The Texas Rangers are prepared to bolster their roster in an effort to defend the franchise’s first World Series championship, according to an MLB insider.
Two of the best free agents still available, left-hander Jordan Montgomery and designated hitter J.D. Martinez, are expected to sign with the Rangers, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Less than a month separates the two customers of Scott Boras who are searching for a place to call home.
Chris Young, general manager of the Rangers, has stated that the organization is essentially done signing players.
Heyman thinks Texas may be open to signing Montgomery to a deal akin to what Matt Chapman and Cody Bellinger got with the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs, respectively. Following the 2024 and 2005 seasons, both of Boras’s clients accepted three-year contracts with opt-out options after failing to secure nine-figure contracts as anticipated.
Martinez, 36, will probably have to settle for a one-year contract.
After being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in a trade, Montgomery was instrumental in leading the Rangers to the championship game the previous season. After making 11 starts during the regular season and going 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA, he finished the postseason with a 3-1 record and a 2.90 ERA after making five starts and one relief appearance.
Three of the Rangers’ expected rotation members will begin the season on the disabled list while recuperating from surgery, so they need starting pitching depth. The return of Max Scherzer (back) is not anticipated until June, and pitchers Tyler Mahle and Jacob deGrom (both of whom had elbow surgeries) probably won’t take the mound until after the All-Star break.
The starting lineup for the first game of the season is anticipated to be anchored by Jon Gray and Nathan Eovaldi and to include lefties Andrew Heaney and Cody Bradford in addition to Dane Dunning. Out of the four, only Eovaldi started a postseason game the previous year; the other three relieved him.
According to Heyman, the Giants, Boston Red Sox, Cubs, New York Mets, and New York Yankees are among the other clubs that may sign Montgomery.
In terms of runs per game (5.33) and home runs (233), the Rangers were third in the major leagues during the previous season. Martinez would appear to increase the scare factor of a formidable group.
In his lone season with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, Martinez was chosen for the sixth time in his 13-year career to start in the All-Star Game. In 113 games, he batted.271/.321/.572, with 33 home runs and 103 RBIs.
Less than a year after being selected fourth overall by the University of Florida in the amateur draft, rookie Wyatt Langford is projected to be the starting designated deep hitter for the Rangers. He has only appeared in 44 professional baseball games, thus the Rangers may prefer that he spend more time in Triple-A Round Rock to gather more experience.
By inserting youngster Evan Carter in center field, moving Langford to left field, and placing Leodys Taveras in a bench position, the Rangers may also create room in the lineup for Martinez.
Heyman mentions the Giants, Mets, and Los Angeles Angels as further teams that Martinez may sign with.
