Rangers Among MLB Offseason Winners
The New York Post named the Texas Rangers as one of seven winners of the Major League Baseball offseason.
The Rangers joined the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels on the list.
The Rangers have spent their offseason remaking their starting rotation, highlighted by signing the pitcher widely considered by most to be the top target on the market New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom inked a five-year, $185 million deal just before the winter meetings.
It was the largest pitching contract the Rangers have ever completed.
Per the Post’s analysis, “If deGrom is more reliable as a Ranger, they may contend. Plus, the deals for Corey Seager and Marcus Semien look more reasonable following this winter’s eye-popping contracts.”
The Rangers paid Seager and Semien more than $500 million combined last offseason, contracts that deGrom and other free-agent signees have credited with getting them interested in joining Texas.
From there, the Rangers hauled in former Dodgers starter Andrew Heaney on a two-year, $25 million deal. Just this week, the Rangers introduced former Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi to a two-year contract worth $34 million, with a third-year vesting option and bonuses that could pay him as much as $63 million.
Before the spending spree, the Rangers traded starter/reliever Kolby Allard to Atlanta for starter Jake Odorizzi, who is in the option year of his contract. The Rangers managed to convince Altanta to pick up $10 million of Odorizzi’s $12.5 million option year.
The Rangers have said since the start of the offseason that they are interested in a middle-of-the-order bat and have room at either left field or designated hitter to acquire one either by trade or free agency.
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