The Texas Rangers will unintentionally compete with the Pittsburgh Pirates to be the worst team in Major League Baseball in 2021. The Rangers could potentially draft outfielder and Dallas-area high schooler Elijah Green with the first pick in the 2022 Draft.
They could still find a quality player elsewhere in the draft like Alabama pitcher Connor Prielipp or Florida pitcher Brandon Sproat. The team already has the second-overall pick in this year’s draft, and they could use that choice on Florida outfielder Jud Fabian or shortstop and Dallas high schooler Jordan Lawlar.
The Rangers will likely ship off some pieces this season. The team already traded Lance Lynn, and there’s a chance Joey Gallo or Nick Solak might be out the door.
J.P. Martinez, as cool as the other side of the pillow. pic.twitter.com/YitkzcfoW2
— Rangers Player Development (@TEXPlayerDev) February 11, 2021
The team still has some worthwhile players to spot. Outfielder Leody Taveras is one of the best outfield prospects in the game, and starting pitcher Dane Dunning could throw more than a hundred strikeouts this season. Dunning came to the Rangers from the Chicago White Sox as part of the Lance Lynn trade.
The Rangers did acquire a few people on the MLB free agency market. While many of these players might not make an impact now, they could be useful factors for the Rangers later, whether it is years from now or as trade pieces.
Signings of Value
The Texas Rangers signed Mike Foltynewicz from the Atlanta Braves this offseason. He saw a bit of a slump last season and will likely be near the bottom of the rotation.
The team also acquired Kohei Arihara from Japan to make his American debut. The starting pitcher competed with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the past few seasons. He was a two-time NPB All-Star and won a Japan Series title with the Fighters in 2016 as part of the league’s best team.
The Rangers also filled out their bench by acquiring Delino DeShields from the Cleveland Indians and Charlie Culberson from Atlanta. DeShields had a .252 average with Cleveland last season, while Culberson was signed mainly as a spring training invitee.
International Efforts
The Rangers spent much of the MLB free agency period signing some international free agents. These include players from Central America who likely won’t make it to Arlington for a few years, but they include some promising figures that might play a good role in the future.
Dominican outfielder Yeison Morrobel joins the Rangers as their top international prospect. He will likely start playing in the Rangers system a year from now, as he doesn’t turn eighteen until the end of 2021. The team also signed two shortstops, Danyer Cueva from Venezuela and Yeferson Tineo from the Dominican Republic.
Who Departs?
Starting pitcher Corey Kluber left the team for the New York Yankees this offseason. Reliever Luis Garcia also left for the Yankees on a minor league contract.
The Rangers did not tender a contract for outfielder Danny Santana, who had a .145 average last season. The club also chose not to offer a contract to outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, who had five home runs last year but also had a .236 average. Shortstop Andrew Romine also did not receive a contract. He saw limited action last season and had a .250 average.
The Final Word
The Texas Rangers have started a rebuilding period that will go through at least this coming season. The team doesn’t have much to be excited about this season, as they will probably trade some more of their top players for prospects as the year progresses.
But the Rangers are working their hardest to find some young players they can develop, although much of it may come from the international market and an upcoming draft.
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