The Texas Rangers are one of the three teams that reportedly dropped out of the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Rangers clearly don't need Ohtani to win, as they just won in 2023 without him, but boy, would that have been a dream addition.
Texas already had one of, if not the best lineup in the majors without Shohei, and with him it would've been just unfair. While Ohtani was the dream, there are still several players Chris Young can target who would help the Rangers repeat as World Series champions with their willingness to spend money.
1) Josh Hader
The Rangers might've won the World Series this past season and got good enough relief pitching in the postseason, but their bullpen in the regular season was subpar, to say the least. The Rangers ranked 24th in the majors with a 4.77 bullpen ERA. The only teams that finished below them won 73 games or fewer.
The Rangers need to add multiple arms to help fortify their bullpen, but a good place to start would be locking down their closer role. Will Smith was their primary closer for most of the regular season, but he had his struggles and is a free agent. Aroldis Chapman had some save opportunities, but he didn't do much with them and is also a free agent.
Jose Leclerc was Texas' closer for much of their postseason run, but he converted just four saves in nine tries in the regular season. Leclerc pitched well for most of the year but hasn't saved more than 14 games in a season.
Adding a proven superstar closer like Josh Hader to lock down games for them is the dream scenario. Hader had another monster year this past season with the Padres, posting a 1.28 ERA in 61 appearances, converting 33 saves in 38 tries. The price won't be cheap, but the production would be more than worthwhile for this Rangers team in desperate need of relief help.
2) Rangers Shohei Ohtani backup plan: Jordan Montgomery
Had the Rangers signed Shohei Ohtani, it would've been hard to envision them throwing another $150 million or so at Jordan Montgomery. Even the Rangers have a limit eventually when it comes to the amount they can spend.
Montgomery was acquired at the 2023 trade deadline, and there's a good chance Texas doesn't even make the playoffs, let alone win the World Series without him. He was that good.
In 11 starts for Texas during the regular season, the southpaw posted a 2.79 ERA in 67.2 innings pitched. He averaged more than six innings per start and gave his team a great chance to win virtually every time out. Not only did Montgomery do that for Texas, but he's done that consistently in each of the last three seasons.
Since the start of the 2021 season, Montgomery has made 94 starts and has posted a 3.58 ERA in 524.1 innings of work for the Yankees, Cardinals, and Rangers. He's as close to a lock to make 30+ starts as you can find in the majors, and most of those starts are quality.
His performance in the postseason should seal the deal, as Montgomery played a massive role in leading Texas to their first World Series win. His heroics against the Astros (2 ER in 14 IP) certainly won't be forgotten anytime soon by Rangers fans. Re-signing the 30-year-old should be at the top of Chris Young's priority list.
3) Rangers Shohei Ohtani backup plan: J.D. Martinez
The Rangers offense is among the best in the majors, so an upgrade isn't an absolute necessity. However, had the Rangers settled this past season, they probably wouldn't have won the whole thing. Chris Young has to stay aggressive and try to improve everywhere he can, and improving the DH is one spot that makes sense.
If Ohtani is off the table, J.D. Martinez is the second-best option. He might even be the second-best hitter in this free agency class, which speaks somewhat to how subpar this class is, but also to how good J.D. is.
Martinez is coming off a huge year with the Dodgers, slasing .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs and 103 RBI. Martinez would've tied for second on this Rangers team in home runs, and ranked second in RBI. Pretty impressive when considering how good this Rangers lineup was.
Martinez would be a pretty major upgrade over Ezequiel Duran who played well this past season for Texas, but had just a .611 OPS in the second half. Again, it's not a necessity like Hader and Montgomery, but it's an upgrade, and one the Rangers should absolutely consider.
