Because the Rangers look to exchange the numerous arms they misplaced to free company this winter, three extra targets have emerged: left-handed starter Max Fried, left-handed reliever A.J. Minter, and right-handed reliever Jonathan Loáisiga.
The information that Texas is concerned about Fried comes from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon. They affirm that re-signing Nathan Eovaldi stays the crew’s major aim however counsel the Rangers are contemplating Fried as one potential various. Nonetheless, their curiosity appears to be informal, no less than for now. After Corbin Burnes, Fried is arguably the highest beginning pitcher obtainable in free company. Meaning he’s going to command considerably more cash than Eovaldi. Getting into the offseason, the MLBTR workers predicted Fried would signal a six-year, $156MM deal; Eovaldi’s predicted contract was a two-year, $44MM pact. Thus, because the Rangers look to duck beneath the posh tax threshold and proceed to take care of TV income uncertainty, monetary constraints may forestall them from signing any star free brokers. In different phrases, it looks like the Rangers are maintaining tabs on Fried, however a deal stays unlikely.
The bullpen is probably an even bigger space of concern for Texas. The one 4 pitchers who threw greater than 50 innings out of the Rangers bullpen in 2024 are all free brokers: Kirby Yates, David Robertson, José Leclerc, and José Ureña. What’s extra Josh Sborz goes to overlook important time once more after present process shoulder surgical procedure. President of baseball operations Chris Younger has already made a few small additions, claiming Roansy Contreras off of waivers from the Angels and signing Luis Curvelo to a serious league deal, however neither is the kind of confirmed, high-leverage arm the Rangers desperately want. Ideally, the Rangers could be out there for a bona fide nearer like Tanner Scott or an All-Star expertise like Jeff Hoffman. Nonetheless, a scarcity of payroll flexibility may clarify why they’re concentrating on a pair of bounce-back candidates as an alternative.
Over the previous 5 seasons, Minter has pitched to a 2.85 ERA and three.04 SIERA in 243 innings of labor for the Braves. Whereas he solely has 36 profession saves, the southpaw has expertise pitching late in video games. He additionally has a number of years of playoff expertise. In 25 postseason frames, he has a 2.88 ERA and a couple of.63 SIERA. The rationale for hesitation in relation to Minter, is that he spent two lengthy stints on the injured checklist nursing a hip harm this previous season. He finally wanted surgical procedure, and it’s not but clear how quickly he’ll be capable to return. That stated, a hip harm is way much less worrisome than an arm-related subject, and Minter was extremely sturdy from 2020-23. Solely three relievers made extra appearances in that point. Thus, Jon Morosi of MLB Community reviews that Minter is among the many “hottest” left-handed relievers on the free agent market, linking him to the Braves, Cubs, and Rangers. He was additionally linked to the Blue Jays earlier this offseason.
Loáisiga has not been almost as durably as Minter all through his profession, however the upside is interesting. He was one of many prime relievers within the sport in 2021, placing up a 2.17 ERA and three.01 SIERA in 70 2/3 innings for the Yankees. Sadly, varied arm accidents have gotten in his approach ever since. He handled shoulder irritation in 2022, bone spurs in his elbow in 2023, and, most lately, he underwent an inside brace process in April 2024. The rehab timeline for an inside brace process is usually 10-12 months, which implies Loáisiga might be again to full energy in time for Opening Day. That being the case, it’s not laborious to see why he has so many suitors, together with the Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, and now, in accordance with Jorge Castillo of ESPN, the Padres and Rangers. Whereas it’s been a very long time since Loáisiga was a dependable large league reliever, it’s simple to dream in regards to the upside of his 98 mph sinker and deadly curveball. So, it comes as little shock that he’s anticipated to signal a serious league deal this winter (per Castillo).
