Texas Rangers 2019 Positional Review: Starting Rotation
The Rangers made some significant strides in the final stages of their rebuild in 2019. They improved by nine wins from 2018, finishing 78-84.
One of the biggest reasons for this improvement was their starting rotation. Going into the season, the only pitcher locked into a spot was Mike Minor, who was brought in on a three-year contract in 2018. Minor made a successful return to the big leagues in 2017 as a reliever for the Royals after a shoulder injury kept him out of baseball for two years. He had a solid year as a starter for Texas in 2018, logging 157 innings with a 4.18 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP.
The Rangers signed three pitchers hoping for the same kind of result they got from Minor: Shelby Miller, Drew Smyly, and Lance Lynn. Internal options like Adrian Sampson and Ariel Jurado were going to be given opportunities to start as well.
Miller and Smyly did not pan out well at all for Texas. Neither pitcher made it through June on the roster. On the other hand, Lance Lynn turned in a bounce back season, going 16-11 with a 3.67 ERA. He also set a career-high in innings pitched (208.1) and strikeouts (246).
Minor built off of momentum from his solid 2018 season and became a Cy Young contender early on in the season. His dominance faded a bit, but still had a great season overall. He also set career-highs in innings pitched (208.1) and strikeouts (200). Minor and Lynn became the first pair of pitchers to record more than 200 innings and strikeouts for Texas since Bobby Witt and Nolan Ryan in 1990.
Lynn and Minor both earned votes for the American League Cy Young Award, finishing 5th and 8th respectively.
Arield Jurado and Adrian Sampson both had some good starts, but were wildly inconsistent. Midseason acquisition Kolby Allard and prospects Brock Burke and Joe Palumbo made some spot starts as well. Allard was the most impressive of the three, while Burke and Palumbo showed some promise, but still need some work.
2020 Outlook
Projected starters: Mike Minor, Lance Lynn
Internal options: Ariel Jurado, Kolby Allard, Adrian Sampson, Joe Palumbo, Brock Burke, Jonathan Hernandez, Taylor Hearn
Offseason priority: VERY HIGH
The top two spots in the rotation are locked in with Minor and Lynn. The only debate will be who starts on Opening Day in Seattle.
The rest of the rotation will likely be filled by at least one, if not two free agents and the internal options in the organization. The Rangers have money to spend this winter and plan to at least kick the tires on the top free agents on the market.
Gerrit Cole is the top starting pitcher on the market, but will have many teams that can compete financially. It will take a very hefty contract offer to have a chance to pry him from suitors like the Angels, Dodgers, Astros, or Yankees.
Stephen Strasburg is another big name the Rangers could bring in, but would also cost quite a bit. He just opted out of four years and $100 million in Washington and drove his value very high when he was crowned as MVP of the 2019 World Series.
The Rangers have been tied to rumors on Hyun-Jin Ryu, who just finished runner up in the National League Cy Young voting. More options at the top of the starting pitching market after the two top dogs are Ryu, Zack Wheeler, or Madison Bumgarner.
The Rangers could also look to bring in two affordable veteran starters. Pitchers in this tier of free agency are Dallas Keuchel, Cole Hamels, Michael Pineda, Kyle Gibson, Tanner Roark, Julio Teheran, Wade Miley, and Rick Porcello. These guys would still cost quite a bit per year, but are more likely to sign shorter deals, which works in Texas' favor.
Keep track of the starting pitching market with our free agency tracker.
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