Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young built a winning team for the Rangers first World Series championship in 2023. How will he build on the club's new standard to go back-to-back and win another championship in 2024?
As with most teams this offseason, the Rangers will look to add to their pitching depth. Even with their talented pitching staff, health is always a concern during the marathon of a season. The team could also use help at first base and a veteran outfielder.
Let's take a look at some options the Rangers could consider this offseason.
The Rangers must sign Cody Bellinger
Bellinger is believed to be one of the top available free agents this offseason. The Rangers could use a veteran outfielder with a bat. Bellinger's laid-back persona could mesh well with Bruce Bochy's Rangers. Bellinger is an option the Rangers should really consider.
Bellinger is a client of Scott Boras and could net a handsome contract this offseason after having an excellent comeback season with the Chicago Cubs in 2023. Bellinger hit .307/.356/.525 with an OPS of .881. He had 29 doubles, a triple, 26 home runs, 95 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, and 97 RBIs.
Bellinger's award shelf is pretty stacked as well, having won the Rookie of the Year in 2017, an MVP in 2019, a two-time All-Star, a Gold Glove winner, and a two-time Silver Slugger winner, including one this season. He played on the 2020 World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and won the NLCS MVP.
Speaking of that 2020 Dodgers team, signing Bellinger would reunite him with the World Series MVP from that 2020 team and the 2023 team in Corey Seager. Combing them with Marcus Semien and a fun young team could be a recipe for success and a repeat as World Series champs for the Rangers.
The Rangers must sign Garrett Cooper
Cooper can add depth to the Rangers' roster at first base and in the right field.
After spending six seasons with the Miami Marlins, Cooper was traded to the San Diego Padres. He hit .251/.304/.419 with an OPS of .424. He had 18 doubles, one triple, 17 home runs, 42 runs scored and 61 RBI.
While he's not the glitz and glamour player the Rangers would love to sign, he is an excellent option to have available with the marathon baseball season. Nathaniel Lowe could use a rest every once in a while.
The Rangers must sign Brandon Belt
Reuniting Belt with Bochy? That would be fun! In addition to being a positive veteran presence, Belt can back up first base and be a good option off the bench or even as the designated hitter.
After spending 12 seasons with the San Fransisco Giants, Belt went to the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency. The Jays appear to be heading in another direction, making Belt available. Belt hit .254/.369/.490 with an OPS of .858. In 103 games for the Jays, Belt hit 23 doubles, 19 home runs, 53 runs scored, and 43 RBIs.
Belt would add a fun presence to the clubhouse. He proved he is still a viable option to compete and help his team. Reuniting him with Bochy as he gets near the end of his career would also be fun. This is a move the Rangers should consider for roster depth.
The Rangers must sign Josh Hader
What better way to celebrate a World Series victory than to add one of the game's top closers to the roster? Hader is the top reliever on the market and could net a massive contract for teams looking for a good closer.
After spending the first six seasons of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers, Hader and the rest of the baseball world were shocked when the organization traded him to the Padres. Now he's in free agency and will, without a doubt, seek out a place to call home, along with a nice pay increase. The Rangers and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex could be just that for Hader.
Hader was 2-3 with 33 saves for the Padres in 61 games. He had a 1.28 ERA over 56.1 innings. He threw 85 strikeouts. It will be fun to see how Hader performs with a team that has good pitching, where he will close down the game. At times, Hader would enter a game where the situation would change from a close down to a situation where you are digging out from disaster. That can get frustrating for the team and pitcher. Hader will benefit from getting into a better situation for him.
The Rangers must sign Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani is the top player in the MLB and is expected to earn a vast contract wherever he lands. After he was a star player on the Los Angeles Angels, seeing him added to a winning club like the Rangers would be amazing. He is said to be interested in the Rangers and hopefully, the interest is mutual. Adding him to a lineup that includes Seager and Semien would be awesome.
Ohtani is a two-way player with exceptional abilities. He was this season's AL MVP. He was named the AL Rookie of the Year in 2018. He was also AL MVP in 2021. He's been an All-Star and a Silver Slugger winner.
This season, the pitching side of his routine ended as he had to have a second UCL repair surgery. He was 10-5 on the season with an ERA of 3.14 over 132 innings. He had 167 strikeouts. While waiting for the surgery, he was still in the Angel's lineup as their designated hitter. This season, he hit .304/.412/.654 and an OPS of 1.066. He hit 26 doubles, eight triples, 44 home runs, 102 runs scored and 95 RBIs. He had 20 stolen bases as well.
Ohtani is the prize of this offseason. The Rangers would do well to nab this once-in-a-lifetime talent while they can continue their championship run.