MLB team reports:
Inside offseason looks at Rangers, Red Sox, Phillies.
Five issues facing the Rangers:
How good is their rotation? The rotation is massively upgraded. The Rangers acquired a former Cy Young winner – Corey Kluber – and opened their checkbook and signed two solid right-handers – Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles.
Kluber, who missed most of last season with a fractured ulna in his right arm, joins Mike Minor and Lance Lynn at the top of the rotation. He is expected to be fully healthy heading into spring training.
“This group has a track record and pedigree,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “We are excited to see them work together. This group has a chance to go out and give us both quantity and quality innings. We should be in the ballgame every night.”
What does Todd Frazier do? The nine-year third baseman fills a significant void. With Adrian Beltre retiring in 2018 and the team losing out in its pursuit of free agent Anthony Rendon this offseason, the position was a glaring need.
Frazier fills that need and gives the club leadership and a solid right-handed bat in the middle of a lineup. He could also play first base if the club decides to pursue another corner infielder. Nick Solak and Isiah Kiner-Falefa will likely now back up Frazier and compete for a spot as a utility player.
Are they done dealing? Possibly not. The Rangers are still in the mix to trade for third baseman Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies, according to an MLB.com report. But they have backed off on their efforts to try to sign free agent third baseman Josh Donaldson.
There’s also a possibility the club could pursue free agent slugger Nicholas Castellanos. Castellanos, who has played mostly right field the last two years, could play first – a position he has never played before in the majors. That could make Ronald Guzman expendable.
Rougned Odor: Odor, who has four years left on a six-year, $49.5 million deal, has not played up to his value. He did slug 30 home runs and drive in 93 runs, but he hit .205 and struck out an American League-high 178 times, or 30.6% of his plate appearances. The Rangers desperately need him to cut down on his strikeouts or his playing time will no longer be guaranteed.
Who will be the closer? Often volatile, Jose Leclerc will get another chance to close out games. After a dominant
campaign in 2018, Leclerc fell back to reality last season and eventually lost his closing duties before regaining it in August. On the plus side, he does have a high strikeout rate (13.1 per nine), which will benefit him.