The Rangers went from the top of the MLB mountain to mi sing the playoffs in the span of one season, due in no small part to an offense that sputtered throughout the season. and were among the regulars who struggled at the plate, while Texas was plagued by injuries to , and , among others. , the Rangers floundered against four-seam fastballs in particular. Be that as it may, president of baseball operations Chris Youngs end-of-season pre s conference struck an optimistic tone regarding the in-house hitters the Rangers currently po se s. The biggest remedy, in my opinion, is improving the guys we currently have, Young said (via Grant). The Rangers baseball ops leader called internal improvements to the lineup a heavy priority heading into next season. With regard to outside additions, those will come more on the pitching side of the roster. that Young specifically mentioned that hed like to retain impending free agents and . Eovaldi this season when he reached a combined 300 innings between 2023-24, but hes widely expected to decline that in favor of a return to the market (barring a hypothetical extension from his current club). Heaney exercised a player option following the 2023 season and returned to make 31 solid starts in this years rotation. As far as Evo and Andrew go, those are priorities for us, said Young. We love those guys. They helped us win a World Series. We would love to bring those guys back, and were going to explore every way we can to make that happen. Entering the 2025 season, Texas wont be short on rotation options. should be the Opening Day starter now that hes recovered from Tommy John surgery, though counting on him for a full slate of 30-plus starts doesnt feel realistic when he hasnt reached that total since 2019. Hell be joined by , (also in his first full season post-Tommy John) and some combination of , , and . With deGrom and Mahle both facing Benito Santiago Jersey workload concerns and the bulk of the teams other options yet to pitch a full season in a big league rotation, its understandable that the Rangers feel it not just prudent but pivotal to fortify the starting staff. Reunions with Eovaldi and/or Heaney wont come cheaply, however. Eovaldis two-year, $34MM deal proved to be a bargain, even as incentives ballooned his guarantee to a total of $38.5MM over his two years. He signed that deal coming off an injury-shortened year with the Red Sox, whod i sued him a qualifying offer and thus tied him to draft pick compensation. Now healthy and unencumbered by the weight of a QO, he should be able to top that $34MM guarantee even though hes two years older than during his last trip to the open market. Heaney, similarly, was coming off a season of just 72 2/3 innings with the Dodgers. He hasnt looked as dominant in Texas as he did during that abbreviated run with L.A., but he just gave the Rangers a combined 307 1/3 innings of 4.22 ERA ball with more promising strikeout and walk rates of 23.2% and 7.6%, respectively. He could find another two-year deal in the market, and its po sible that would come with a larger guarantee than the $25MM term on his last pact. The extent to which Texas will be able to spend in free agency is not yet clear. worth of 2025 commitments, and thats not including arbitration raises for Dunning, Heim, Sborz, and a group that for a combined $25.5MM. Add in a slate of league-minimum players, and Texas is looking at around $185MM in total projected salary for next years 26-man roster. Thats $40MM shy of where they opened the 2024 season, so theres clearly some room to spend, but that $40MM could dry up quickly if the Rangers are intent not only on adding at least one starter, but also on replacing effectively their entire late-inning relief corps. To say Texas is likely to be active in the bullpen market would be putting things mildly. , , and their top four relievers by innings pitched are all free agents. Deadline acquisition has a $6.5MM club option ($500K buyout) that is not a lock to be exercised. Robertson has a $7MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout) and will very likely decline his end of it. Yates, Robertson, Leclerc, Chafin and who mi sed most of the season due to shoulder problems were the teams go-to options in high-leverage spots. Young didnt comment on what level of increase will or wont be po sible. He plans to meet with majority owner Ray Davis in the near future to outline a spending plan. While Young avoided any firm declarations on payroll, he spoke about uncertainty regarding the teams endeavors to create a proprietary regional sports network and pledged to build a very good roster with whatever resources we have. On the surface, thats a far cry from his Aug. 2021 comments wherein he and then followed through with blockbuster signings of Seager and . More context on the Rangers potential spending figures to come to light as the onset of free agency draws nearer, but given the teams current financial obligations and needs up and down the pitching staff, its hardly a shock that Young is prioritizing arms and hoping to see a talented core of hitters rebound at the plate next season. Cincinnati Reds Jersey