Texas Rangers: Who Will Be the Team’s Designated Hitter in 2017?

With so many power hitters still available via free agency and trade, the Texas Rangers have options for their designated hitter in 2017. Who are the likeliest answers?

It’s been one of the more discussed topics this winter. What will be the Texas Rangers’ big offseason splash? The club has been connected to upper-tier free agents like Edwin Encarnacion, Dexter Fowler, Mark Trumbo and Jose Bautista. The Rangers have also been frequently mentioned as a landing spot for fallback options like Mike Napoli, Chris Carter and Brandon Moss.

Texas’ biggest offseason move to date has been re-signing outfielder Carlos Gomez to a one-year, $10 million deal. While this is a solid transaction, the Rangers have seemingly lost ground to other American League powerhouses, the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox. Both have made league-shifting moves with the additions of Chris Sale and Encarnacion, respectively.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels has frequently stated that the team didn’t expect to be one of the more aggressive teams this offseason. In addressing the Rangers’ chances of signing Encarnacion, TR Sullivan of MLB.com tweeted, “Daniels said a big-ticket free agent like Encarnacion is unlikely. Said Daniels, ‘I don’t know how else to say it.'”

This came to fruition as the team failed to sign him or other top free agent sluggers to fill the club’s DH role. There are still some quality options that are still free agents, but the market is shrinking.

There are also some intriguing internal options (the team did just bring back Josh Hamilton…). But chances are that there are just too many proven options still looking for a home for Daniels not to fill this area of need.

Here are some of the likelier options to be the Rangers’ DH come opening day.

Joey Gallo and Ryan Rua

Unlike the rest of the players on this list, both of these hitters are currently a part of the Rangers organization. Joey Gallo and Ryan Rua have both spent time on the major league roster, but neither has been able to carve out an everyday starting role.

Gallo, 23, was once one of the top prospects in baseball because of his plus power. Many had projected that Gallo could be a 40-plus long ball guy one day, but all of this potential has not been realized just yet. Like many high volume power hitters, the left-hander struggles with strikeouts and plate discipline. He’s only appeared in 53 games as Ranger, but he’s struck out 76 times in those contests. As a minor leaguer, he has done a good job of producing walks (304 in 485 games), but that hasn’t fully translated at the next level. His batting average leaves a lot to be desired, even though his power potential is the main draw of his game. He will get a chance this spring to continue to prove himself, but his standing in the Rangers’ plans is not as firm as it once was.

Rua, 27 in March, has had a little more success in the bigs, appearing in 99 games in 2016. He posted a respectable .331 on-base percentage and a .400 slugging percentage. He was also able to hit eight home runs and doubles apiece. He bats from the right side, which would give Gallo a solid platoon partner if Jon Daniels opts not to dip his toe into the free agent market.

Both have played first base and the outfield at some point in their professional careers, so they could also give the likes of Shin-Soo Choo or Jurickson Profar some relief. However, it looks like Gallo and Rua’s main role would be at designated hitter if the regular season were to start today.

Chris Carter

Chris Carter is one of the better one-trick ponies in MLB. The only value he really has is his ability to hit the ball over the fence, and nothing highlighted his value as a player more than this past season.

A longtime Houston Astro, the 30-year-old designated hitter/first baseman was non-tendered by his former employer during last offseason. He signed on with the Milwaukee Brewers for one season to be their everyday first baseman.

We all knew that Carter had special power, but 2016 was special for the 30-year-old. He hit a career-high 41 homers in 160 games. This tied for sixth place in the majors, just six behind the leader, Mark Trumbo, who collected 47 bombs. This led to an above average slugging percentage of just under .500. However, this doesn’t mean that Carter doesn’t have significant downsides.

He struck out a ridiculous 206 times in 2016, which ranked second in the league behind only Chris Davis (216). Carter does also not bring much to the table offensively other than hitting home runs, and his defense at first base is below average, as he posted a -1.5 dWAR according to Baseball Reference.

This makes him a much better fit in the American League where he only has to worry about what he does at the plate. The Rangers could use some more power after losing Mitch Moreland and Ian Desmond this winter, who combined for 44 home runs last year. Carter could make up for this production all on his own and it wouldn’t require a major financial commitment.

He has some glaring negatives, but his power could represent a major contribution to a Rangers lineup that has many effective hitters already.

Brandon Moss

Moss is the most versatile player in this group. He’s played both corner outfield positions, first base and has been a designated hitter throughout his career. Granted, the 33-year-old isn’t really a good defensive player, but he can hold his own if it means that he gets regular at bats.

His main calling card is obviously his power. Ever since he joined the Oakland Athletics in 2012, Moss has consistently been able to produce above average home run outputs, hitting 19 or more long balls since that time. He’s also hit 25 or more homers in three of those five seasons.

Moss does not bring much else to the table offensively, posting a career .241 batting average, accompanied by a .314 career on-base percentage. However, it’s because of this that Moss has kind of been lost in the free agent shuffle and will probably not receive a contract of anything more than two years.

He fits well in Texas, as he can push Jurickson Profar if he struggles as the everyday first baseman. He also can fill in for Shin-Soo Choo in the outfield if he were to miss time, as he has for the past few years.

He may not have been the biggest name that the Rangers have been connected to, but he brings power and versatility that no player at his position does in free agency.

Pedro Alvarez

Signing Pedro Alvarez would be contingent on the idea that the Rangers would want a platoon situation at designated hitter. The former Pirate and Oriole would work with Ryan Rua as the DH against right-handers.

Bringing in the soon-to-be 30-year-old would signal that Rangers management doesn’t believe Joey Gallo is ready for a premier role on the major league roster. Alvarez certainly doesn’t bring the potential of a Gallo because we know who he is, but he brings more certainty to Jeff Bannister’s lineup.

Alvarez had somewhat of an under-the-radar solid season in 2016, posting a .504 slugging percentage. He appeared mostly at DH after coming up as a third baseman with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He only appeared in 109 contests in Baltimore, so he has proven that he can produce in a role where he doesn’t get at bats every day. His 22 home runs and 20 doubles were somewhat of a surprise given his limited play, but it shows that Alvarez can still be a very useful piece on a major league roster.

In terms of splits, the slugger had a slightly better average and on-base percentage against right-handed pitchers, which should be expected. However, the difference was not as large as some might think (.243 BA vs. LHP /.251 BA vs. RHP).

Still, since the Rangers have a fairly proven right-handed bat like Rua on the roster, Alvarez would be best served to start only when the team goes against righties.