Hot Stove priorities: What Rangers need to do to become contenders again

ARLINGTON, Texas — As the hangover period from the conclusion of the World Series comes to a close, one of the most intense offseasons in Texas Rangers history is set to begin with the Hot Stove set to heat up.

The time for teams to put their recipe together for a 2025 World Series run is already underway. For the Rangers, they’re looking to bounce back from a disappointing season. The 2023 Rangers enjoyed the spoils of a World Championship victory, while the 2024 club was unable to go back for seconds.

With another year of experience under their belt, along with changes to the front office leadership and coaching staff, Texas has a few things that must be accomplished this winter if they want to return to October baseball.

Nathan Eovaldi declining his $20 million player option gives the veteran the opportunity to explore the free agency market. For the Rangers, letting their World Series-clinching starter exit would be a big blow.

It should be noted that Eovaldi made an average of $17 million per year over the two seasons in Texas. Sporting an impressive resume over those brief but productive years, Eovaldi, going into his age-35 season, likely sees an opportunity not just for more money, but also a solidified multi-year contract rather than accepting just one more year with the Rangers.

Recently promoted President of Baseball Operations Chris Young has publicly stated that the team would love to bring the veteran back. The desire to have Eovaldi fronting the rotation again goes beyond just a surface-level statement to the media.

Over his time with the Rangers, Eovaldi put up a 24-13 record with a 3.72 ERA (a career low with any other team for which he’s pitched), a 1.122 WHIP and a 3.35 BB/K ratio. On top of those impressive numbers, Eovaldi was absolutely nails during the 2023 postseason for Texas, going 5-0 over 6 games with a 2.63 ERA over 36.2 innings.

The need for stability in the Texas rotation is important. Every starter except for fellow free agent Andrew Heaney spent time on the injured list and Eovaldi was no exception. But as Cody Bradford attempts to entrench himself in the rotation after missing much of the 2024 season with a fractured rib, Jon Gray enters into his last injury-prone season with the Rangers, as Tyler Mahle works his way back into his first year back from Tommy John surgery, as Kumar Rocker aims to convert his September look into a permanent big league job, and as Jacob deGrom enters his first full season coming back from a second Tommy John surgery, the Rangers need to have someone steadfast capable of anchoring the rotation.

While Texas should have some salary room to play with this winter, ownership has also said multiple times that their No. 1 desire is to recede under the luxury tax threshold. Whatever money they do have should include a compelling offer to bring back Eovaldi, potentially for the remainder of his career.

If the Rangers are able to anchor the rotation with Eovaldi, they can let their up-and-coming minor leaguers or those who worked back and forth between the bullpen and rotation fight it out with the rest of the starting staff.

However, for the last two years, even in their World Series championship year, the Rangers’ biggest weakness has been their bullpen. While they were able to solidify the backend of the ‘pen for 2024 with David Robertson and Kirby Yates, along with an intermittently effective Jose Leclerc, all three of those pieces are slated to be free agents.

Yates, who saved all but one opportunity thrown at him in his year with Texas, would appear to be an obvious target, but the All-Star is entering his age-38 season and could be in demand enough to price himself out of a return.

Older closers certainly aren’t unheard of, but Yates alone can’t be the solution. The righty made $4.5 million last season, and with the year he had, he could command a pretty impressive price on the open market, even as he approaches the end of his career.

With the purse strings tightening, the Rangers might have to look elsewhere; Texas also needs to look for additional depth and usability in bridging the gap from the starters to the back end.

Jose Urena, who fulfilled the swingman role in a solid effort is also a free agent, but Texas needs to fill more than just Urena’s spot. Names like Jacob Latz, Grant Anderson, Gerson

Garabito, Yerry Rodriguez and Jonathan Hernandez were ineffective more often than not, and while the lack of offense was certainly the biggest factor in the Rangers’ failure to return to the postseason, the problems that the bullpen experienced for the second year in a row cannot be overlooked.

Some potential solutions on the market include names like the Braves’ A.J. Minter and former Rangers farmhand Luke Jackson, the Mets’ Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek, and the Phillies’ Jeff Hoffman along with many, many other relievers set to be free agents this winter.

Texas has plenty of opportunities to go shopping this winter, especially with a new general manager Ross Fenstermaker likely wanting to stamp his name on the club. While free agency might have the most immediate impact, the trade market, with Texas’ depth of position players, might advance the cause as well.

Finding an offense-forward bench player for either the outfield or infield might prove to be a tall task, but it could be critical for a Rangers team that fell off at the plate in 2024. Josh Smith is certainly at the forefront of the discussion, as arguably the Rangers’ most productive player throughout much of the season.

After being the 26th man on the 26-man roster to start the year, Smith is up for a Silver Slugger award in the Utility Player category. But while the Rangers’ offensive core will mostly remain intact again going into 2025, 2024 showed that every player, or group of players, can go through extended offensive slumps.

Jonah Heim came into the 2024 season looking like a golden unicorn at catcher, but fell completely off the map with a rough year at the plate and behind it, so much so that Texas went at the trade deadline last season to acquire an offense-first catcher to help shoulder the load. The Rangers might have to use resources to find another tandem catcher with Heim to avoid a similar fate in 2025.

Adolis Garcia, one of Texas’ most clutch hitters in 2023, struggled mightily to come up big at the plate this last season and could potentially be a trade candidate this winter if his contract in arbitration proves too expensive.

Corey Seager and Josh Jung, both of whom provide contact and power to all fields, spent large parts of the season on the injured list and there are questions about their availability going forward. Meanwhile, young players such as Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter went through growing pains in 2024 with Carter missing all but 45 games with a balky back.

With the Rangers bringing aboard former San Francisco Giants instructor Justin Viele as their new hitting coach, it would behoove Texas to also examine ways that they can get their core lineup’s production more in line with the 2023 club that led the American League in runs scored, be it via a trade or a free agent bat that shakes up the mix.

The threat and potential of a World Series team exists in the current iteration of the Texas Rangers. There are some items to fine-tune and augment as winter begins for baseball, but the field is wide open and Texas has a real opportunity to continue the hunt for October.

What do you think is the number one thing the Rangers should accomplish this offseason? Share your thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.