Texas Rangers Surprisingly Receive Disappointing Final Offseason Grade

What grade did the Texas Rangers receive for their efforts this winter?

Sep 8, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Joc Pederson (3) reacts after hitting a single during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

With spring training well underway and the offseason coming to a close, the Texas Rangers have high hopes for the upcoming campaign. 

2024 was a forgettable year for the franchise. After winning the World Series the year prior, the Rangers were never able to get off the ground last year. 

There were a few reasons for the struggles, but the main issue was injuries. Key players in both the lineup and the starting rotation missed a lot of time. If not for a really strong bullpen, the season might have ended up being even worse. 

This offseason, the team was never going to be massive spenders with the luxury tax threshold in mind. However, they seemingly did a nice job shaking up some things that should help the team improve. 

Despite what appears to have been a solid winter on paper, not everyone agrees that it was a solid winter. 

David Schoenfield of ESPN.com recently handed out final grades for the offseason and the Rangers came in with a disappointing ‘C-‘for their efforts. 

Seeing the grade of a ‘C-‘ is a little bit surprising and also disappointing for Texas. In the lineup, this was a team that made two substantial moves, bringing in Joc Pederson and Jake Burger. 

While the addition of Burger was to replace Nathaniel Lowe, he will provide the batting order with some more pop and be more of an offensive threat. 

For Pederson, he proved last campaign that he can be an All-Star caliber slugger against right-handed pitchers. While he won’t be playing the field, the Rangers added a dangerous weapon at designated hitter. 

In the starting rotation, retaining Nathan Eovaldi was one of the top priorities this winter, and they were able to accomplish that at a modest amount. The most important thing for the rotation that might not be taken into account is that the unit is healthy. 

Both Jacob deGrom and the talented young right-hander Kumar Rocker are expected to be 100 percent after getting some work at the end of last year. Adding those two to the rotation will likely have a major impact considering their skill sets. 

The main area of concern for Texas in 2025 will be the bullpen and closing out games. After losing Kirby Yates in free agency, the Rangers didn’t add anyone of that caliber to replace him. 

This will certainly be the main question for the team heading into the campaign, but it is one that could be fixed before the trade deadline if it’s an issue. 

Overall, the grade of a ‘C-‘ feels a bit low for Texas this winter. While they might not have added a marquee free agent, this feels like a team that has improved.