Texas Rangers: Three offseason free agent targets
The Texas Rangers aren’t expected to go after high-priced free agents, but these three options could help in 2021.
There’s really no way to sugarcoat the 2020 season for the Texas Rangers. Finishing with the second-worst record in Major League Baseball, Texas enters the offseason with multiple needs in the starting rotation and their lineup but has already made it clear that they won’t be players for major free agent acquisitions over the winter.
Lance Lynn pitched like an ace this year, but the Rangers must decide whether they want to extend the 33-year-old starter, or look to add much-needed pieces by dealing him this offseason.
With 2021 not expecting to be a year in which the Texas Rangers contend in the American League West, moving Lynn may be the best option as teams look to add pitching help, but avoid handing out high-priced free agent contracts.
Other than deciding what to do with Lynn, it’s likely going to be a quiet offseason in Texas. There are, however, a few moves that make a lot of sense for the Rangers as they build their roster for 2021.
Diving into what is expected to be a large class of non-tenders and bringing in veteran arms/role players on minor league deals will constitute the biggest chunk of offseason acquisitions, but here are three free agents the Texas Rangers should pursue this offseason.
If Chris Archer hits free agency, the Texas Rangers should be interested.
Starting pitchers for the Texas Rangers finished 2020 ranked 11th in the American League in ERA at 5.32 and outside of Lynn and his 6-3 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.5 fWAR season, the rotation struggled to produce quality outings.
The signing of Jordan Lyles went about as well as expected, going 1-6 with a 7.63 ERA in nine starts for the Rangers this year and Corey Kluber pitched just one inning in a Rangers uniform before going down to injury. Kluber’s $18 million option won’t be picked up by Texas, but he could still return on a new deal next year.
One name that could be of great interest to Texas is RHP Chris Archer. The Pirates aren’t expected to pick up Archer’s $11 million option after he missed all of 2020 recovering from Thoracic Outlet surgery, giving teams like Texas an opportunity to sign him to a low-cost, incentive-laden deal this offseason.
Texas has pursued Archer before and this may be their best opportunity. A high strikeout pitcher who many loved as a bounceback candidate heading into 2020, if Archer can rebound, the Rangers can move him for additional help at next year’s deadline or they have themselves a rotation piece for when the organization is hoping to compete within the next few years.
The idea of signing Archer does feel similar to bringing in guys like Matt Moore and Tyson Ross as Texas has done in previous years, but Archer’s previous success in the always daunting AL East is impressive. Compared to many of the names out on the market, betting on Archer may be one of the better bets this offseason.
The versatility of Tommy La Stella can help the Texas Rangers fill multiple infield voids.
The Texas Rangers received little production from the middle of their infield (Rougned Odor and Elvis Andrus) in 2020. In fact, they combined for a league-worst -1.2 fWAR as a unit. There is also a major question mark as to who plays first base.
Other than third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the rest of the infield may end up being a nightly puzzle Chris Woodward and company put together. Does Nick Solak stay in the outfield or become a full-time infielder? Who slots into the DH role? There are a lot of questions and a few promising prospects in the pipeline who have the tools to answer some of these questions down the road, but there are few immediate answers.
Texas isn’t going to spend heavily in free agency, but maybe the market fails to materialize for some free agents, giving teams like Texas an opportunity to add quality help in the offseason.
Perhaps, that scenario comes to fruition with infielder Tommy La Stella. La Stella played all around the infield with Los Angeles and Oakland last season, all while slashing .281/.370/.449 with 21 extra-base hits and more walks (27) than strikeouts (12) in 55 games.
As a team, Texas hitters slashed .217/.285/.364 with a 67 wRC+. La Stella’s bat isn’t the middle of the order bat Texas needs to pair with Joey Gallo, but those kinds of offensive numbers are greatly needed.
La Stella’s defensive versatility, offense, and veteran presence would greatly help an anemic offense and young 2021 roster in Texas. Keep an eye on his market as the offseason gets underway.
The Texas Rangers will look for low-cost help this offseason, like Jake Lamb.
This last potential free agent target isn’t a sexy name and certainly won’t move the needle, but that isn’t going to be the case with any free agents Texas brings in.
With a need at first base/DH, Jake Lamb could be someone the Rangers target.
In 2016 and 2017, Lamb played in a total of 300 games, hitting 59 home runs, 61 doubles, 13 triples, and was worth just under 5.0 fWAR with the Diamondbacks. It’s been a steady decline ever since, including his 2020 campaign in Arizona where Lamb hit .116 with a 34% strikeout rate, a wRC+ of 15 and a -0.5 fWAR in 18 games.
Lamb saved his 2020 season with a solid 13 game stretch in Oakland to close out the year, replacing the injured Matt Chapman. He hit.267 with an .882 OPS and three home runs in those 13 games, showing that there may be a bit more left in the bat for Lamb.
He won’t return to his 2017 All-Star form but he can be a cheap option for Texas to help fill in at both corner infield spots and at DH. If the lefty can get on base at a respectable clip and showcase his home run power across half a season, perhaps he fetches some sort of trade value at next year’s deadline.
With a farm system that MLB Pipeline ranks 24th, anyway in which the Rangers can add talent to the pipeline is a positive.
Next. Texas Rangers dodge a bullet. dark
It may not be the most exciting offseason for the Texas Rangers, but there is a core group of young players ready to shine in Texas. It’s just going to take some time to fill in the rest.