New Reliever Joins Latest Rangers Projected 26-Man Roster

Inside the Rangers presents its third projected 26-man roster for Opening Day.

The Texas Rangers are in Surprise for Spring Training and have played more than a week’s worth of games. In fact, the Rangers have already started moving players back to minor-league camp and are signing players like reliever Will Smith for more competition.

With that in mind, it’s time to go back and examine the Inside the Rangers’ 26-man Opening Day roster projection.

Frankly, many jobs are set in stone and the big races are in left field, utility and the bullpen.

Here is Inside the Rangers’ third roster projection of the offseason.

Starting Rotation (5): Jacob deGrom (RHP), Martín Pérez (LHP), Jon Gray (RHP), Nathan Eovaldi (RHP), Andrew Heaney (LHP).

I’ve toggled between a five-man and a six-man rotation. But after pitching coach Mike Maddux kind of threw cold water on the whole concept more than a week ago, I’m swinging back to a five-man rotation.

deGrom, Gray and Eovaldi are all dealing with minor maladies at the moment, but not the kinds of things that would keep them off the mound a few weeks from now. Unless something dramatically changes, I think this will be the Opening Day rotation. Pérez just left for the World Baseball Classic, so we’ll only see him on television for the next couple of weeks.

Bullpen (8): Brock Burke (LHP), Taylor Hearn (LHP), José Leclerc (RHP), Jonathan Hernández (RHP), Will Smith (LHP), Joe Barlow (RHP), Glenn Otto (RHP), Jake Odorizzi (RHP)

Plenty of writers have tried to pin manager Bruce Bochy down on exactly how many bullpen spots are up for grabs. He’s naturally evasive, but on a couple of occasions he has slipped and has said “one or two.”

That’s actually pretty logical, but there might be more. He’s made it clear he wants relievers that can pitch multiple innings. The three-hitter rule is new to him (it wasn’t around when he left the game in 2019) so there’s a premium on that as he assembles the bullpen.

To that end, I consider Burke, Hearn, Leclerc and Hernández to be locks. The Rangers will probably take in two more pitchers that can go multiple innings. I remain locked in on Otto and Odorizzi there, though Odorizzi’s arm fatigue is something to monitor. If he has to head to the injured list, Dane Dunning would be my next choice.

Smith, just signed recently, replaces Reyes Moronta this time around. I don’t think the Rangers brought in the former closer to be just another arm. He’s been on the last two world champions. He also gives the bullpen a third left-hander, and Bochy seems to want balance there.

To be clear, Moronta still has a chance to make the bullpen. He’s pitched well in spring training so far.

First Base (1): Nathaniel Lowe

No drama here. The Rangers are rotating a lot of players through first base right now in an effort to see who makes sense as a potential backup. Lowe played 157 games last and I would imagine the Rangers would like to get him a few extra days of rest or starts at designated hitter.

Second Base (1): Marcus Semien

Semien talked the other day about this Spring Training being so much different than last year. He looks like he’s in better shape for March and primed to avoid last year’s awful start. He was batting .313 entering Sunday’s game.

Shortstop (1): Corey Seager

He’s already seeing the benefits of the shift ban at the plate. He’s looked great in the field, too.

Third base (1): Josh Jung

Forget the bat for a second. He’s showing improved range in the field and diving for balls, showing he has no worries about last year’s shoulder injury.

Outfield (3): Robbie Grossman (left), Leody Taveras (center), Adolis García (right)

While Bochy has talked about plenty about competition in left field, it’s clear the Rangers favor Grossman in left, based on his starts. Don’t get too worked up about that if you’re a Bubba Thompson fan. He’s going to get reps there this spring (and he’s been getting a lot of reps in center). But based on what we’ve seen in games Grossman will join Taveras and García on Opening Day.

Catcher (2): Jonah Heim (starter), Mitch Garver

Garver has started two games behind the plate and looks good. The Rangers are happy with his arm strength and his bat looks more like the bat the Rangers were expecting last season. Bochy clearly seems to favor Garver as the backup, thanks in part to Garver’s flexibility at designated hitter. Heim should start Opening Day. His growth in handling the pitching staff will make him invaluable. Expect a bump in his batting numbers, too.

Designated Hitter (1): Brad Miller

The Rangers are moving Miller around a lot so far. He’s played first base and DH. He can play third base and left field, too. Placing Miller here is more a product of slotting Garver in as Heim’s backup more than it is about Miller being the Opening Day DH. Garver will likely fill that spot. But Miller will make the team, as long as his spring continues to track the way it’s tracking.

Utility (3): Josh Smith, Ezequiel Duran, Bubba Thompson

The Rangers designated Mark Mathias for assignment when they signed Will Smith, a necessary move for the 40-man roster. It’s possible Mathias could work his way back to the Rangers, but DFA’ing Mathias may be a product of Bochy being impressed enough with Duran to see him as an infield/outfield utility player.

Bochy is clearly impressed with Smith and wants him to play every position aside from pitcher and catcher before camp ends. Thompson may not start in left, but Bochy likes Thompson’s ability to play all three outfield positions and his speed is a tremendous asset. The fact that all three players are plus-fielders doesn’t hurt.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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