This offseason, the Texas Rangers haven’t been very active. Now they might be out in signing a top starting pitcher in free agency.
The Texas Rangers are a team that needs improvement. But, they haven’t really been in the thick of reports for a big signing. The team would like to add a reliable starting pitcher to the mix. That hasn’t happened so far, and it might not happen at all. They might nab big Bartolo Colon, so that’s something. But, a 45-year-old starting pitcher isn’t going to cut it. Unfortunately, that might be the only pitcher they get heading into 2018.
Texas Rangers top baseball executive Jon Daniels had an interview on MLB Network Radio recently about the offseason. This should sink the ship for any hope of signing a top-flight starting pitcher:
"“We’ve maintained contact with Darvish for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is we really like the guy. We think very highly of him, both on and off the field. He lives here [in Texas]. We have a long relationship with him. I still maintain it’s unlikely we’re ultimately going to bring in one of the upper-end pitchers at this point.”"
So, fans shouldn’t expect a Yu Darvish return. He is looking for a huge contract, and the Rangers already have plenty of money on the payroll. The slow free agent market has put a stamp on this offseason as one of the slowest ever. In 2017, Darvish had the second highest career ERA in his MLB career with a 3.86. Also, he tipped pitches in the World Series.
But, those were just a blip on the radar. He is still an ace pitcher with nasty stuff. His projection for 2018 is 12-9 with a 3.82 ERA in 179.0 innings of work. Also, the righty always generates a ton of strikeouts. Darvish has several strikeout pitches such as his fastball-slider combo. The right-hander also has a 55 MPH breaking ball to boot. But, let’s look at his wipeout slider.
https://twitter.com/pitchingninja/status/923872399015243777
This guy is a workhorse that can take you out with a variety of offerings. Darvish had a K% of 27.3 and a BB% of 7.6%. Also, his BAA was .226. But unfortunately, the Rangers probably won’t get him. Maybe Lance Lynn or Alex Cobb? We’ll see. But, it seems like the club is done adding a major piece to the club heading into next season.
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So, Texas could look into the trade market. But so far, it is so expensive to get anybody on your team. With that said, don’t expect anything big coming out of Arlington.