One could only wonder what the Texas Rangers would have accomplished this year if they had a competent offense.
After largely being undone by a poor staff ERA in 2024 that didn’t pair well with multiple injuries to star players, the Rangers finished this past season with the best ERA in Major League Baseball. That should have been enough to at least get them into the playoffs, but a lineup that scored the 22nd-fewest runs prevented them from competing in October.
So as president of baseball operations Chris Young gets ready to operate this winter, he will have his hands full when it comes to creating more offensive production while also maintaining one of the top pitching staffs in baseball, all while reducing payroll like the ownership group wants.
Kyle Schwarber Named Fit for Texas Rangers
One way to solve their clear offensive problem would be to add one of the best power hitters in the game this offseason, and that’s exactly why Mark Feinsand of MLB.com listed Texas as a potential fit for Kyle Schwarber in free agency.
“His plus power helped him lead the National League with 56 home runs and 132 RBIs while playing in all 162 games, setting a career-high in bWAR (4.7) and fWAR (4.9). Schwarber can play left field on occasion, but he’s essentially a full-time DH who will make any lineup better immediately upon arrival,” he wrote.
Landing him won’t be easy, though. The Philadelphia Phillies have routinely stated they would like to retain the slugger, and others around the league are expected to put together some enticing offers to try and pull him away from there.
Spotrac has his market value at four years and just under $100 million, but the expectation is that somewhere in the $120 million range is what the 32-year-old will get this offseason.
Unfortunately, that number seems like it will price the Rangers out of the Schwarber sweepstakes if they are serious about wanting to reduce payroll. Since the pitching staff needs to be put back together and other areas of the roster could use some touching up, spending that type of money on one player doesn’t make a whole lot of sense with Joc Pederson and Jake Burger already under contract to play designated hitter.
There’s no doubt that Texas could use a slugger of Schwarber’s caliber, but based on the spending restrictions the ownership group has reportedly put in place combined with the other areas that Young will need to address, it doesn’t seem like this is something that will happen.