Bounce-back season from expensive veteran could be key to reigniting Rangers' offense

Rangers fans know that their favorite team's lack of offensive production was the reason they missed the playoffs with an 81-81 win-loss record this past season. Texas had the best ERA (3.47) in Major League Baseball, yet had the worst OPS (.683) in the league besides the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians and Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Rangers' poor offensive season wasn't due to one player, but one down year for an expensive offseason signing contributed significantly to the issue.

Rangers desperately need Joc Pederson to have bounce-back season to reignite struggling offense

In the 2024-25 offseason, the Rangers signed Pederson to a two-year, $37 million contract that includes an opt-out after 2025. It was a no-brainer for Pederson to exercise his player option for 2026, as he posted -0.3 bWAR and a .181/.285/.614 slash line with nine homers and 26 RBI in 306 plate appearances across 96 games for Texas this past season. He will be paid $18.5 million next season, and he has an $18.5 million mutual option for 2027.

Paying $18.5 million to a negative-WAR player isn't a recipe for success, especially for a team that is operating on a limited budget. Because they're paying Pederson nearly $20 million next year, the Rangers have less money to spend on their roster. Without Pederson, Texas likely would've been able to spend more on its depleted bullpen and/or more offensive reinforcements.

Therefore, the Rangers desperately need Pederson to perform at the level they expected when they signed him. He'll turn 34 next season, but he likely still has gas left in the tank. Despite having an overall awful season, he showed a flash of his former self in August, slashing .286/.342/.600 with six home runs and 15 RBI in 24 games. It's also possible that his right-hand fracture, which he suffered in May and kept him sidelined for over three months, contributed to his poor season at the plate.

Just two seasons ago, Pederson posted 2.9 bWAR and a .275/.393/.515 slash line with 23 homers and 64 RBI for the Arizona Diamondbacks. It's possible that version of Pederson no longer exists, but it's also possible it does. Let's hope the latter is true.