One trade, one signing Rangers should make
Fresh off their first World Series title in franchise history, the Texas Rangers will need to be creative this offseason as they try to upgrade their team to defend their championship in 2024.
Sitting at fifth in the MLB in payroll according to Spotrac , the Rangers will need to add another addition to their starting rotation with pitchers Max Scherzer, Tyler Mahle and Jacob deGrom all expected to miss major portions of the 2024 season.
Here's one trade and one signing the Rangers should make this offseason.
Trade: Acquire RHP Shane Bieber from the Guardians
With a need for starting pitching still after the Mahle signing, the Rangers would be smart to call up the Cleveland Guardians and inquire about starting pitcher Shane Bieber.
With the Guardians looking to take advantage of their promising young pitching staff and weak division in 2024 they are entertaining offers of Bieber and are likely to trade the 28-year-old at some point this season if not this offseason.
Rangers have both first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and pitcher Jon Gray who could be a part of the deal to the Guardians in exchange for the 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner, giving them a top-of-the-rotation-type arm to help stabilize a pitching staff that will be needed to be successful despite their powerful offense.
Bieber is entering his final year of arbitration and is likely to demand a big payday after this season, in his six seasons in Cleveland he has gone 60-32 with a 3.27 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 938 strikeouts over 831 innings pitched.
With Lowe due for a raise soon, trading him now and attaching a contract like the two-year, $26M left on Gray's deal is not a steep price to pay if Bieber is the return.
Signing: Add first baseman C.J. Cron to replace Lowe
After dealing away first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to the Guardians in our hypothetical trade above, the Rangers should pounce on his replacement who is coming off a down year in 2023.
That player would be first baseman Cron, after battling injuries that held him to only 71 games last season Cron slashed .248/.295/.434 with 12 home runs and 37 RBI playing for both the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels.
From 2018-2022, Cron posted a .260/.331/.490 slash line with 235 extra-base hits and 354 RBI including 25-plus home runs in four of the last five seasons.
He should come at a discounted price due to his down year battling injuries, and if he can return to his old self in 2024 he will be a nice piece to add to the Rangers potent lineup that scored the most runs in the AL last season.
Cron is projected to get a two-year, $17M deal according to Spotrac's market value calculator.
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