Texas Rangers: Ranking the top 7 offseason signings

#6 Travis Jankowski - Texas Rangers OF

Travis Jankowski was a spring training invitee that wasn't supposed to make the Opening Day roster. Bruce Bochy told him to go ahead and bring his stuff to Arlington for the two exhibition games before the regular season was to get started. Somewhere along the way, the longhaired speedster ended up on the roster and has played a pivotal role for the Texas Rangers this season. Jankowski has proven to be well worth the one-year, $1.25 million contract.

Leftfield was a position that desperately needed attention. The Rangers had the worst left field numbers of any MLB team in 2022. With the majority of the dollars going toward the starting rotation in the offseason, no big bat was added to the lineup. Instead, CY went with the shotgun approach and brought in several different players in the spring to see if any of them could get hot and fill the spot on the cheap.

Jankowski isn't that guy, but he has stuck around, and despite being sidelined for a short time period with a leg injury, he has been a productive member of both the offense and defense. Offensively, the left-hand hitter has 103 plate appearances, is hitting .289/.373/.389, has seven doubles, one triple, no home runs, has scored 17 runs, 11 runs batted in, stolen six bases, and has a 113 OPS+.

While these numbers aren't going to get him national attention, they are well above the 2012 first round draft picks totals over his last four seasons. Playing for five different teams (San Diego, Cincinnati, Philidelphia, New York Mets, and Seattle) across those four lowly years, Jankowski struggled mightily at the plate. In 161 games and 262 plate appearances, he slashed .211/.321/.269, had six doubles, two triples, one home run, scored 42 runs, drove in 12, stole 12 bases, and had a 65 OPS+.

Defensively Jankowski has been brilliant, as he can, and has played all three outfield positions at a high level. He has filled a role that some (myself included) had hoped Bubba Thompson would have. Jankowski might end up progressing back to his mean as the season grows longer, or perhaps he has figured something out with the Rangers. Either way, the boost that he has given the club through the first two and a half months is undeniable.

#5 Jacob deGrom - Texas Rangers starting pitcher

The signing of Jacob deGrom this past offseason marked a complete commitment to winning from the Rangers front office. Anytime a team can add a former Rookie of the Year that has been to four All-Star Games and has two Cy Young Awards in their trophy case, that is a big deal. Not only that, but when healthy, deGrom is the best pitcher in the game.

Unfortunately, that "when healthy" part reared its ugly head after only six starts. His contract is for $185 million for five years, and after his first six starts, deGrom is set to have Tommy John surgery this week. He will be out for the remainder of this season, and even if everything goes well, will only be able to join the club toward the end of next season, at the earliest.

Why do I have deGrom ranked as the fifth best offseason signing to this point in the year? Well, first off, in the six games that he was able to pitch he dominated. His personal record is 2-0, but the Rangers won all six of the games that deGrom pitched. That is about as good as it can be. As the season moves on, he will move down this list (as long as the guys below him continue to play well), but at this point, his contribution to the team warrants this ranking.

deGrom threw 30 1/3 innings in those six starts, had 45 strikeouts, issued four walks, had a 2.67 ERA, a 1.56 FIP, and a 0.758 WHIP. The best statistics are the ones that look like typos, and that is exactly what deGrom's look to be. Over the last several years, I have always heard that he was just different. I had the pleasure to watch his first two starts of the season in Arlington, and I can confirm that deGrom is indeed a different kind of pitcher.

Another factor that is impossible to measure, is his influence on the rest of the pitching staff. In the spring, every time that deGrom would be pitching on a back mound somewhere, every player and coach were all paying attention and mentally taking notes. When the best is working on his craft, everyone can get an education. deGrom has also been around the club for the last month, as he was hoping that his arm would heal up and not require surgery. There has no doubt been a good number of beneficial conversations in the dugout and clubhouse.

#4 Martin Perez - Texas Rangers starting pitcher

With the Rangers clearly being sellers last season at the trade deadline, many thought that Martin Perez would be moved. He was in the middle of a career year and was to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. Perez made it clear that he wanted to stay in Texas and the John Daniels led front office, obliged him. After being unable to reach a multi-year deal with Perez, the new man in charge, Chris Young, extended the $19.65 million qualifying offer to him. Perez eventually accepted the offer and returned to the Rangers for the 2023 campaign.

2022 saw Perez get his first All-Star selection, along with putting up career best numbers in nearly every category. This season the numbers aren't at the level they were last year, but they are still extremely solid. Through 12 starts, Perez has pitched 68 innings, has a 6-1 record, 49 strikeouts, a 3.97 ERA, and a 1.441 WHIP. The biggest issue that he has had this season, is he has already given up 10 home runs. Last year, he only allowed 11 all season, over 196 1/3 innings pitched.

Perez was the only rock on the pitching staff last season. He took the ball every fifth game and gave a hapless Rangers team a chance to win. That didn't go unnoticed by the holdover guys from last year's club. He is a leader on and off the field. One of Perez's most enjoyable roles is that of the unofficial, official celebratory Gatorade bath giver.

There is room for improvement for Perez, but like Heaney, he goes to the mound every fifth start and does his job. He is a true professional and adds a bit of veteran leadership to the pitching staff. Being a lefty that can command the zone, signing Perez to another year in Texas was a key offseason move.

#3 Will Smith - Texas Rangers relief pitcher

Much like the way the Rangers went about addressing the left field position, they also attacked the bullpen by signing a handful of veteran relievers this offseason. One of those guys was the late addition of the 33-year-old (34 next month) lefty, Will Smith.

Outside of his rookie season in 2012 with the Kansas City Royals, Smith has been a relief pitcher. After seeing action in multiple roles out of the pen, Smith became the primary closer for the San Francisco Giants in 2019 where he saved 34 games. The manager of that Giants team? None other than, Bruce Bochy. Then in 2021 Smith saved 37 games for the World Series champion Atlanta Braves. He was also on the Astros' championship team last season as well.

The Rangers signed a pitcher that had been in tough situations before and had handled them well. Like any relief pitcher in the major leagues, he has had his ups and downs, but nothing is new to him and no moment too big. Those attributes would be tested this season, as he went from a guy in the Rangers' bullpen, to THE guy in the Rangers' bullpen.

As pitcher after pitcher faltered out of the pen, Smith was quickly elevated too closer and has performed admirably. In 23 games and 23 innings pitched, Smith is 1-2, has 11 saves, 27 strikeouts, seven walks, 2.74 ERA, and a 0.826 WHIP. There is still work to be done to the Rangers bullpen, but with Smith providing the stability at the backend, things have been much better than they could have been.

#2 Nathan Eovaldi - Texas Rangers starting pitcher

It is hard to imagine how the Rangers would be different without the offseason addition of Nathan Eovaldi. Here is a hint at the number one ranked offseason signing, no player signing has had a greater impact on the team than that of the native Texan.

When a team loses their ace, they usually just don't have an ace. For the Rangers, when deGrom went down to injury, Eovaldi stepped up his already radiant game. Hailing from Alvin, TX, he conjures up images of Nolan Ryan, coming into Arlington and helping lift the spirits and hopes of a floundering Rangers team.

Eovaldi's numbers this season are spectacular. In 13 starts and 86 2/3 innings pitched, he is 9-2, has 83 strikeouts, 17 walks, a 2.49 ERA, and a 0.981 WHIP. He has put himself squarely in the middle of the AL Cy Young race.

What is even more impressive is how he raised his level of play when deGrom went down. In that time period, Eovaldi has started eight games and pitched 59 innings, he is 7-0, has 52 strikeouts, 12 walks, a 1.22 ERA, and a batting average of .168. Instead of weakening under the pressure, he has elevated his performances. Two of the efforts were complete games, with one of those being a shutout of the Yankees the day after deGrom got hurt.

When CY signed Eovaldi to his two-year, $34 million contract, he knew that he was getting a good pitcher. What he actually got is a great pitcher and a great teammate. The level of interest that he shows for his fellow Rangers is unprecedented. If things keep trending the way that they currently are, the addition of Eovaldi will go down as one of the best free agent signings in Texas Rangers' history.

#1 Bruce Bochy - Texas Rangers manager

No other offseason signing has had a greater impact on the Texas Rangers than adding Bruce Bochy as the new manager. After Chris Woodward was fired last August, it was clear that the Rangers were going in a new direction. At the time, I was taking a baseball development class that was being taught by former MLB GM Dan Duquette. That evening, I asked Dan if he was the Rangers' GM, who he would try to go hire. Without hesitation, his answer was, "Bruce Bochy wouldn't be a bad choice." Not a bad choice indeed.

Bochy immediately brought validity to the Rangers. When CY talked Bochy into bringing his three World Series rings to Arlington, in search for more, that was a turning point for this club. It sent a signal up and down the organization that they were not going to just talk about winning championships as hyperbole, but that the Rangers were doing what they could to make it happen.

MLB baseball is a mix of analytics and people and how those two things work together. Bochy (68) might be on the older side when it comes to managers, but he still is accepting of many of the new metrics and ideas. What he isn't though, is a manager that will blindly do something that the numbers say is the right move, if it doesn't pass the eye test. His countless hours of, first being a catcher in the big leagues, and then as a longtime manager, serve as a database to pull from in any given situation.

Has Bochy made all of the right moves thus far? Hardly. The players are ultimately the ones that have to go out and execute the game plan and perform at a high level. What Bochy does bring is a confidence and non-arrogant swagger that radiates through the team. He is a blue-collar manager with a blue-collar team. From his coaching staff that includes the likes of pitching coach Mike Maddux, down to a rookie being called up for the first time, everyone is pulling the rope in the same direction for Bochy.

A team is usually only as good as their leader, and Bruce Bochy is one of the best in the game. This Rangers team would be good without him as the manager, but with him they have the second-best record in MLB. There isn't anything that this team has been through, or will go through, that he hasn't had to deal with before. He is their rock, and thus far, has proven to be the best offseason signing for the Texas Rangers.