Rangers have two quality starting pitchers. Free agency may yield a third, maybe a fourth
For all the talk that has been generated about the Texas Rangers’ need for a third baseman, the postseason again showed unequivocally that quality starting pitching rules the day.
The Texas Rangers had two quality starting pitchers in 2019 who were good enough to be placed on ballots for the American League Cy Young Award. Left-hander Mike Minor, who was eighth, was an AL All-Star, and right-hander Lance Lynn, who finished fifth, turned down the chance to be a late addition to the team.
Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander edged out teammate Gerrit Cole to win the Cy Young.
Minor and Lynn are both under contract for 2020 and are expected to again pitch at the top of the rotation, and that’s a good thing even if they see some decline from last season.
But the Rangers still have three spots to fill.
As such, adding two starters this off-season seems to be a certainty. It’s entirely possible the Rangers add three. One would be insufficient.
The internal candidates could some day be quality big-league starters but aren’t there yet. Besides, a lack of rotation depth last season eventually caught up to the Rangers, and the baseball adage says a team can never have enough starting pitching.
As the GM meetings came to an end Wednesday, general manager Jon Daniels didn’t say which starters or how many the Rangers would sign. But the Rangers are surveying the market with the idea that a third proven arm could take them further in 2020.
“It takes a lot of pressure off the rest of staff, the offense, the whole deal,” Daniels said. “I think the number is yet to be determined. It depends on acquisition cost, whether it’s a free agent or trade. We’re open to a lot of different things.”
The two pitchers at the top of the market are right-handers Stephen Strasburg and Cole. Another righty, Zack Wheeler, and left-hander Madison Bumgarner are considered by many to be next best.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, Jake Odorizzi, Dallas Keuchel and Cole Hamels come next, followed by Michael Pineda, Tanner Roark, Homer Bailey, Kyle Gibson and Julio Teheran are among the many others who have all done something good in their careers but perhaps not consistently enough.
Some will command multi-year contracts. Others might be able to plug spots until the Rangers are willing to give prospects a crack at the rotation. A few value signings will probably come from the bottom part of the free-agent pool.
It appears to be a deep market.
“I think it’s in the eye of the beholder,” Daniels said. “There’s maybe a couple guys that stand out at the top, and after that, whether it’s reporters or executives, you can probably rank them a bunch of different ways.”
Daniels praised the work of Minor (14-10, 3.59 ERA, 200 strikeouts) and Lynn (16-11, 3.67 ERA, 246 strikeouts) in light of the favorable hitting conditions at Globe Life Park and the Rangers’ defensive issues.
The Rangers were in the bottom third in baseball in Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved, as was their total of Out of Zone plays made.
“What those guys did against that backdrop is even more remarkable,” Daniels said.
The Rangers want to sign a capable third baseman rather than a player like Asdrubal Cabrera, who played only sparingly there in this career before the Rangers signed him in 2019. That would help the defense, as would Ronald Guzman hitting well enough to be an everyday first baseman.
The Rangers are also strongly considering moving Joey Gallo to right field, where Nomar Mazara and Shin-Soo Choo have played the past few seasons. The Rangers need to improve at shortstop, second base and catcher, Daniels said.
“I think they have the ability to perform better than they did,” he said. “That will be a priority for us this winter.”
The No. 1 priority, though, is adding to a rotation that will include Minor and Lynn.
This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 6:41 PM.
