Texas Rangers 2017 Team Preview

Key Offseason Subtractions

The Rangers said goodbye to some prominent names in their lineup. After seven years in Texas, Mitch Moreland moved on to Boston. He’s not coming off the best season, slashing .233/.298/.422 in 147 games, but he did pop 22 home runs and has been a decent source of power in the past, cranking at least 20 round-trippers in three of the last four campaigns. He also provided strong defense at first base, and the Rangers will miss his glove over the current group vying for playing time there.

Ian Desmond was a pleasant surprise in Texas last year.

Ian Desmond was a pleasant surprise in Texas last year, changing positions and rebounding after a rough 2015. He slashed .285/.335/.446 with 22 home runs, 86 RBI and 21 stolen bases, earning the second All-Star nod of his career. A shortstop by trade, he didn’t embarrass himself in center field. Desmond raised some eyebrows when he inked a five-year deal with the Rockies, where he will once again try his hand at a new position – this time, first base. A broken hand will delay the start of his season, however.

Carlos Beltran may have only been with the Rangers for 52 games, but the 19-year veteran made an impact. He hit .280/.325/.451 over 206 plate appears, adding seven homers and 29 RBI. Texas traded for him from the Yankees at the deadline, eyeing his veteran leadership as a key component of a potentially deep postseason run. That run didn’t materialize, of course, and while the Rangers may have liked to keep the productive Beltran around even at age 40, he signed a deal with the Astros, staying in the division and returning to the club he played with in 2004.

The Rangers also lost a couple of longtime pitchers to free agency, but they’re unlikely to miss either. Derek Holland, now with the White Sox, has shown potential in the past, but injuries and ineffectiveness have hampered him over the last three seasons. He put up a mediocre 4.30 ERA during that span and crossed 100 innings last year for the first time since 2013.

Colby Lewis dealt with his own injury problems last year (strained right lat muscle) which limited him to 19 outings. He posted a respectable 3.71 ERA, but a 4.81 FIP told a different story. Due to turn 38 in August, teams have kept their distance and he remains unsigned.

Next: Outlook