If you ignore the standings, everything is going well for the Texas Rangers. They are the defending World Series champions, and they recently hosted the 2024 All-Star festivities. The All-Star Game featured shortstop Corey Seager, second baseman Marcus Semien, and reliever Kirby Yates, while outfielder Adolis García took part in the Home Run Derby. They even boast two players who were rated as top-six prospects in the MLB prior to the season: outfielders Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford.
Win-loss records, like babies and credit card bills, cannot be ignored for very long. The Rangers are 46-50 at the All-Star break, sitting third in the perplexing American League West behind the 52-46 Seattle Mariners and 50-46 Houston Astros. During the wild card race,
53-42 The Boston Red Sox now hold the final playoff slot, with four teams between them and Texas. The final two weeks of July are the most active trading time on the MLB calendar, and the Rangers are a prime example of a team trapped between buying and selling. They’ve made considerable investments in team wages, with eight players earning eight figures this season and four earning at least $26 million. Obviously, they have a previous track record of success, but it will be difficult to make up that much gap and make the 2024 playoffs.
One of the key elements of their trade deadline approach is the progress and return of some of their injured pitchers. Max Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner who will turn 40 in ten days, made his season debut on June 23. He boasts a 2.96 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in five starts and 27 1/3 innings, but there are some concerns behind his impressive figures.
Scherzer’s average fastball velocity is 92.7 mph, which is a whole tick lower than previous season and significantly lower than his peak velocity of 95 mph with the Washington Nationals. Similarly, his strikeout rate has decreased from 28.0% in 2023 to 21.7% this season. As of late, it had reached 34.1%. 2021. It will be difficult to predict how Scherzer will perform the rest of the season, but it will be even more difficult to predict how Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle will do given that they have not pitched in 2024. During the 2022-2023 summer, the Rangers signed deGrom to a five-year, $185 million contract. The two-time Cy Young Award winner only pitched six games in 2023 before having his second Tommy John surgery on June 12, 2023. Tommy John has a lower return rate the second time around, and he is already 36 years old. He’s been throwing bullpen sessions this month in preparation for a rehab assignment, and he might return to the Rangers rotation in August. Mahle does not have as many trophies as deGrom or Scherzer, but he is a productive starting pitcher when healthy. He had a 3.90 ERA in 71 games and 374 innings from 2020 to 2023. Texas signed him to a two-year, $22 million deal this summer, despite the fact that he was recovering from Tommy John surgery on May 22, 2023. He is ahead of deGrom in his rehabilitation and has already pitched in Arizona Complex League games. Still, it is doubtful.
He’ll return to the Rangers before the trade deadline.
Can Scherzer keep it together despite his age, injury history, and falling velocity? Will deGrom and Mahle return in time to propel them into the playoffs, or will it be too little, too late? If they decide to become buyers, they must address their lack of outfield production. Carter has not played since May 26 due to lower back pain, while Langford has only been average at the plate thus far. They could benefit from enhancements over Travis Jankowski and Leody Taveras. If they believe they cannot make a turnaround in the standings, they will be interested in relievers such as Yates, José Leclerc, David Robertson, and José Ureña.
Rangers have some.
They have crucial and difficult questions to address, and time is running out to make a decision.
Leave a Reply