Mitch Garver in Rangers Retool for 2023?

Mitch Garver missed half of last season with forearm surgery, but the Rangers anticipate he'll be ready for spring training.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy spent about 30 minutes with the local media the week before Christmas, just visiting a local children’s hospital with players and other coaches.

Bochy admitted that he’s been “noodling” around with lineups in his head, but nothing is set in stone. He also admitted that likes a consistent lineup, when it’s possible.

That's closer to the strategy Tony Beasley employed by the interim manager late last season, as opposed to former manager Chris Woodward.

If the season started in January, most of the day-to-day lineup would be set, save for left field and designated hitter. The Rangers have freely admitted that finding a free-agent bat, or perhaps trading assets to acquire one, is a priority. It could solve one, or both, of those concerns.

But solutions may come from what’s currently on the roster. And while several players’ names came up more during Bochy’s informal time with the media, one that hasn’t played since July was of particular interest.

Mitch Garver.

“We can’t overuse him right now, obviously,” Bochy said. “I’d like to see where he’s at in spring training and he feels like he’s going to be ready then.”

Garver, a catcher by trade, missed roughly half of last season after he injured the flexor tendon in his right forearm. Garver tried playing with the injury, which he suffered in early May, and the Rangers installed him at DH because he could not throw back to the pitcher.

But as much as Garver wanted to gut through it, he decided to have surgery in July so he could be ready for 2023. Plus, it really wasn’t working the way either he or the Rangers had hoped. Garver ended up batting .207/.298/.404/.702 with 10 home runs and 24 RBI. He played just 54 games.

The Rangers hoped that by trading for Garver in March they could pair him with Jonah Heim and Garver would potentially approach his sterling 2019 numbers, when he hit 31 home runs and 67 RBI in just 93 games. The injury squashed that plan.

Bochy and Rangers management haven’t revealed the plan for catcher next season, but Heim clearly played his way into the front-line job. The logical question is whether the Rangers want to stick with two catchers or three.

Bochy is open to either option and keeping Garver would give the Rangers some flexibility. The Rangers could pair Heim and Sam Huff, the team’s top catching prospect, and use Garver as a consistent DH, something teams can do now with the universal DH.

That’s a wrinkle Bochy didn’t have when he last managed in 2019 with the San Francisco Giants.

It’s a palatable option for both sides. The Rangers get some roster flexibility. Garver gets a golden opportunity to burnish his credentials before next offseason.

Garver is going into his final arbitration offseason and he’ll be a free agent after the 2023 season. A successful season as an everyday DH — especially a season that approaches his 2019 career highs — would drive his value up next offseason.

Garver has never been a full-time DH. His 36 games at DH last season were the most of his MLB career.

To be fair, there are other potential internal candidates Bochy must consider. Brad Miller is another player who, like Garver, had a couple of big seasons earlier in his career and is now putting up lower numbers. Mark Mathias can play infield and outfield but has a solid bat and can take DH swings, too.

But first the Rangers have to get to spring training and have to see where Garver is in his rehab from the injury. He remains an option and could perhaps be the best option if the team is searching for a consistent, veteran designated hitter.

“When you talk about right now, Garver is going to get at-bats at DH, I can tell you that,” Bochy said.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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