The World Series begins tonight, which means we are that much closer to the beginning of Free Agency in the MLB. For the Rangers, a lot of questions need answers this offseason, including what the payroll number Ray Davis and company are comfortable spending in 2025. Early discussions lead everyone to believe the Rangers will not be heavy spenders again this offseason as they look to stay under the Luxury Tax threshold this upcoming season.
Don’t confuse that with the idea that the Rangers front office won’t spend money this offseason. There are some expiring contracts off the books from 2024, and some key pieces that need to be evaluated for re-signing (i.e. Nathan Eovaldi). The Rangers will also look to avoid arbitration with several players this season; including Nathaniel Lowe, Leody Taveras, Jonah Heim, Dane Dunning, Josh Smith and Josh Sborz.
Chris Young and staff also have the duty of evaluating those that are free agents this offseason, and which players make sense for the longevity of the Rangers success. Nathan Eovaldi is certainly going to be the first priority of business, but there are other key names to keep in mind. Kirby Yates was one of the best closers in all of baseball last season, and would certainly make sense to bring back on a one or two year deal. David Robertson has a mutual $7M option for 2025, though I belive he will opt out of that deal to chase a deal closer to $10M (hopefully back with Texas). Andrew Chafin has a club option for $6.5M that the Rangers could consider for veteran depth, or they could look to bring Jose Leclerc or Jose Urena back for chepaer deals.
Max Scherzer seemed to enjoy his time in Texas and I’m sure would love another run at the World Series in Arlington. His price tag might be too rich for the Rangers as they look to compete with a budget friendly payroll. Andrew Heaney is my wild card for the offseason, as it’s unclear whether he fits the long-term plan, or if his services are better utilized by another club. I’d argue Heaney was one of the best pitchers in the Rangers rotation in 2024, and perhaps the front office sees him as a key returner for the rotation.
Outside of money, there’s a deeper discussion that should be had about whether it’s time to move on from certain players, and begin looking at what internal options can be called up. Wanting to avoid a luxury tax, the Rangers are certainly going to ask a lot of their prospect pool in 2025, some of which have been making their rounds in the Minor Leagues for several years now. If this becomes a priority in the upcoming offseason, I have a few names to examine as to whether they make sense for 2025 and beyond:
Nathaniel Lowe
Easily one of my favorite personalities on this Rangers team, Nathaniel Lowe is also currently one of the most tenured players on the roster as we enter the offseason. After being traded to the Rangers in December of 2020 from the Tampa Bay Rays, Lowe will enter his fifth season with the Rangers in 2025. Each season has been much of the same from Lowe, averaging around .260 at the plate and slugging nearly 20 HR each season (23 HR in 2022). He’s been named the 2022 AL Silver Slugger Award Winner for 1B, along with the 2023 AL Gold Glove Award Winner for 1B (also a finalist for the same award in 2024).
Lowe is only 29 years old, and will enter 2025 with two more years of team control through arbitration. His defense has improved significantly in his first four seasons with Texas, and he possesses the power to be a real threat at the plate. However, that power and run production hasn’t been as prevalant, having only one season in Texas with an OPS above .800 (.850 in 2022). Not ideal for someone who has found himself in the heart of this order for consecutive seasons.
With the two years of team control, and the defensive prowess Lowe possesses, he could be a solid trade candidate to bolster the farm system as the Rangers seek to stay consistent beyond 2025. Alternatively, Lowe is expected to receive around $10M in 2025, which is much more affordable than free agent options in Pete Alonso, Paul Goldscmidt, Anthony Rizzo and Josh Bell. While each of those players should provide a significant upgrade to the run production, they also bring an increase in age along with their inflated contract needs. The Rangers also have players like Justin Foscue, Ezequiel Duran, Blaine Crim and others who could produce at a simliar level offensively, costing a tenth of what the Rangers would owe Lowe in 2025. I’m sure Rangers fans would love to see Alonso in a Rangers uniform, but maybe trimming the payroll of Lowe’s contract opens up some avenues to pursue some star pitching (Roki Sasaki anyone?).
Leody Taveras
With the possible departure of Jose Leclerc to free agency, Leody could step in as the longest tenured player on the Rangers roster in 2025. Seeing consistent playing time since 2020, Taveras has held down centerfield nicely with a .991 fielding percentage in over 1100 total chances. Taveras has a strong arm and great instincts to track down balls all over the outfield, though the one knock on him has been his ability to stick with plays at the wall. Offensively, Taveras is a solid bottom-of-the-order hitter with the ability to turn the lineup over for sluggers like Semien and Seager to do damage. His speed on the basepaths has also been incredibly valueable with the aforementioned names driving balls into the gap more often than not.
Still, Leody is a career .240 with 2023 being a career year for him at .266/.312/.421/.733. The outfield has become an area of strength and depth for the Rangers recently with the successes of Evan Carter, Adolis Garcia (outside of 2024) and Wyatt Langford. The Rangers also have a ton of talent making their way through the system in players like Dustin Harris, Anthony Gutierrez, Alejandro Osuna, and Aaaron Zavala to name a few. Leody is also estimated to make roughly $5M this year, similar to a number of serviceable veterans in the free agent market. It appears the book is written on who Leody will be as a major league player, and now CY and company must decide if that’s something to retain or improve upon for next season. With Leody having some team control on his contract, he could fetch a nice return of promising prospects.
Ezequiel Duran
I like Duran, and I think he has the ability to be the ultimate flex player on this roster for 2025 and beyond. Unfortuantely for Zeke, his main positions are blocked by All-Star talent, forcing him to learn multiple positions in order to see the field. He filled in nicely for Corey Seager and Josh Jung in 2023, and found a similar role in 2024 (though plenty of at bats were stolen by Josh Smith who had a career year in 2024). Duran has power to all parts of the field, and a cannon for an arm making him a threat anywhere you place him defensively. Though his playing time has been sparse, he has still managed to be a career .257 hitter with the ability to drive in 20+ HR if given consistent playing time.
The negative on Duran, I’m not sure where he fits best on this roster besides a utility guy. He could be a great option at 1B, but that takes away a left-handed bat from lineup. You could throw him in the outfield, but he gives you a less-versatile version of Taveras. It’s certainly comforting having his presence on the bench for late game situations or as a fill in for injuries, but if he’s not given consistent at-bats he’s not likely to produce at the level you’re looking for. Having displayed his ability to play all positions, perhaps now is the time to sell high on Zeke and give him a chance to contribute full-time to another club in need of his services. He won’t fetch the top proscects, but he should be worth some quality return, and if that happens to be pitching prospects the Rangers certainly should listen.
Jon Gray
Mr. Wolf himself. Jon Gray is a legitamite big league pitcher with a career 4.45 ERA and the ability to get strikeout pitches in some of the biggest moments of games. Since signing with the Rangers prior to the 2022 season, Gray has had some of his best seasons of his career in a Rangers uniform. Injuries have plagued him along the way, most notably in 2024 where he only made 19 starts and saw time in the bullpen. His slider is elite, and he has the ability to run his fastball in the upper-90’s on command. Let us not forget how dominant Gray was in the 2023 postseason coming out of the bullpen and helping shut down opponents on Texas’ way to winning the World Series. When a guy puts together strong outings, but is willing to accept new roles to help the team, you don’t want to let many of those get away.
That said, CY and company really need to evaluate this starting rotation in the offseason and determine how many injury prone arms you want to rely on for 2025. It’s pretty safe to assume Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle are untouchable, and I’d even say the same for Cody Bradford. Gray is in the final year of his contract, in which he is owed $13M this season. Teams that feel they are one pitcher away from being a title contender may be willing to take on that contract, in exchange for either some prospects or bullpen help. If the Rangers elect to keep Gray on the roster to start 2025, he’ll certainly be a topic for discussion around the deadline if his numbers are where they should be. If they want to explore the free agent market, there are several names in a similar price range to Gray, including Sean Manaea, Jack Flaherty, Corbin Burnes, Luis Severino and even a return of Andrew Heaney. Options are out there, and now might not be the worst time to see if someone is interested in Gray’s services.
Sam Huff
It feels like Huff has been with the Rangers forever, and yet we’ve rarely seen him with the big league club. It hasn’t been easy for Huff these past few seasons, especially when you are competing against the 2023 All-Star Starting Catcher (and 2023 Gold Glove Winner) Jonah Heim. While 2024 was a down year for Heim, he’s an incredible asset for the pitching staff with his ability to block and frame balls in the zone. Huff is not the elite defensive presence that Heim is, but he can hit the baseball a mile with little-to-no effort. With the exception of players like Ohtani, Trout, and Judge, Huff might have some of the most raw power in all of baseball. Instead, he struggles with finding the barrel of the bat either from over-swining or chasing balls out of the zone.
Huff will come to Spring Training in 2025 as the top option to back up Jonah Heim, though that felt like the case in 2024 as well. Last season, the Rangers lost Mitch Garver to free agency, leaving the backup role up for grabs. Prior to entering camp, the Rangers brought in Andrew Knizner to battle for the backup role and ultimately won that role for opening day. Knizner was later designated for assignment and the Rangers elected to trade for Carson Kelly, further keeping Huff in the minor leagues. Now that both options will (likely) leave for free agency, Huff should have the experience to be the frontrunner.
If Spring Training doesn’t go well, or if the Rangers look to add depth via free agency, it might be the end of the road for Huff as a Texas Ranger. I don’t see much value for him via trade, so this appears to be a do or die situation in an attempt to avoid his release. The power will play at the MLB level, but can that power come with a minimum .240 average? I don’t think it will, and thus it might be time to shift focus onto the next long-term catcher for the Texas Rangers.
Considered But Not Mentioned
*Dane Dunning
*Josh Smith
*Adolis Garcia
I’m curious to hear your thoughts, and if the Rangers should move on from these players (or those not listed). While most are likley to return for the 2025, we learned quite a bit about the entire roster in 2024. The free agent market has some stars, and eyes will certainly be on Japanese star Roki Sasaki. The Rangers won’t spend like they used to, but they could shed some contracts off the books and set themselves up for (2) or (3) big moves this offseason.
