Re-grading the Texas Rangers’ 2021 off-season one year later

Re-grading the Texas Rangers’ 2021 off-season a year later

Trading Lance Lynn to the White Sox for Dane Dunning and Avery Weems

Lance Lynn came to Arlington in 2018 perceived as a pitcher on the decline. He left Texas a revived pitcher.

It was clear once the Rangers opted for a rebuild in 2021, that Lynn would no longer be super useful and that trading him while his value was still high was the way to go. That was the route Texas ultimately took, sending him to the South Side for pitchers Dane Dunning and Avery Weems.

Dunning was serviceable in 2021, but also suffered injuries and a bout with COVID, so his season was harder to evaluate. In general, though, Dunning was pretty solid and has the makings of a middle of the rotation starter, as Lance Lynn has been most of his career.

With the White Sox, Lynn seized the moment to be on a contender and became an ace on their staff, and it was genuinely exciting to see Lynn succeed and embrace Chicago. He’s better off there than he would’ve been, stuck on a Texas Rangers team that was headed for nowhere last season.

Overall, I believe both teams benefitted from this trade. The White Sox have the upper hand for now because of Lynn’s overwhelming success, but Dunning is a good young talent, and Weems is a development project.

Grade: B

Re-grading the Texas Rangers’ 2021 off-season a year later

Signing OF David Dahl

Joey Gallo recruited Dahl, a former All-Star with the Colorado Rockies, to play on the Texas Rangers in 2021.

Yeah, that didn’t work so well.

By mid-season, Gallo and Dahl were both gone, for different reasons. Gallo a good one and Dahl, well… a not good one.

Dahl’s biggest knock has always been his injury history, and that reared its ugly head in Arlington in 2021. He played just 63 games, posting a .569 OPS in those games.

It’s not as if expectations were very high for Dahl on a one year “prove it” deal, but having a dreadful season before being DFA’d by mid-season was not what the Texas Rangers had in mind, either.

Grade: F

Re-grading the Texas Rangers’ 2021 off-season a year later

Signing RHP Kohei Arihara from Japan

The Texas Rangers had been successful with Japanese pitchers in the past, namely Yu Darvish, so it made to sense to draw from that well once again.

Texas inked Kohei Arihara to a two-year deal in December 2020 and though the deal was cheap, it did not pan out as hoped.

Arihara really struggled in 2021 with a 6.64 ERA in 10 starts. He missed a large chunk of the 2021 season with shoulder issues, which was unfortunate.  Even after he returned, though, he continued to get shellacked by his opponents. Not exactly a recipe for lasting success.

The Japanese righty was DFA’d in September and is currently still in the Rangers’ organization. He could still get a shot to start with the team again in 2022 given the poor state of Texas’ starting staff. He’ll have to earn that, though.

Grade: D

Re-grading the Texas Rangers’ 2021 off-season a year later

Elvis Andrus to the A’s for Khris Davis, Jonah Heim and Dane Acker

Trading Elvis Andrus, a Texas Rangers fan favorite, was undoubtedly a tough pill to swallow in February 2021. Trading him for Khris Davis just seems insulting, though.

Davis was absolutely awful for the Rangers in 2021, but he was merely the other end of a pure salary dump between two division rivals. It’s not as if Andrus was a world-beater in 2021, either, if that’s any silver lining. The A’s needed a shortstop, and Andrus filled the hole. That’s really it.

In totality, this trade really hinges on what Jonah Heim and Dane Acker become with the Texas Rangers. Heim was solid in 2021, forming a decent tandem with Jose Trevino behind he plate. Neither catcher can hit really well, but both can pick it behind the plate with their gloves. The fact that Heim remains in the fold for 2022 is a net positive for the Rangers.

Acker, meanwhile, is an intriguing pitching prospect who was sidelined in 2021 due to injury. If he’s able to tap into some of his potential, then this trade could be a slam dunk for the Rangers. For now, though, we have what we have. Andrus and Davis have basically negated themselves, while Heim is a nice player. But Acker could be where this deal is won.

Grade: C, with B potential