Max Scherzer News 'Enhances' Texas Rangers Pursuit For More Pitching Depth

The Texas Rangers expect Jacob deGrom, Tyler Mahle and Max Scherzer to be available by June or July. Rotation depth remains a priority for the GM Chris Young.

The winter was already all about pitching for the Texas Rangers.

The club has been in search of pitching depth, both in the starting rotation and in the bullpen.

Now, with the news that Max Scherzer will be out until at least June after having back surgery to repair a lower lumbar herniated disc, that search just intensified.

The Rangers signed right-handed starter Tyler Mahle on Thursday, but he's coming off Tommy John surgery and won't be available until at least June. The same goes for staff ace Jacob deGrom, who is scheduled to return from Tommy John surgery by July.

That leaves the current Rangers Opening Day starting rotation looking like this: Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Dane Dunning, Andrew Heaney and Cody Bradford. 

Rangers general manager Chris Young said the Scherzer news will likely increase the club's intensity to add pitching depth, but not necessarily a starter.

"What we were doing was anticipating that we were going to need depth in our starting pitching and pitching period, whether that's a starting pitcher, or a hybrid, or a multi-inning reliever," Young said. "Those have been our targets and strategy throughout the winter, and I don't think that changes because of this, in fact, I think it probably enhances it."

The club would love to re-sign free agent left-hander Jordan Montgomery, but he remains on the market. The club could also potentially re-sign left-hander Martin Perez. Regarding the team's free agents returning in 2024, Young said, "We are certainly not going to eliminate that possibility."

“We had hoped to have a healthy Max Scherzer at the beginning of the season,” he said. “We also recognized, similar to last year, that we were going to need pitching depth. I'm not sure it changes much in terms of building out that depth. It thins us out a little bit on the front half of the season and may impact our free agent or trade targets throughout the remainder of the season. But we also feel very confident in the group we have; it's just that the depth is a little bit thinner, at least in the first half." 

Scherzer to Miss Opening Day After Surgery

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