Although something had to be done about it, the front office is apparently operating on a tight budget. They have five contracts on the books that generate at least $18.5 million annually. They are now two years removed from their World Series run, and ownership began scaling back spending during the 2023-2024 offseason in the wake of the collapse of their local broadcast deal. Offseason reporting has cast doubt on their chances of meeting asking price, even for mid-range free agent hitters JT Realmuto And Luis Arraez.
Texas has made a few significant changes on the offensive end, though each comes with a notable corresponding subtraction. They traded Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmowhere we take more money in total, but free up some space on the payroll in the short term. Nimmo provides the patient approach they are looking for and empowers them to move forward Adolis Garcia in right field. The other change came behind the plate, where they didn’t offer Jonah Heim after a second bad season in a row. He has been replaced by Danny Jansen on a two-year free agent deal.
Catcher and the outfield mix are probably set. Janssen agrees Kyle Higashioka as an experienced couple behind the dish. Nimmo moves alongside Wyatt Langford And Evan Carter on the grass. However, they haven’t found anyone to replace Semien at second base. It seems like they are planning to do that internally. That would be a big ask for an infield group that was a weakness even at Semien.
The Rangers were in the bottom half of the MLB in offense from any non-short infield position. Semien’s strong defensive qualities kept them above average at second base overall, despite his declining production at the dish. The corners were the biggest problem. They had a combined .248/.298/.393 batting line from their first and third basemen.
Most positive points came from utilityman Jos Smitwho had a .283/.369/.439 in his 227 plate appearances at those positions. If the Rangers don’t replace Semien externally, Smith will be ticketed for regular playing time at second base. The remaining nine players who logged all corner infield reps last year combined to hit .241/.283/.384 in nearly 1,100 trips.
Three players from that group — Rowdy Tellez, Dylan Moore And Blaine Crim – are no longer on the list. Former first-round pick Justin Foscue is coming off back-to-back league-average seasons in Triple-A and will turn 27 before Opening Day. He’s probably on the selection bubble. Ezequiel Duran should be, considering he’s a .237/.278/.309 hitter over the past two seasons. Game Pederson made two starts at first base but was otherwise a full-time design hitter, and he was a major disappointment in the first season of a two-year free agent deal.
As it stands, three players remain vying for the remaining two spots in the field: Jake Burger, Jos Jung And Cody Vrijman. Freeman, who turns 25 today, is coming off a stellar Triple-A season, hitting .228/.258/.342 in 36 MLB games. He is a gifted contact hitter, but doesn’t walk often and has questionable ability. Freeman hit a personal-best 19 home runs at Triple-A Round Rock last year, but the Pacific Coast League inflates the power numbers of most hitters. In his brief MLB look, he ranked near the bottom of the league in hard contact rates.
If Freeman were to establish himself as an everyday third or second baseman, that would allow Skip Schumaker to move Smith around the infield in a utility role. However, Freeman himself feels more like a utility type. Burger and Jung project as the primary corner tandem on the field, despite speculation that Texas could move on from one or both players.
The Rangers acquired Burger from the Marlins last season. He was on the injured list three times and had a brief stint in Triple-A when he slumped early in the year. Burger finished his first season in Arlington with replacement-level performances. He hit .236/.269/.419 over 376 plate appearances and offered limited baserunning and defensive value. Burger underwent surgery after the season to repair a tendon sheath tear in his left wrist. The hope is that by fixing the issue his power was limited and he can become a 30 home run threat again. Burger has never posted an OBP above .310 in a season (excluding a rookie year where he played in 15 games), so he won’t get on base much even if the strength returns.
Jung is also an aggressive hitter. Rangers were clearly frustrated by his approach. They selected him after he hit .158 with a .208 on-base mark in June. He returned on a hot streak a few weeks later, but that was caused by a massive average of balls in play that masked a continued rough strikeout/walk profile. In September, Jung’s numbers fell again. He finished the season hitting .251/.294/.390 and seemed like a candidate for a change of scenery heading into the winter. There are no reports of the Rangers shopping Jung. It appears they are aiming to give him a rebound opportunity, which could be due to their lack of alternatives.
Maybe that will change once Spring Training approaches and free agent prices drop. Alex Bregman or Eugenio Suarez are likely out of their reach, regardless of timing. If Arraez remains unsigned until February, could he be in line for a one-year deal? Rhys Hoskins or Yoan Moncada will sign affordable one-year contracts and at least offer insurance at first or third base, respectively. Ryan Mountcastle should be traded now that the Orioles have signed Pete Alonso. Would the Rangers be willing to meet an arbitration projection of nearly $8 million, or is Mountcastle too similar to Burger? Maybe Bregman signs with a team that has a semi-established third baseman who becomes available as a trade chip.
Otherwise, the Rangers would be reliant on a handful of hopeful players and a meager farming system. Top prospect on the field Sebastian Walcott could be the answer by the end of the season. He has no Triple-A experience and doesn’t turn 20 until March, so it’s unlikely he’ll break camp. First baseman Orties reached the 40-man roster with a .257/.356/.479 between the top two minor league levels. Most prospect evaluators believe he projects as a bench bat/Quad-A type, but there’s a chance if he can surpass that. Texas needs someone to unexpectedly go the extra mile to get enough production on the ground.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images
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