Given their dismal performance history and the upcoming free agents, it’s time for the Rangers to sell.
There is plenty to be proud of with the Texas Rangers. After finishing weakly in the AL West with a 68-94 record in 2022, they advanced to the World Series the following year. Unfortunately, things are starting to resemble 2022 more than 2023 for the crew who organized this year’s All-Star Week events.
Their 46-50 record as of July 19 puts them 7.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race and third in the AL West, which is not bad at all. The Rangers must accept the fact that they must sell if they hope to compete in the near future, as a number of free agents will shortly be available. They should at least look at renting players if they won’t even contemplate selling the ones who signed contracts for more than this season.
With Max Scherzer’s latest declaration that he will not waive his trade clause, all chance of a Scherzer blockbuster is eliminated. Who could the Rangers deal with then? Investigate these three soon-to-be unrestricted free agents.
3. Jose Leclerc, RP
One of the top relievers in the league last season was Jose Leclerc. Leclerc threw 57 innings with a 2.68 ERA in his role as the Texas closer. In the postseason of the previous year, he also recorded a 3.29 ERA, which helped Leclerc and the Rangers win the World Series.
Leclerc’s 3.95 ERA through 41.0 innings pitched this season is not great, but he has struck out 54 batters, which is good compared to last year. Leclerc has an opponent average of.172, which is his best since 2018. This is why it is peculiar. However, once we consider the total number of walks—24—we start to identify the issue. Which group is most likely to risk everything on Leclerc?
Leclerc’s free agent status is just a few months away, thus a win-now team with a subpar bullpen and a small farm system would be our only option. The San Diego Padres were that team, one game out of the Wild Card race. It’s become clear that teams like the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, and others are vying for some of the best players available. Even if Leclerc still has “top name” material, he isn’t the biggest name this year. The Padres appear to be a solid fit, with Luis Arraez joining them and the team hovering about the outside of contention with strong postseason hopes.
2. RP Kirby Yates
Kirby Yates is another experienced reliever who the Rangers may consider moving. Yates has pitched 34.1 innings this season with 46 strikeouts and a 1.05 ERA. Not to mention limiting the batting average of opponents to.132. This year has been the best so far in Yates’ lengthy and illustrious career. He’s gotten a lot of attention for being the bullpen stud that he has been.
The New York Yankees and the Phillies are two clubs that stand out in the competition to win Yates. Nevertheless, Yates’s lackluster performance in pinstripes might deter the Yankees. Not every pitcher succeeds in the Bronx, after all. After scouting the Reds, the Yankees will undoubtedly make a stronger effort to acquire a different reliever who will cost them fewer prospects. Should the Rangers sell, Yates has a good chance of joining the Phillies.
1. The SP, Michael Lorenzen
According to a report by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Rangers may consider trading two starters: Andrew Heaney and Michael Lorenzen. This year, Lorenzen might get a higher price of the two. Lorenzen has pitched 92 innings, giving up a.211 opponent average with 65 strikeouts and a 3.52 ERA. His 44 walks this season are alarming, despite his respectable performance. However, win-now teams should still find a lot of use for his product.
Given Lorenzen’s strong season-long play, the Cleveland Guardians appear to be the ideal fit for him. Ben Lively has the best ERA of any Cleveland starter with a 3.58, but Bieber is out for the season due to injury. It is odd to observe that the Guardians have the best record in the AL despite having a sluggish rotation and a somewhat slumbering batting order. Their relieving corps’ exceptional performance has been the only explanation for their unexpected outperformance. But Cleveland would be far better off come playoff time with Lorenzen enhancing their pitching staff.
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