ARLINGTON, Texas — Just as the dust was settling on the Big Game to signify the sun setting on the NFL season, it’s getting kicked up again with the return of baseball as the Texas Rangers roll into Surprise, Arizona to start spring training.
The reigning, defending World Series champions come into 2024 with a chip on their collective shoulders, surely wanting to prove that their dominant run through last October wasn’t just a flash in the pan. In order to do that, they will enact a little spring cleaning to make sure everything is tidy come Opening Day at the end of March.
As pitchers and catchers report, manager Bruce Bochy and his staff have to get their priorities straight in order to keep the team on a path that can make them repeat champions, which could mean patching holes long enough for reinforcements to arrive later in the summer.
That work begins in Surprise with several tasks ahead.
Solidify the rotation
The issues with the 2024 Rangers rotation can be traced back to the first month of 2023. At the end of April, Jacob deGrom, who signed a 5-year, $185 million contract prior to the season, exited his start against the New York Yankees and eventually needed his second Tommy John surgery.
Then, shortly after his acquisition at the trade deadline, the “other other” Mets’ ace, Max Scherzer, went down with a shoulder injury that ended his regular season before a back injury ended his postseason in Game 3 of the World Series. After rest and recuperation did not solve his woes, Scherzer had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back that will keep him out for an extended period.
And while general manager Chris Young made an offseason signing to help augment the rotation, Tyler Mahle will be coming back from Tommy John surgery himself. That puts three starting pitchers on the shelf until mid-summer. The grueling regular season isn’t like the stretch run or the playoffs, where Texas could survive with merely a few starters and short-range bullpen bullets.
The Rangers will need depth and contributions from the entire rotation to make it through 162 games with another shot at the postseason. Therefore, Bochy and pitching coach Mike Maddux will have to identify who among their healthy group of starters will be able to shepherd them through the first half until the cavalry arrives.
Nathan Eovaldi, Dane Dunning, Jon Gray and Andrew Heaney are penciled in as rotation members to start the spring. The fifth starter could be Cody Bradford, it could be Owen White, it could be Cole Winn. If the TV money situation weren’t as murky as it became this winter, a reunion with postseason hero Jordan Montgomery would have solved a lot of Texas’ issues.
But it appears as though Montgomery isn’t walking through that door in Surprise, so finding first half innings will remain a big challenge. Keep in mind, the Rangers might not have just one spot to fill as Eovaldi, Gray and Heaney are also injury risks and Gray, Heaney and Dunning spent time in the bullpen last season before ending the year in the ‘pen during the postseason.
Identifying the order of the depth chart, and where they will get the innings that get them to the future Hall of Fame arms in the season half, has to be priority number 1 for Texas.
Back up, up the middle
Just before the start of February, it was revealed that superstar shortstop Corey Seager, who put up MVP numbers in 2023, will miss the bulk of spring training after undergoing sports hernia surgery.
Being without Seager is no strange territory for the Rangers. Seager missed two separate stretches of time during the World Series-winning season, most notably in the first half of the season after injuring his hamstring. During that time, Ezequiel Duran stepped up and stepped in admirably for the $325 million man.
While Seager was out, Duran put up a slash line of .333/.376/.575 with five homers and 18 RBI, seamlessly fitting into the Rangers’ lineup. Down the stretch, though, Duran fell off and came back to earth.
Part of why the Rangers were so successful early in the 2023 season was their constant offensive assault. They finished the month of May as the top ranking offense in the majors, and even though the pitching was working through the loss of deGrom and a leaky bullpen, the lineup, most of whom are returning for 2024, were able to outslug and out score their opponents. Is Duran the answer at shortstop again if Seager’s timeline to return gets pushed back? And if not, then who is?
Will youth be served?
While the majority of the Rangers’ 2024 lineup is set with returning faces, several notable prospects are scheduled to join big league camp aiming for jobs. Noting that invitations to camp aren’t at all guarantees to make the club, the chances exist, with a few roster spots up for grabs.
The big spots that are up for contention are on the pitching staff, where Texas will need depth and innings. Right now, the relief corps will be anchored by Jose Leclerc, the incumbent closer, former Yankees, Mets and Marlins closer David Robertson and former Braves setup man Kirby Yates. After that, there are gigs to be won.
No spots are guaranteed, not even to Josh Sborz or Brock Burke, holdovers from the World Series team. Instead, prospects like Marc Church, Antoine Kelly, Winn, and even Jack Leiter are going to get a look with the potential of helping a bullpen that was a weak spot for the Rangers all throughout the 2023 campaign.
Additionally, the designated hitter spot appears to be up in the air as incumbent Mitch Garver signed a multi-year deal with the Mariners. That would also help rotate a bench spot. Duran presumably has a spot on the roster as a backup for Seager. Travis Jankowski, who had a stellar first half of 2023, returns as the 4th outfielder to Adolis Garcia, Leody Taveras and rookie Evan Carter.
One more bench spot in addition to the designated hitter will need to be decided. Justin Foscue could get a strong look at one of those spots, although his defensive skill set would be limited to the infield.
2023 No. 4 overall pick Wyatt Langford is already pounding at the door after a superlative pro debut last summer and the club has invited him to big league camp with a shot at earning a job to start the season. Regardless, it won’t be long before he’s in the big leagues.
Perhaps Dustin Harris, the club’s No. 10 prospect who can play outfield and first base could get a look if the team wants to be patient with Langford. As was evidenced down the stretch in 2023, having a multitude of players who are useful in multiple ways is invaluable, and the Rangers should be using spring training to identify the players who can be useful throughout the season, not just as a showcase for their standout starters.
Pitchers and catchers made their way to Surprise on Valentine’s Day, and now Bochy’s championship club will have to play matchmaker to players and empty roster spots.
What do you think are the biggest obstacles for the Rangers this spring? Share your thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.
