After winning the World Series, the Texas Rangers are expected to sign Shohei Ohtani in free agency.
The Texas Rangers, fresh off a World Series victory, now have some of the strongest odds to sign Shohei Ohtani in free agency.
The Texas Rangers are an even more appealing destination for free agents now that they have won their first World Series victory.
Despite six straight losing seasons leading up to their World Series run, this is a team that has been able to sign Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Jon Gray, Jacob deGrom, and Nathan Eovaldi in the last two offseasons.
The Rangers can now pursue any free agent they want. As a result, the New York Post considers the Rangers to be a co-favorite to sign Los Angeles Angels two-way standout Shohei Ohtani.
The Post put down 6-1 odds of the Rangers landing Ohtani, sharing the top spot with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
The Post’s logic?
They got a taste of winning, are unafraid to spend, and made their first cut six years ago. Word is they were ready to go for Ohtani at midseason.
Ohtani is the likely American League MVP, even after suffering a torn UCL in his right arm in the season’s final month. He went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA as a pitcher and batted .304 with 44 home runs and 95 RBI as a designated hitter.
Ohtani had surgery on his torn UCL on Sept. 19 and has indicated that he intends to be a designated hitter in 2024, with an intention to pitch in 2025.
Along with his two UCL surgeries — he had a procedure in 2018 — he has had previous UCL strains that have been treated with platelet-rich plasma and stem-cell injections.
Nonetheless, Ohtani will turn 30 in 2024, and even if he is unable to pitch, he can give regular output as a designated hitter.
According to Spotrac.com, the Rangers’ payroll in 2024 is expected to be $210 million. This includes current contracts, arbitration projections, and salaries prior to arbitration. Before an Ohtani transaction, they would be close to the first tax threshold of $237 million.
However, for a player of Ohtani’s caliber, it may be worth breaking the luxury tax threshold, especially with the Rangers poised to defend their championship for the first time in franchise history.
