Texas Rangers Predicted To Land Superstar Slugger in Free Agency Next Winter

The Texas Rangers have done a lot of work with their roster this winter.

Following their World Series victory in 2023, the team’s performance in 2024 was underwhelming. They won only 78 games in the regular season, not giving themselves a chance to defend their title.

One of the things that general manager Chris Young sought to add to the lineup this winter was some more pop.

He accomplished that with two moves; acquiring Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins and signing Joc Pederson to take the bulk of at-bats at designated hitter and fill in sporadically in the outfield.

The Rangers now have one of the deepest, most well-rounded lineups in baseball, which should result in consistent offensive production.

Several members of their core are incredibly young, such as outfielders Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter, third baseman Josh Jung and infielders Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith.

That is a group the front office can build around for years to come, and Dayn Perry of CBS Sports believes they will augment that group with a massive addition in free agency next offseason.

The crown jewel of the upcoming free agent class is Toronto Blue Jays star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Blue Jays are working hard to work out an extension with him, but there is reportedly a huge gap that exists between what they are offering and what he is seeking.

This has led to some early speculation about where he could end up should he hit the open market.

Given the combination of his age, track record and future projections, teams will have to back up the Brinks truck for him. He isn’t going to be in the Juan Soto stratosphere of contracts but he could certainly land a deal worth north of $400 million.

Perry has predicted that it will be Texas that adds the slugger to their lineup.

He cited their issues with local TV rights being further in the rearview mirror as a reason for them to jump into the Guerrero sweepstakes. The MLB writer also likes his long-term fit with the franchise.

“The trade of Nathaniel Lowe to the Nationals means they have a stop-gap arrangement for now in Jake Burger. He's not the long-term solution, and Guerrero Jr. would give them a middle-of-the-lineup presence for the coming decade or so.”

The four-time All-Star will have just turned 27 years old before he takes his first swings under the new contract. At a minimum, it will likely take an eight to10-year contract to secure his services in free agency.

Burger is a very good power threat in his own right, but isn’t the all-around hitter that Guerrero is.

He should not deter the team from pursuing a player who is as dangerous as the Toronto superstar is at the plate, and if they make this move, they will be set up for success for multiple seasons going forward.

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