The 2016 Texas Rangers: Where are they now?

During the month of February, I am going to be posting a series called “Where are they now?”.  In this series, the rosters for the Texas Rangers teams will be investigated.  In the 5th installment, players from the 2016 team will be examined. (All stats used were extracted from baseball-reference.com)

After losing the ALDS to Toronto 3-2 in 2015, Texas won their second consecutive West Division title in 2016.  The team had a record of 95-67, good for a nine game lead over Seattle.  Once again, the Rangers played the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS.  Toronto defeated Texas 3-0 and a chance to play Cleveland in the ALCS.  Cleveland defeated Toronto 4-1 then lost the World Series to the Chicago Cubs 4-3.

Where are they now: 2016 Texas Rangers starting pitching

Cole Hamels was the ace that the Texas Rangers needed to take them to the next level in the playoffs.    In 32 starts,  Hamels led the Rangers with 200.2 innings pitched, had a record of 15-5, and a 3.32 ERA.  Hamels pitched parts of two more seasons in Texas before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs.  After leaving Texas, Hamels made 40 starts over parts of three seasons for two teams.  Hamels made a comeback attempt with the Los Angeles Dodgers in August 2021, but arm pain forced him to the 60-day injured list.  Now 38, Hamels is currently a free agent.

Martin Perez was in his 5th season with the Rangers  in 2016.  Perez led the Rangers with 33 starts, pitched 198.2 innings, and went 10-11 with a 4.39 ERA.  Perez pitched two more seasons for Texas before he was granted free agency after the 2018 season.  Perez pitched one season in Minnesota and the last two seasons in Boston.  Perez is currently a free agent.

A.J. Griffin was in his first of two seasons playing for Texas in 2016.  Griffins started 23 games for the Rangers, had a 7-4 record, and a 5.07 ERA.  Griffin pitched one more season in Texas before he was granted free agency after the 2017 season.  Griffin signed as a free agent with the New York Mets but was released before ever pitching another MLB game.

Colby Lewis was pitching in his final MLB season in 2016.  In 19 starts, Lewis had a record of 6-5 with a 3.71 ERA.  In November 2017, Lewis was hired to be a special assistant to the general manager for the Rangers.

Derek Holland was in his 8th season with the Rangers in 2016.  Holland pitched 107.1 innings in in 22 games including 20  starts, and had a record of 7-9 with a 4.95 ERA.  Holland was granted  free agency after the season and signed with the Chicago White Sox in December 2016.  Holland has also pitched for San Francisco, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh, and Detroit.  Holland is currently a free agent.

Yu Darvish missed the entire 2015 season due to Tommy John surgery and returned to the starting rotation in May 2016.  Darvish pitched 100.1 innings in 17 starts, and had a record of 7-5, with a 3.41 ERA.  Darvish pitched part of the 2017 season in Texas before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July.  Darvish has also pitched for the Chicago Cubs and is a current member of the San Diego Padres.