Texas Rangers Free Agent Remains One of Top Hitters on Market
Shohei Ohtani’s signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers took the biggest bat off the market, but plenty of power remains for the right price.
The likes of Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman and Jorge Solar are still available in free agency, as clubs continue to maneuver the evolving financial landscape.
The Texas Rangers are among those looking to add, especially at designated hitter. But the hands of the World Series champs might be tied some due to the uncertainty of their 2024 broadcast deal.
Mitch Garver is considered one of the top free-agent hitters still on the market.
The one significant signing made by Texas so far – Kirby Yates for one year at $4.5 million – has been economical. Should the Rangers dip their toes in the free-agent waters, there’s plenty to choose from.
MLB.com posted a list of the top remaining bats in free agency, making a case for and against each hitter. In addition to those mentioned above, others include J.D. Martinez, Teoscar Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Another free agent featured is Mitch Garver, who was the primary DH for the Rangers down the stretch and in the postseason. The MLB.com assessment of Garver:
Case for: Garver might not be a household name but he certainly helped his case as an integral part of the Rangers’ 2023 World Series run. Set to turn 33 before Opening Day, Garver owns a career 123 OPS+ thanks to an ability to get on base (.342) and slug (.483). Garver is also one of the top hitters of this generation when it comes to doing damage against fastballs (career .982 OPS) and has always crushed left-handed pitching (.885 OPS).
Case against: Garver has dealt with an assortment of injuries that have limited him playing in 100 games in a season just once. He’s averaged just 70 games a season since 2021 -- which in part is why he’s spent more time at DH than catcher in recent seasons. Given his injury history and the fact that he played just 28 games behind the plate in 2023, Garver’s days as a real catching option appear to be dwindling.
Rangers general manager Chris Young has said the team remains interested in bringing back its free agents, including Garver, even though Will Smith and Austin Hedges have already agreed to deals elsewhere. A Garver reunion makes sense, but the competition figures to be stiff and the veteran could be looking for more consistent playing time at catcher.
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