Rangers' roster holes could lead to difficult offseason decisions as 2024 slips away

The theme of the 2024 Texas Rangers has been underwhelming offense. The Rangers rank just 19th in runs scored this season after the defending champions were third in 2023. The offensive fall off has been largely across the board. But a few players have struggled so badly this season that their job security may be in question not even a year after winning a World Series.

The player and position that will be the biggest question mark this offseason is Adolis Garcia and right field. We don't think anyone could have predicted the truly abysmal season Garcia has had so far. His postseason heroics will not be forgotten, but Garcia has seen the steepest drop in performance of any player from the 2023 team.

Garcia ranks 67th out of 86 eligible right fielders in WAR this season, behind both Robbie Grossman and Travis Jankowski. His OPS is nearly 200 points lower than last season and he's barely hovering over the Mendoza line.

While it's unlikely the Rangers move on from Garcia after this season, it's at least time they move on from him as a position player. If he's in the lineup next year, it needs to be as a DH. His reduced speed and athleticism this year have been noticeable (and concerning) in the field. Garcia's decline is most alarming of any player this season because it seems to be severe, age-related, and on both offense and defense. Evan Carter could easily pick up right field when healthy, and if needed elsewhere, utility man Josh Smith could be converted into an outfielder.

Another clear hole that needs to be resolved in the Rangers lineup is the DH. The Rangers rank dead last in the Major Leagues in total DH WAR. Garcia may be able to slot into that role in 2025, but with his steep offensive regression this season, the Rangers may still opt to add a bat at DH if they are not confident in Garcia's ability to regain his hitting form. Smith could also be a good option here with his offensive emergence this season if no defensive spots are open.

The next clear hole in the Rangers lineup belongs to center field, which is largely played by Leody Taveras, who has long been on the bubble with fans due to his inconsistent offense. But his athleticism and occasional web gems have seen him continue to get opportunities. That resulted in a solid season in 2023 where he even contributed some on offense. But he is 41st out of 61 center fielders in WAR this season and his offense has regressed again as he has an OPS nearly 100 points lower than last year. With a team that has struggled so much on offense, it's hard to trot a defensive-first center fielder out there every day.

This is the position the Rangers are most likely to replace externally this winter. Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter have both played center field, but neither has a strong enough arm to man the position on a nightly basis. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Rangers try to replace Taveras with a better hitter that has better arm strength than both Langford and Carter.

The last position of concern for the Rangers in 2024 is catcher. It's the least concerning because it's the position where offensive value matters the least. With catchers, offense tends to be a bonus. So the reason this is a position of concern at all is that Jonah Heim has regressed drastically both defensively and offensively.

Heim ranked third in MLB last year in "framing" with 10 catcher framing runs. In 2024, Heim ranks 33rd with -1 catcher framing runs. He ranks behind now-DFA'd Andrew Knizner (15th with 2 catcher framing runs) and newly-acquired Carson Kelly (19th with 1 catcher framing run). He is sporting an OPS over 100 points lower than 2023 as well. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Rangers pick up Carson Kelly's club option for next season or sign another catcher to share reps for 2025 after Heim's disappointing 2024.

It's unclear what moves will be made this offseason and what the team will look like in 2025, but these four spots are most likely to look at least a little different come next year.