Chris Young: Rangers 'Roster is Not Complete'

Chris Young and Texas Rangers management have an opportunity to swing more deals at the Winter Meetings in San Diego.

The Texas Rangers dropped a bombshell on Major League Baseball on Friday night, announcing the signing of New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom on a five-year contract.

The question is are the Rangers done? It doesn’t sound like it.

Rangers general manager Chris Young told The Dallas Morning News that "our roster is not complete and we are going to look to improve it."

That tracks with what the Rangers have consistently said since August, when they fired manager Chris Woodward and president of baseball operations Jon Daniels.

The Rangers are seeking two veteran starting pitchers and a middle-of-the-order bat. deGrom’s signing gives the Rangers one goal accomplished going into the Winter Meetings, which begin on Sunday in San Diego.

The question is where do the Rangers go from here?

deGrom’s signing gives the Rangers a complete 40-man roster. The Rangers had a spot open after non-tendering pitcher Nick Snyder. If the Rangers made any other moves during the Winter Meetings, it would require a corresponding roster move.

If the Rangers are seeking a second veteran pitcher, the two pitchers the Rangers have been most closely linked to are San Francisco’s Carlos Rodon and Japanese free agent Kodai Senga. As late as four days ago, one report had the Rangers more likely to sign either of those pitchers than to sign deGrom.

The Rangers are also one of “many, many teams” trying to lure New York Yankees free-agent pitcher Jameson Taillon, according to the New York Post.

Now that the Rangers have deGrom, it’s unclear who the second starter would be. They could chase deGrom’s Mets teammate Chris Bassitt or Taillon. Both those pitchers might not cost as much on the open market.

As far as the middle-of-the-order bat, that’s a bit murkier. The only bat the Rangers have been truly linked to is the Seattle Mariners’ Mitch Haniger. At least two different reports have the Rangers interested in him. He didn’t have the best season in 2022, but in 2021 he hit a career-high 39 home runs.

MLB Trade Rumors cited ESPN as a source that Haniger could get a three-year deal worth $15 million per year. He could play outfield or designated hitter and slide into an order that had four hitters that had 25 or more home runs last season — Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia and Nathaniel Lowe.

Plus, there’s the trade market. Two Rangers rookies — Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith — have been linked to trade rumors. Both are middle infielders who don’t have a path to consistent MLB playing time with Seager and Semien at shortstop and second base, respectively. Smith has played some left field, but the Rangers also have Bubba Thompson there. Duran and Smith could be used as trade bait to land that other veteran starter or that bat.

Even with the deGrom signing, the Rangers only have an active payroll of $138 million for 2023. That’s before the five players that go to arbitration and the contracts that kick in for pre-arbitration players once they make the Major League roster.

In other words, they have more money to spend. And they have an attention-getting signing that could lure in more players in San Diego.

TEXAS RANGERS 40-MAN ROSTER (40)

Pitchers (22)

A.J. Alexy, Joe Barlow, Brock Burke, Jacob deGrom, Dane Dunning, Jon Gray, Taylor Hearn, Jonathan Hernández, Spencer Howard, Zak Kent, John King, José Leclerc, Brett Martin, Jake Odorizzi, Glenn Otto, Martin Perez, Cole Ragans, Yerry Rodriguez, Josh Sborz, Ricky Vanasco, Owen White, Cole Winn.

Catchers (2): Jonah Heim, Sam Huff

Infielders (8): Luisangel Acuña, Ezequiel Duran, Josh Jung, Nathaniel Lowe, Jonathan Ornelas, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Josh H. Smith

Outfielders (6): Adolis García, Dustin Harris, Brad Miller, Leody Taveras, Bubba Thompson, Eli White

Designated Hitter (2): Mitch Garver, Mark Mathias

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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