Texas Rangers Offseason To-Do List with Evan Grant

Texas Rangers Offseason To-Do List with Evan Grant

[Music] Offseason to-do list for the Rangers. Who but Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, Rangers beat Writer. He’s going to lay it out. Evan, good to see you as always. And we’ll do what we do on these. First, just give us all three, the top three on the offseason to-do list in your mind for Texas, and then we’ll dig into that. Well, I I think they’ve checked off one item already and that was the trim the payroll. Um, they were not going to go to the CBT threshold for 2026 and they want to be significantly below it and I think with the actions that they’ve taken in the last 10 days, they’ve accomplished that. Now, the money that they’ve saved with the with the NMO for Simeon deal, with non-tendering Adulus Garcia and non-tendering Jonah, that’s got to go to rebuild a bullpen that really overachieved last year. It was a It was a bullpen built on the cheap and it overachieved. The Rangers may have some guys coming. I don’t think they’re going to be ready for the start of the year, but they’ve got to go out and get all the pieces in the bullpen all over again. I think the only guys who are returning are Jake Latz, who very well could be in the starting rotation. Um, Robert Garcia, who who ended up pitching some high leverage innings last year. Cole Win kind of established himself as a big league reliever, but there’s a lot still to do in the bullpen. And then the last thing for me is they’ve got to get a catcher. Um, without Han back there, Kyle Hagasha, I don’t expect Kyle to start 80 plus games. So, I think they’ve got to go out and get somebody who is capable of sharing the load with him. It’s not a straight backup. Uh I I’m thinking somewhere along the lines of like a Victor Keratini, but even a Victor Keratini is going to cost six or seven million this year and that would cut into, you know, what they’ve got to do in the bullpen. So, they’ve got their work cut out for them at catcher. It’s a thin market at catcher. I don’t think they’re players on Real Muto uh because of the price and and I ultimately expect him to go to Philadelphia since Boston has reached out, but they do need to go and get somebody who can catch some innings uh ahead of Kyle. And Higgy really produced for the Rangers last year, but he had a number of, you know, small nagging injuries that that kind of limited his ability to play and the Rangers have to be mindful of that. Yeah, I want to touch on the bullpen again and uh since I was there and I kind of know the bullpen kind of through and through. Last year they used Luke Jackson, Chris Martin, uh Robert Garcia, Shawn Armstrong at times to close games. Do you see them kind of dipping in the waters of potentially a high-end closer? And of those guys that I mentioned, the Shawn Armstrongs, the Hobby Millers, um which guy do you see they feel is the most important to bring back? Well, you know, they feel like lefty lefty pitchers are more successful in at Global Life Field and and obviously Milner with a local connection is somebody I think that they’d like to have back. I thought Sean Armstrong was just absolutely outstanding. He dominated right-handed hitters last year. I think, and you can speak to this better than I can, but I do think he was the the glue that kind of helped that bullpen bond. Uh, and I think they’re going to need somebody like that, a veteran that, you know, can bring a a a group that’s that’s reformed on the fly together. I’d like to see them go out and get a an established closer. You know, since Joe Nathan was here in 2012 and 2013, the Rangers have not had an established closer. It’s pretty much been a rotation of guys who have just come and gone and come and gone without any real stability at the back end of the bullpen. But, you know, even a guy like say a Devin Williams, if he’s going to be on a make good kind of contract after some after some down times last year, what’s that going to cost? 10 million bucks or more. So, I I I don’t see them playing in the closer market. And I think their general philosophy, dating back to John Daniels, is that closer money is, especially on a multi-year deal, is bad money. Bochi’s kind of superpower was kind of figuring out bullpin matchups, you know, riding the hot hand. What do you see the difference in a guy like Skip Shoemarker? Is he more of a roles type of guy or is he kind of a, you know, who’s hot, we’re going to use closer by committee, or is he more of like a traditional like I like to have my lefty specialist, my closer, my setup guy if everything worked out in a perfect world? I think that’s going to kind of depend on the personnel that you get. You know, I I think that the the Rangers are going to go into camp and there’s going to be a lot of competition for roles in all likelihood. Uh and they will let that kind of develop as it goes. I think Skip is very amanable to him being malible to what the pitchers have for him. Rather than designating roles or dictating that it’s going to be a roleless bullpen, I think he’s going to let it play out a little bit, see where it goes. Um that is we know what Boch did with bullpens in multiple spots, you know, and he came with that that reputation. Skips only had two years. Um one with a competitive team and one with a team that that was being turned over completely. Uh and so I don’t know that there’s a whole lot of trends on who Skip Schumacher is as a bullpen manager at this point. All right. Now you all you talked about is money, money, money, money. Okay. So, we got to get some more money off of that. He trimmed a little bit of payroll, but you don’t have enough to spend, Evan. So, I know where this I know where this is going. Where is it going? What I mean, what’s or where is he going? Don’t lead Don’t lead the witness. It was your words that were misconstrued. It was my words. I I do think, look, I do think the Rangers have to at least be open to the idea of if they’ve got to trim more more payroll and they want to add quality players, and this was all before the NMO Simeon deal, but you’ve got to at least be open. If somebody approaches you about Cory Seager or Jacob Deg Grom, you’ve got to listen. Now, Deg Grom has a complete no trade clause. I think it’s going to be hard to trade him. Seager has limited no trade protection. and after next year he would have full no trade as as a five and 10 guy. But I don’t think the Rangers are motivated to trade either guy. And I think quite frankly as far as 2026 goes and the needs that they needed to meet that NMO for Simeon deal on the short term really is going to pay dividends because it saves you $11 million. And I thought the most they’d be able to save on Simeon was about five or six million. And if they did that they weren’t going to get a real quality player in return. They’ve gotten a guy who slides right into the outfield mix and that’s where they needed to really back fill. So, I think that it changes the dynamic a little bit and I don’t think that the Rangers are going to be motivated necessarily to move Cory Seager. I think the challenge right now is going to be for Chris Young to say to Ray Davis, “Hey, look, if if you want us to get to 200, we can do that. I don’t know if we can completely contend. If you give me another $10 million and we get to 210 and we’re it’s still at a full 10% 15% cut from what the payroll was in 2025, I think the Rangers have some ability to add a couple more pieces that they really need in the bullpen. But doesn’t this question about Corey Seager getting moved kind of be questioned because or or has to be brought up because of the fact that they went on a hot stretch when he was out when he came back and wasn’t necessarily playing his best because he his value will be never greater than it is today because of the fact that he comes off a another injury a few injuries during the season but I think he had like a above a six war. He’s still 31 years old. Like you’re still looking at a elite level shortstop with teams that could use a player like that that will impact their team for three years and they still won without it. Is it are are we are we ignorant to say that the Rangers shouldn’t be listening to this? No. I mean, I think that they should listen if there’s if there’s conversation. I don’t know that they are motivated to move him. I do think that there are teams that are going to be interested and will approach the Rangers and then that’s when it gets interesting. But to your point, I do say I I think that was a very short sample size that we were looking at in in September of this year when you had that full influx of young kids and it kind of energized everybody. You look at the numbers when Seagar starts for the Rangers versus when he doesn’t over the four years that he’s been here and it is there there is a significant difference. He he he makes a huge difference on the plus side offensively. So I don’t think the Rangers would look at that and and see what happened in September and say, “Hey, we can win without Cory Seager.” They know that Cory Seager is the anchor to their offense. Yeah. I want to go back to the uh Marcus Simeon trade. Do you believe this was strictly money motivated? Do you think this has anything to do with their internal belief in finding a place for Josh Smith to play? And lastly, is it just, you know, kind of breaking up the band a little bit? You know, they had this World Series championship a couple years ago. They haven’t had a lot of success and they felt like they needed to just kind of break it up a little bit. I think I think it’s all part of it, Kevin. Um, I think, you know, and you saw this when you were here, uh, that 2023 team, so many players have now moved on from it. Uh, and that’s a long time ago in baseball years. And the idea that hey, maybe this was kind of a one-off thing. There’s more there’s more substance there, right? The Rangers had four losing seasons before 23. They’ve had two non-winning seasons since 23. And so, they may need to change some of the personnel. Add to that, look at the three big moves the Rangers have made in terms of moving on from players in the past year, in the past two weeks, who were all part of that 2023 season. Marcus Simeon, Adulus Garcia, Jonahheim all had consecutive seasons with downtrending OPS’s all below 700. You know, one year is a slump, two years is a trend, especially with players getting into their 30s. And I think the Rangers were very cognizant of that. And to your point about Josh Smith, look, I’m not sure if Josh Smith is an everyday player or if he’s a just a great super utility player. I think there’s still some questions about he’s got to figure out a way to hold up a little bit better in the second half because the second half falloffs have been really really significant. But he’s a good fielding second baseman. He can play the position. He’s shown the Rangers uh the ability at least for the first half of the season to be a very productive um everyday player. And so I think the Rangers are open to the idea that Josh Smith would get the first shot to kind of lock that spot down. I think it also presents the opportunity for Ezekiel Duran, who we all have looked at and said, “This guy’s a really talented athlete. Why is he not producing?” I think it gives the opportunity for Duran to have a more defined role as kind of the right-handed side of a platoon with Josh Smith. um which still gets Josh about 120 starts and I think at maximum that’s probably his best and it gives Durant the opportunity to occasionally play some shorts stop for Seager when he goes to a DH role. So um I think that’s how the Rangers are looking at things. They also feel like Cody Freeman really energized that clubhouse at the end of the last season and so he could be in the mix as probably a part-time player, but I think he figures in they’re going to bring Michael Helman back who really had a a nice breakout year for them. Uh but yeah, there’s going to be competition going in, but Josh Smith has to be and deserves to be at the top of that list. I don’t see them feeling it from the externally. I don’t see them going out and signing a free agent like Lewis Arise. And it gets back to Krat’s point. It’s all about the money, money, money. All right, real quick. Of those three guys you mentioned, Jonah, Adulles Garcia, Marcus Simeon, who you betting on to have a bounceback year? I guess my bet would be Adoleis. Um I I I think if he’s in the right I think this gives him a fresh start. And I think there were times last year and really in 24 where he carried the weight of being the World Series and the ALCS, you know, MVP and and superstar of of two series. Obviously Seer ended up with the trophy at the World Series, but he was great in both those series. I think he carried the burden of that pretty heavily. I think that um he’s still very athletic. He played a great right field this year. He was a a Gold Glove finalist. I think that he’s got the best ability to bounce back. I look at Marcus and I see a 35-year-old who’s going to turn 36 in September. And the history for for second baseman, and I’ve had this conversation with Ian Kinsler, I had it with Brett Boone. the the the history for second baseman when they hit about that age 35 season, it really starts to become a struggle. And so the trend is not going in Marcus’ favor. Uh and Jonah, I I don’t know what to make of Jonah. You know, he was an all-star in 23, but the last two years he’s just been he’s not been a good player. And most disturbing the last the over the last season, and I think even you were aware of this in the time you were here, it just looked like he wasn’t enjoying playing baseball very much. And so I don’t he could have a a real fork in the road moment here and he could as a switchhitting catcher with some power who’s a great framer. He could really bounce back too. But I I have I have some doubts about how much he he enjoys playing the game at this

Texas Rangers beat writer Evan Grant joins the show to lay out the full Texas Rangers offseason to-do list, from trimming payroll after the Brandon Nimmo–Marcus Semien blockbuster to rebuilding a bullpen that overachieved in 2024. He breaks down why Texas non-tendered Adolis García and Jonah Heim, what comes next at catcher, how Skip Schumaker might shape the new bullpen, and whether names like Corey Seager or Jacob deGrom could ever realistically be moved.