Welcome to Free Agency Refresh! With the offseason in full swing, I’m going to spend each week recapping all the biggest free agency news along with potential targets for the Rangers. While we all have our offseason wish list, one thing has been made clear thus far from the Rangers; they do not want to pay into the luxury tax again in 2025.
Does this mean the Rangers won’t be active in the free agent market? Not at all! In 2024, the Rangers had a total payroll of just over $225M. Entering 2025, they’ll see several large contracts coming off their payroll as highligted below:
- Nathan Eovaldi ($20M)
- Andrew Heaney ($13M)
- Max Scherzer ($12.5M; Mets Payed $31M)
- Jose Leclerc ($6.25M)
- David Robertson ($5M)
- Kirby Yates ($4.5M; Arguably best $4.5M paid in all of baseball)
There are a few other players not currently on the Rangers payroll like Andrew Chafin ($2M), Carson Kelly ($1M) and Travis Jankowski ($1.7M). In total, that reduces the Rangers current payroll obligations to just over $139M. With the luxury tax threshold sitting at $241M, that gives the Rangers nearly $100M in spending room this offseason.
However, that’s not the entire story as we’re forgetting to include the players currently on the roster, but due for arbitration this offseason. To get a full scale view of what the Rangers can spend in free agency, we need to add the projected arbitration figures to the current $139M payroll. For arbitration, the Rangers are looking at the following:
- Nathaniel Lowe ($10.7M Projected)
- Jonah Heim ($5.2M Projected)
- Leody Taveras ($5.2M Projected)
- Josh Smith ($2.6M Projected; Possibly Higher Following Silver Slugger Award)
- Josh Sborz ($1.5M Projected)
There are also (24) players in their Pre-Arbitration Stage, all of whom are projected to receive $800k this upcoming season for a total of $19.2M. Add the projected totals above, the Rangers are looking at nearly $44.4M in additional salary obligations. Combined with their current obligations, their current (projected) payroll obligations for 2025 totals $183.4M.
Looking at the free agent market, that only leaves the Rangers $57M to spend before reaching the luxury tax threshold. Not quite the $100M cushion you’d like to work with, but not a limiting budget either.
Chris Young and his newly appointed General Manager, Ross Fenstermaker have outlined a few priorities they want to tackle this offseason:
- Re-Sign Nathan Eovaldi
- Possible reunions with Andrew Heaney, Kirby Yates and David Robertson
- Increase offsensive output by addition of bat, likely DH
- Evaluate current lineup, possible trade pieces allowing farm system promotions
- Roki Sasaki
We know what Nathan Eovaldi can do as a frontline starter in this league, but more importantly what he means to the Rangers. Through all their injuries these past two seasons, Evo has been the constant piece of the rotation holding everything together. He was excellent throughout much of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but was dominant in the 2023 postseason leading the Rangers to the World Series title.
At 34 years of age, Evo might be in the peak of his performance window, making it even more important that the Rangers do whatever they can to resign him to a 3-4 year deal. It’s probably going to take a deal that pays out $25M annually, but that’s a small price to pay for a guy who could be the ace of several rotation staffs in MLB.
Andrew Heaney is another reunion that I would like to see, but it would need to be a team friendly deal for it to make sense for the Rangers. If the Rangers can bring him in for less than $10M/year, I’m all about it. Anything more, let’s give the young arms like Rocker, Leiter a chance in 2025. The same is true for Kirby Yates. I’d love to resign his $4.5M deal on the spot, but after being the best closer that isn’t named Emmanuel Clase in 2024, it’s likely going to take $7M+ to bring him back to Texas.
As for David Robertson, word on the street is he is pondering retirement. At 39 years of age, Robertson has had a tremendous career and retiring after a strong 2024 campaign might make sense for him and his family (who reside in Rhode Island). The Rangers certainly won’t like the idea of another 1 year/$10M contract to bring Robertson back, and Robertson has all of the leverage to wait it out and throw for a contender midway through the 2025 season. After all, he is his own agent so it might certainly be in his best interest to sit back and let the phone ring.
I’ll dive into Roki Sasaki next week, but the latest news is that it might not be a “lock” for Sasaki to be in Dodger Blue next season. According to Japanese baseball writer, Jim Allen, Sasaki may prefer to pave his own path with a small market team that has the tool and resources for his longterm success.
If you want any indication how much better the Dallas/Ft. Worth media is compared to that of LA or NY, just ask Jacob deGrom (he seems to love his time with the media now compared to his time in NY). Maybe that’s all the “Japanese Jacob deGrom” needs to hear in order to make his decision.
Next week I’ll also dive into some potential bat additions that make a ton of sense for the Rangers. One I’ll focus on may not seem like a popular option, but makes a ton of sense in my eyes from the standpoint of production, locker room personality, and veteran leadership. Feel free to submit your guesses in the comment section.
To close, I’ll keep a running list of all the key free agent pieces and their signing status as of each post. This way, if you want to know who’s signed each week along with who might be on the Rangers radar, this is your one stop shop! Happy Free Agency to All!
2025 FREE AGENT STATUS (AS OF 11/13/2024):
Player – Position – Age (Projected Market Value *Based on Spotrac Estimate)
- Adam Frazier – 2B – 32 yo ($1.5M)
- Alex Bregman – 3B – 30 yo ($30M)
- Alex Cobb – SP – 37 yo ($12M)
- Alex Verdugo – OF – 28 yo ($15.2M)
- Alex Wood – SP – 33 yo ($8.1M)
- Andrew Chafin – RP – 34 yo ($4.5M)
- Andrew Heaney – SP – 33 yo ($10.8M)
- Andrew Kittredge – RP – 34 yo ($5.5M)
- Andrew McCutchen – OF/DH – 38 yo ($9.8)
- Anthony DeSclafini – SP – 34 yo ($2.3M)
- Anthony Rizzo – 1B/DH – 35 yo ($16M)
- Anthony Santander – OF – 30 yo ($17.7M)
- Aroldis Chapman – RP – 36 yo ($8.2M)
- Austin Hedges – C – 32 yo ($4M w/ CLE)
- Blake Snell – SP – 31 yo ($32.4M)
- Blake Treinen – RP – 36 yo ($3.3M)
- Brandon Drury – 2B – 32 yo ($6.7M)
- Brooks Raley – RP – 36 yo ($2.4M)
- Carlos Estevez – RP – 31 yo ($14M)
- Carlos Santana – DH – 38 yo ($5.6M)
- Carson Kelly – C – 30 yo ($2.2M)
- Charlie Morton – SP – 41 yo ($17.6M)
- Chris Martin – RP – 38 yo ($1.4M)
- Christian Walker – 1B – 33 yo ($22.1M)
- Clay Holmes – RP – 31 yo ($13.7M)
- Colin Rea – SP – 34 yo ($11.6M)
- Corbin Burnes – SP – 30 yo ($30.1M)
- Daniel Bard – RP – 39 yo ($9.1M)
- Danny Jansen – C – 29 yo ($4.4M)
- David Robertson – RP – 39 yo ($7.1M)
- Drew Smyly – SP/RP – 35 yo ($3.3M)
- Eloy Jimenez – OF – 27 yo ($6.2M)
- Kike Hernandez – SS/2B – 33 yo ($2.8M)
- Frankie Montas – SP – 31 yo ($13M)
- Gleyber Torres – 2B – 27 yo ($10.2M)
- Ha-Seong Kim – 2B/SS – 29 yo ($12.3m)
- Harrison Bader – OF – 30 yo ($7.1M)
- J.D. Martinez – DH – 37 yo ($9.5M)
- Jack Flaherty – SP – 29 yo ($21.2M)
- Jake Junis – RP – 32 yo ($4.3M)
- James McCann – C – 34 yo ($2.8M)
- James Paxton – SP – 36 yo ($8.4M)
- Jason Heyward – OF – 35 yo ($1.5M)
- Jesse Winker – OF – 31 yo ($2.4M)
- Joc Pederson – DH – 32 yo ($14.7M)
- John Means – SP – 31 yo ($2.9M)
- Jorge Polanco – 2B – 31 yo ($13.7M)
- Jose Leclerc – RP – 30 yo ($4.6M)
- Jose Quintana – SP – 35 yo ($8.3M)
- Josh Bell – DH – 32 yo ($5.2M)
- Jose Urquidy – SP – 29 yo ($2.6M)
- Juan Soto – OF – 26 yo ($36.7M)
- Jurickson Profar – OF – 31 yo ($12.9)
- Justin Turner – DH – 39 yo ($7.7M)
- Justin Verlander – SP – 41 yo ($13.9M)
- Kendall Graveman – RP – 33 yo ($5.3M)
- Kenley Jansen – RP – 37 yo ($14.7M)
- Kirby Yates – RP – 37 yo ($6M)
- Kyle Farmer – SS – 34 yo ($1.7M)
- Kyle Gibson – SP – 37 yo ($13.4M)
- Kyle Hendricks – SP – 34 yo ($2.5M w/ LAA)
- Lance Lynn – SP – 37 yo ($7.6M)
- Luis Garcia – RP – 37 yo ($2.3M)
- Luis Severino – SP – 30 yo ($14M)
- Manuel Margot – OF – 30 yo ($1.4M)
- Mark Canha – OF – 35 yo ($2.5M)
- Matt Moore – RP – 35 yo ($3.4M)
- Max Fried – SP – 30 yo ($22.7M)
- Max Kepler – OF – 31 yo ($10.6M)
- Max Scherzer – SP – 40 yo ($15.2m)
- Max Stassi – C – 33 yo ($5.3M)
- Michael Conforto – OF – 31 yo ($4.7M)
- Michael Lorenzen – SP – 32 yo ($7.8M)
- Nathan Eovalid – SP – 34 yo ($24.9M)
- Nick Martinez – SP – 34 yo ($18.7M)
- Nick Pivetta – SP – 31 yo ($15.1M)
- Patrick Corbin – SP – 35 yo ($6.4M)
- Paul Goldschmidt – DH – 37 yo ($12.3M)
- Paul Sewald – RP – 34 yo ($11.6M)
- Pete Alonso – 1B – 29 yo ($29M)
- *Roki Sasaki – SP – 23 yo ($7M)
- Ross Stripling – SP – 34 yo ($1.3M)
- Ryan Pressley – RP – 35 yo ($9.3M)
- Ryne Stanek – RP – 33 yo ($2.6M)
- Sean Manaea – SP – 32 yo ($16.1M)
- Shane Bieber – SP – 29 yo ($24.5M)
- Teoscar Hernandez – OF – 32 yo ($23.8M)
- Tommy Kahnle – RP – 35 yo ($5.3M)
- Tommy Pham – OF – 36 yo ($2.4M)
- Travis d’Arnaud – C – 35 yo ($12M w/ LAA)
- Travis Jankowski – OF – 33 yo ($1.6M)
- Trevor Williams – SP – 32 yo ($6.8M)
- Tyler O’Neill – OF – 29 yo ($16.2M)
- Wade Miley – SP – 38 yo ($7.4M)
- Walker Buehler – SP – 30 yo ($12M)
- Willy Adames – SS – 29 yo ($16.2M)
- Will Smith – RP – 35 yo ($2.6M)
- Yimi Garcia – RP – 34 yo ($5.3M)
- Yoan Moncada – 3B – 29 yo ($14M)
- Yusei Kikuchi – SP – 33 yo ($15M)
Bold Identifies FA Who Have Signed With New Team
