Just days away from the start of their first title defense the Texas Rangers received a terrible grade for what they did in the offseason as they looked to boost their chances of repeating as World Series champions in 2024.
This new season for the Rangers will be like none before it. For the first time in the franchise’s history, no matter where they go or who they play, they will be referred to as the reigning and defending champion of baseball. The champs are contenders to win it all again this year, however, there are questions about whether they did all they could to improve the roster in 2024.
- Texas Rangers opening day: Thursday, March 28 vs. Chicago Cubs
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They didn’t make any major additions in the offseason, but the signings of veteran reliever David Robertson, and 2023 All-Star pitcher Michael Lorenzen should pay dividends. Nevertheless, just like last season, there are still some big questions about their starting rotation, as well as the designated hitter spot.
It was something that The Athletic MLB writers Tim Britton, Grant Brisbee, and Aaron Gleeman took the organization to task on in a new column handing out final grades for each team’s offseason. In the trio’s mind, the Rangers did not make the moves they had to in the offseason and gave them a D as a grade — only eight other teams received a similar or worse grade.
“There’s still a chance that the Rangers can get that front-end starting pitcher, and it might even be Jordan Montgomery, who helped them win their first World Series. Even if they get Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and/or Tyler Mahle back before the end of the season, they’ll have a pretty basic rotation until then. Compare the FanGraphs projections for the Rangers’ rotation with the A’s rotation. It’s almost spooky.
“The AL West won’t allow for a lot of grace when it comes to winning the division, and the competition should be fierce for wild-card spots, too. Just getting by with the incumbent starting pitchers seems like a great way to fall behind in one or both races … Good thing the Rangers can mash, then. But Michael Lorenzen isn’t the difference-maker fans were hoping for. Unless they come away with Montgomery at the last second, it’s hard not to be bored with their sleepy off-season.”
– The Athletic
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While the starting pitching is an issue, the organization does have a pair of everyday prospects with massive potential that could end up filling their DH hole in 2024.