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3 positions the Texas Rangers should target immediately

By Isiah Nunez |
Aug 31, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Thirteen flags draped over seats in the outfield before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Colorado Rockies at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Thirteen flags draped over seats in the outfield before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Colorado Rockies at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
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Aug 31, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Thirteen flags draped over seats in the outfield before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Colorado Rockies at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Thirteen flags draped over seats in the outfield before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Colorado Rockies at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

With the baseball lockout officially coming to an end, there’s still plenty of needs for the Texas Rangers to fill to officially get their season going. Here are some notable positions the Rangers could stand to address now that free agency and the trade market have opened back up.

Note: These are not in particular order.

3 positions for the Texas Rangers to target now that the lockout is over

Starting Pitcher

Pitching is still a glaring need for the Rangers. Even with the big splash to acquire Jon Gray they made prior to the lockout, they are still without a decent starting rotation. With Jack Leiter still a few seasons away, the Rangers will look to fill in this hole, while him and other young pitchers are developing.

A great pitcher that would fit in with the Rangers would be none other than Clayton Kershaw. I mean, c’mon, the dude is from Highland Park, TX and he would bring in a veteran presence to these young players, who are looking to make a name for themselves. Kershaw, even though he is on the backend of his career, can still provide you some quality innings and depth in the starting rotation.

Kershaw fits in perfectly with the Texas Rangers plans, as they are continuing to rebuild, but are also looking to turn it around by 2023. Can you imagine Kershaw pitching for the Rangers and they call-up Jack Leiter, putting them on the same rotation together?

Sep 28, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia (53) catches a foul ball hit by Los Angeles Angels second baseman David Fletcher (not pictured) during the second inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 28, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia (53) catches a foul ball hit by Los Angeles Angels second baseman David Fletcher (not pictured) during the second inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Outfield

Besides Adolis Garcia, who else do the Texas Rangers have playing outfield consistently? The team is looking for someone that they could pair Garcia with in the outfield.

Yes, they signed Kole Calhoun, but he’s not an everyday player like he once was early in his career. Willie Calhoun? He’s seems nice, but, as we seen these past couple of seasons, he has yet to show us that he can stay healthy throughout a full season. The Rangers can’t rely on Willie to stay healthy and this seems like this is the “last straw” for him to show the Rangers, the type of player that he can be.

A name to keep in mind is Kyle Schwarber, if the Rangers are able to bring him to Texas, that would be a great outfielder to pair with Garcia. Schwarber is still considered young as he is only 29 years old and still has some pop in his bat and can play the outfield relatively well. We’ll see if he’s in a price range the Rangers are looking pay, but can you imagine a lineup that features, Garcia, Schwarber, Seager and Semien?

Buckle up.

Sep 12, 2019; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc (25) throws during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2019; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc (25) throws during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

Relief Pitcher

As you saw last season, the Texas Rangers struggled massively with their bullpen and they don’t want that to repeat this season. A name to keep in mind, while the Rangers are looking to improve their roster, is Trevor Rosenthal.

If the Rangers are able to bring him to Texas, that would help their bullpen situation greatly. Rosenthal can help Texas by having some stability and take pressure off from their starting pitchers. We have seen over the course of the past couple of seasons, that, starting pitchers for Texas have faced pressure to go deep every single game and try to find a way to give the ball to Jonathan Hernandez and Jose Leclerc. Having an established relief pitcher, who is known to give them some innings and keep the runs down, will help the Rangers tremendously. Whether it be Rosenthal or somebody else, the Rangers can’t avoid their bullpen woes to begin this season, though Joe Barlow being there now helps.

Next. 3 top free agents Rangers should sign post-lockout. dark

The Texas Rangers still have big holes to fill in regards to their roster and hopefully they can fill them before the season begins. We’ll see what they do in the coming days, but they are off to a strong start nonetheless in their rebuilding process.

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