Texas Rangers: Triple threat free agency decisions

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Oct 21, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager (5) hits a single in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves during game five of the 2021 NLCS at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

With free agency officially starting, the Texas Rangers can begin the fun part of exiting a rebuild: buying new players. Now that the horrid 2021 season is behind us, we can begin to dream of a brighter 2022 and what new players can do for our beloved Rangers.

Luckily, Texas has a ton to spend on a fantastic free-agent class. We’re also just going to ignore the giant, elephant-labeled CBA negations.

No, the Rangers won’t buy a whole new team but they could boost their payroll by $75-$100 million AAV and still be below league average. So approaching the roster-building, the likeliest additions would be an infielder, a starting pitcher, and an outfielder.

There are plenty of different directions to go in here though. Infield being the deepest group in the Rangers minor leagues may factor in. Outfield may not be viewed as a priority and starting pitching could be addressed with the classic 3 year deal with a middle-of-the-rotation arm. And no, the Rangers won’t buy a whole new team but they could boost their payroll by $75 million AAV and still be below league average.

So I’ll be giving predictions for a trio of players in packages that could help turn the tide. I’ll try to update this as Free agency progresses as well as use the “I didn’t mean that” and “I told you so” phrases. Mostly the former.

Texas Rangers Free Agency Package 1 ($58 million AAV)

Clayton Kershaw (33), SP – 4 years/$85 million
Trevor Story (29), SS – 8 years/$200 million
Seiya Suzuki (27), OF – 4 years/ $48 million

This package just feels like destiny. It has homecoming stories, includes a Hall of Famer, a hopeful, and a newcomer. Hope and security all rolled into one.

Kershaw wouldn’t be signed as an ace. He seems to be trending in the wrong direction and has battled injuries the past few years. Do you know what he is though? A darn good pitcher. He would anchor down an incredibly youthful rotation. He could set the tone and demeanor, helping guide this young core of starters. Oh, and his numbers would still be better than anyone who donned a Rangers uniform last year.

Story is the hopeful one hear. He’ll only be 29 for 2022 and even though he’s shown a lot over the past 6 years there’s still more for him to do. MLBTR recently published their predictions and have Story signing a 6 year/$126 million contract. The Rangers should jump at that opportunity to pull the trigger on that given most saw him as the best FA available before his down year. However, it’s that down year that gives Story more to prove.

One thing that shouldn’t scare Rangers fans though is his departure from Coors Field. Across 9 games in Arlington, he was 10-34 with 5 home runs. Also when looking at Globe Life Field directly, you can compare it to two other parks, Minute Maid in Houston and Chase Field in Arizona. At those 2 parks, he hit .284 with 11 home runs in 48 games over the past 4 years. When coming home, he’ll have the ability to show he belongs in the top tier of players. I also believe he’ll still go north of that prediction in both years and value.

Suzuki is the newcomer to the league. A bodybuilder-esque frame can leave many to dream of the power he can bring. The Japanese star just finished a monster year where he hit for a .319 average and had 38 homers. He separates himself from others coming over from Japan by keeping a relatively low strikeout rate, excellent zone management. His walk rate in Japan would only be outdone by the great Joey Gallo. Also, He plays an adequate OF, keeping the DH position available for whoever the Rangers hang onto (Calhoun?). Suzuki is the best player to come over since Ohtani and the Rangers would be wise to go after him.

Sep 14, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) delivers against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Texas Rangers Free Agency Package 2 ($75 million AAV)

Marcus Stroman (30), SP – 5 year/$115 million
Corey Seager (27), SS – 10 year/$302 million
Nick Castellanos (29), OF – 5 years /$110 million

This would be the Rangers’ more aggressive approach, as they take directly from the top. Each one of these younger players would be staples in the organization and have high standards set

Stroman will be 31 in May but seems to be on the verge of a breakout. Well as much of a breakout as a pitcher with his successful track record can have. The career owner of a 3.63 ERA, Marcus set a career-best 3.02 ERA over 179 innings in 2021. He’s gone over 200 innings twice in his career and is known as more of a ground ball pitcher, which should play well with Texas’ defense. He could be on the verge of multiple All-Star appearances and even CY Young contention

Seager is arguably the best available player this year. Over the past 147games (2 years), he’s hit 31 homers while batting .306 with 65 walks. Injury is a bit of a concern but his defense and bat are elite. He would be the centerpiece for the Rangers to build their offense around. You can’t expect a discount on the injury worry either with Scott Boras as his agent. However, the Rangers would be “winners” to get him away from the evil empires to the east (NYY) and west (LAD).

Castellanos is opting out of his deal with the Reds following a massive 2021. He corrected from a poor 2020 by hitting for a .309 average and powering in 34 home runs. He’s continued an upward offensive trajectory for the past few years while maintaining a status quo BABIP and hard-hit rate, meaning it’s not a fluke. He’s not getting lucky and he didn’t just have “a good year”, he’s getting better. Like Stroman, Nick is a one-time All-Star with the potential for many more ahead.

Oct 1, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jon Gray (55) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /

Texas Rangers Free Agency Package 3 ($60.5 million)

Jon Gray (30), SP – 4 years/ $56 million
Carlos Correa (27), SS – 10 years/$315 million
Chris Taylor (31), OF -4 years/$60 million

Gray may not be the flashiest name nor top-of-the-market free agent but he would be a solid signing by the Texas Rangers. Gray was drafted 3rd overall in 2013 but never has lived up to his potential. The owner of a career 4.59 ERA, Gray didn’t exactly blow the doors off in 2021 matching that career ERA at 4.59. Grays best years were in 2017 and 2019 when he posted a 3.67 ERA and 3.84 ERA respectively. He is known as a strikeout pitcher and has been consistent with his career mark of 9.2 K’s per 9. Ideally, the Rangers could get him on a 3-year deal for around $36 million, but given he just turned down a similar offer, you’ll have to go higher. It could be worth the reach though for Gray to achieve his potential and become a Lynn/Minor/Gibson type of player.

Correa is expected to be the highest-paid free agent this year and rightfully so. It’ll take a full-court press of recruiting coupled with the willingness to offer a massive deal to get him. the 2-time All-Star set a new career-high in homers at 26 while slashing .279/.366/.485. His defense is even better than his offense given he’s always in contention for a Gold Glove at the key position. His leadership and competitiveness will be in high demand this year and the Rangers should absolutely do what they can to sign him.

Taylor is labeled as an outfielder here but he’s much more than that. Though the outfield may be the primary part of the field he plays, Taylor is a Swiss army knife type player. He could fill in at 2B and SS if injuries or other circumstances should arise. His offense is pretty dang good too. Over his 8 year career, he’s accumulated 79 home runs with a .261 batting average. The home run number may seem low for 8 years but 78 of those home runs have come over the past 5 years when he became a regular player. Also factoring in the shortened 2020 season, it wouldn’t be outlandish to expect 15-20 home runs a year from him. Taylor may benefit from his first All-Star appearance in 2021 this offseason and see an increased demand for his services. This demand could drive his market up to the 15 million range which is a bit high but the ability to play multiple positions and be a consistent offensive threat could pay off.

Sep 28, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard (34) delivers against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of game two of a doubleheader at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /

Texas Rangers Free Agency Packages: BONUS

Noah Syndergaard (if he declines his option)

Michael Conforto

Anthony DeSclafani

Steven Matz

Kris Bryant

Kevin Gausman

Robbie Ray

Javier Baez

Kyle Schwarber

Carlos Rodon

Kyle Seager

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These are all names that have been linked to or fit the Texas Rangers’ needs. After all, with upwards of $100 million to spend, surely they’ll sign more than 3 players! The reality is though, any combination of these players would be a major boost of confidence for the fan base and future of the organization. Times are exciting and bright for the Texas Rangers!

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Texas Rangers Free Agency Package 1 ($58 million AAV)

Texas Rangers Free Agency Package 2 ($75 million AAV)

Texas Rangers Free Agency Package 3 ($60.5 million)

Texas Rangers Free Agency Packages: BONUS

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