3 free agents the Rangers can sign after missing on Josh Hader
The Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series despite a bullpen that can only be described as lackluster at best. The Rangers ranked 24th in the majors with a 4.77 bullpen ERA despite their relievers throwing the seventh-fewest innings and they were tied for the league lead with 33 blown saves.
The Rangers bullpen turned it around in the postseason, but it's hard to bank on that happening again. They did sign Kirby Yates to join promising right-hander Jose Leclerc and postseason hero Josh Sborz, but also lost both Chris Stratton and Will Smith in free agency, and have Aroldis Chapman sitting in free agency as well.
With that in mind, the Rangers could've really used a difference-maker like Josh Hader to close games for them. Unfortunately, not only did the Rangers not seriously pursue Hader, but they watched him sign on with their biggest rivals, the Houston Astros. That team that nearly knocked the Rangers out of the postseason entirely in a thrilling ALCS matchup.
For the Rangers to beat Houston again and win another World Series, they're going to have to make some moves. Signing any of these three players would go a long way.
3) The Rangers should re-sign Jordan Montgomery after missing out on Josh Hader
The biggest no-brainer all offseason for Texas has been to bring Jordan Montgomery back. While it appears that they're the favorites to do so, we're in late January and it hasn't happened yet. While the Rangers have earned the trust of their fans based on recent offseasons of heavy spending, Rangers fans are understandably impatient waiting for their hero to return.
The Rangers acquired Montgomery at the trade deadline in a moved that proved to be incredibly valuable for Texas. Not only was Montgomery pitching like an ace down the stretch just to get Texas into the playoffs, but he was even better in the postseason, helping Texas win the World Series.
Montgomery posted a 2.90 ERA in six playoff appearances (five starts), making his mark with a pair of Game 1 gems in the AL Wild Card round and the ALCS on the road to help Texas get off to good starts.
The Rangers won't only need Montgomery for the postseason in 2024, but they'll need him if they want to get there. With Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and the newly signed Tyler Mahle out for a large portion of the upcoming season, the Rangers need to add rotation depth in the worst way. Bringing Montgomery back to fill that void with so many key guys out is as much of a no-brainer as it gets. The price will be hefty, but it has to happen.