Last offseason, the Texas Rangers forked over millions of dollars to improve their offense.
They signed Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Kole Calhoun.
They still finished 68-94 in 2022, which prompted some changes in the dugout and at the front office level.
This offseason, however, they focused on adding pitching to make a run at a playoff spot in 2023.
Thanks to some crucial additions, the Rangers’ rotation went from being a liability to representing a clear strength.
That Rangers rotation 📈 pic.twitter.com/mJd62oYCAS
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 3, 2023
Texas paid $185 million to convince Jacob deGrom to join them and lead their staff.
He has two Cy Young awards and remains one of the five best pitchers in baseball.
But the Rangers didn’t stop there: they also brought in Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney.
They also retained talented left-hander Martin Perez (2.89 ERA in 2022).
That foursome, plus the talented Jon Gray, will form one of the best rotations in the AL West.
They also have Dane Dunning for depth purposes, and two of the most exciting pitching prospects in baseball: Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker.
Those two should be ready to contribute in a year or two.
Generally speaking, the pitching landscape in the Rangers’ organization has completely changed for the good.
If some homegrown pieces like Adolis Garcia, Nathaniel Lowe, and Josh Jung can keep developing, the offense could also catch up.
We are looking at a very competitive team that should, at the very least, flirt with a .500 finish.
That would be quite a step forward in comparison to last season and a sign of things to come.
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