This star lefty could be a fit for Rangers this offseason

The 2024 season has long been over, and it was a rough one for the Texas Rangers. They finished in third place with a 78-84 record, and have some question marks heading into 2025. Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney are now free agents, which means they will have to add a little something to their starting rotation.

It's possible that Heaney and Eovaldi will both be gone before the new year. But, with plenty of options available, the Rangers might still be okay if they are able to add new faces.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report listed the top 25 free agents, and among them was left-hander Sean Manaea. Kelly's prediction was that he would ultimately sign with Texas.

"The story of the finest season of Manaea's career is a pretty crazy one. He lowered his release point after studying likely NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale pitch against the Mets in late July, and with some other tweaks put together a tremendous campaign after posting a 4.73 ERA between 2022 and 2023," Kelly wrote.

"A variety of teams, including the incumbent Mets, will be interested in Manaea. He should be able to land a three-year deal that allows him to get back to the open market after 2026 if he's outperforming the pact at that point."

This star lefty could be a fit for Rangers this offseason

Kelly predicted a three-year $55 million deal with an opt-out after 2026. That's a deal the Rangers should be able to stomach even though they were affected by the Diamond Sports Group situation and are reportedly attempting to stay under the luxury threshold.

Manaea could be less expensive than Eovaldi. He pitched quite well in the Postseason with the New York Mets though, so that might raise his price slightly.

Adding the Valparaiso native next to Jacob deGrom would be huge for Texas as they try to get back into contention. They would have a legitimate middle-of-the-rotation starter who could profile similarly to former Ranger, Jordan Montgomery.

Manaea went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA in his 32 starts with the Mets this year. He also logged 181.2 innings and struck out 184 batters. The Rangers would be getting someone who can give them quality innings and rack up strikeouts.