7 questions the Rangers must answer this winter

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ARLINGTON -- The Rangers’ 2024 season was plagued by injuries and regression across the board, ending in a 78-84 record and third-place finish in the American League West.

Now, Texas is faced with trying to get back to the postseason with manager Bruce Bochy and president of baseball operations Chris Young still atop the organization and looking to get things back on track for 2025.

Here are some notable questions and dates as we head into one of the busiest times of the offseason:

Which players will be free agents?
Eligible players become free agents the day after the conclusion of the World Series. That starts a five-day “quiet period” in which free agents may negotiate only with their team. The Rangers have several players set to become free agents this offseason:

RHP Nathan Eovaldi (player option)
RHP Max Scherzer
RHP Kirby Yates
RHP David Robertson (mutual option)
LHP Andrew Heaney
LHP Andrew Chafin (club option)
RHP Jose Leclerc
RHP Jose Ure?a
OF Travis Jankowski
C Carson Kelly

Young said that bringing back both Eovaldi and Heaney is a high priority for the Rangers. It should be, as the duo has carried a heavy weight of innings over the past two seasons with Texas.

“We would love to bring those guys back, and we’re going to explore every way we can to make that happen,” Young said at the end-of-season press conference.

Yates and Robertson will likely be a consideration, especially because the Rangers will have to rebuild a large portion of their bullpen going into 2025.

Are any of them likely to receive qualifying offers, and what is the deadline for that?
Qualifying offers must be extended five days after the conclusion of the World Series, but no Rangers are likely to be extended one this winter.

Which players have options, what’s the dollar figure and impact on payroll and when does it need to be decided upon?
The Rangers have three option decisions:

Eovaldi: $20 million player option for 2025
Robertson: $7 million mutual option for 2025 ($1.5 million buyout)
Chafin: $6.5 million club option for 2025 ($500,000 buyout)

The deadline for teams and players to make decisions on contract options is also five days after the conclusion of the World Series.

Who might be a non-tender candidate, and when does the club have to make that decision?
The non-tender deadline is on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. CT. Teams must formally tender contracts to unsigned players for the following season, including their arbitration-eligible players. If a player is non-tendered, he becomes a free agent.

The Rangers have five arbitration-eligible players, with first baseman Nathaniel Lowe estimated to make over $10 million this winter. The trio of Jonah Heim, Dane Dunning and Leody Taveras will make just north of $4 million, and reliever Josh Sborz rounds out the group at just over $1 million.

With Texas navigating payroll uncertainty this winter as it continues working through its TV broadcast situation, someone like Dunning could find himself non-tendered. Young will always emphasize the need for starting pitching depth, though, so it’s unlikely to come to that.

Who needs to be added to the 40-man roster this winter to avoid the Rule 5 Draft, and is there a crunch for roster spots? If so, how might that be resolved, and when does that need to be set?
The Rule 5 Draft will take place on Dec. 11 during the Winter Meetings in Dallas. The Rangers have a long list of players at risk of being picked up if not added to the 40-man roster before then, including: right-handed pitchers Emiliano Teodo (the Rangers’ No. 6 prospect), Winston Santos (No. 8) and Aidan Curry (No. 19) and first baseman Abimelec Ortiz.

Of that group, the most pressing additions are Teodo, Ortiz and Santos, all of whom have taken huge steps forward over the past few seasons. Others like infielder Blaine Crim, infielder Cody Freeman, shortstop Maximo Acosta and pitcher Josh Stephan also would need to added, but those are less pressing additions.

What kind of help do they need and will they be active in free agency?
Pitching. Always pitching.

“You've heard this before, but we're going to pursue pitching,” Young said. “There's no doubt we're going to need more pitching, both in the rotation and in the bullpen, but I am excited about the arms we have. The bullpen is an area we need to address. We need to improve there, losing potentially three significant arms. We've got to find a way to backfill that. We're going to have to get creative in terms of looking at the trade market, the waiver market, and developing our own pitchers as well, which is critical for success on the pitching side.”

Texas could also try to upgrade at catcher and multiple outfield positions, especially depending on the outlook for Evan Carter’s back injury. Catching depth will also be a bigger need following a rough 2024 for starting backstop Jonah Heim.

Young also emphasized that the Rangers’ key for 2025 will be about health and avoiding another year of regression across the board.

“The biggest remedy, in my opinion, is improving the guys that we currently have,” he added.

Who might they be willing to trade?
Contracts like Adolis García’s $9.25 million or Lowe’s $10-plus million in arbitration could be in consideration -- however little -- if Texas needs to cut the payroll.

Outside of the core of Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Josh Jung, along with ace Jacob deGrom headlining the pitching staff, any roster upgrade should be considered.