Even in a rebuild, the Texas Rangers have some money to spend this offseason. A long-term addition or two to the bullpen could make for wise spending.
For what it’s worth, the Texas Rangers relief crew had a decent year. They currently rank 8th in the American League with a 4.30 ERA and also 8th with a .252 opponents batting average. Middle of the pack is an accomplishment considering the losses of Keone Kela, Jake Diekman and Jesse Chavez in July. All three players were having tremendous seasons while with Texas.
The Rangers will be without those three next season as well (at least we assume), so it’s best we project next year’s relief staff with pitchers on the current roster and with players elsewhere within the organization.
Let’s pencil in Jose Leclerc, Alex Claudio, Jeffrey Springs and Chris Martin for 2019’s opening day roster. That takes care of half the bullpen. At least two on the verge minor leaguers will make the roster, leaving one or two slots available for free agent signings.
Texas will prioritize starting pitching in their free agent ambitions; however, there are a number of relievers that would be worth a look. The Rangers do have the cash available to sign a couple of players to multi-year contracts (in accordance with the ongoing rebuild).
Which of the relievers on the free agent market should the Rangers consider signing to a multi-year deal?