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Winter Meetings: 3 reasons behind the Texas Rangers slow news offseason

The front office is gathered together with the rest of the baseball world in Nashville this week. Is this when Texas starts making moves or is this slow offseason what they planned?

ByMichael Sanders|
World Series - Texas Rangers v Arizona Diamondbacks - Game Five
World Series - Texas Rangers v Arizona Diamondbacks - Game Five | Christian Petersen/GettyImages
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Luxury Tax payers for a second season

Texas is luxury tax payers for the 2023 season. Ray Davis will happily write that check to Major League Baseball. It resulted in a World Series championship. The penalties increase to 30% tax for a team over the luxury tax for a second season. Everything is back at 0-0 heading into 2024. I am sure the message has come down from ownership to try and get under the tax heading into the season.

Texas cannot go past $237 million in team payroll if they are to stay away from becoming two time luxury tax payers. Fangraphs has Texas already at around $220 million in payroll for 2024. They likely have around $15 million to sign free agents this offseason. It will take some creativity by Chris Young to be able to spread that money around and still fill the holes on the roster.

Texas will likely still pursue free agents, but also be active in the trade market. I expect Chris Young to explore every avenue this week in Nashville to improve this roster. Texas is trying to do something that no team has done since 2000 and that is repeat as World Series champion. He is doing that while also trying to stay under the luxury tax.

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