. Thank you’all so much for listening and subscribing and until next time, don’t forget to enjoy baseball.

The Texas Rangers have struggled mightily since winning the 2023 World Series and little Savior Evan Carter has struggled to stay healthy. Would the Rangers get more value from trading Carter away should Texas hold on to their World Series star?

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