MLB rumors: Rangers’ pitching plans amid Clayton Kershaw, Jordan Montgomery speculation
It could be a big offseason for the Rangers as there are rumors swirling that they could target Clayton Kershaw.
The MLB offseason is in full swing, and things are expected to heat up in the coming weeks. There has been already been a lot of free agency news, but some of the biggest names still don’t have a home. One team that is expected to make some moves this offseason is the Texas Rangers. The Rangers just won the World Series, and they are hoping to keep the momentum going into 2024. One position group to watch for Texas is pitchers.
Near the end of the regular season last year, the Rangers made a good splash by picking up Max Scherzer. He ended up getting injured and missing almost the rest of the season, but it was still a good move by Texas. Now, this team is looking to reload after winning a championship, and there are some rumblings of some more moves. Here is what Ken Rosenthal is saying about the Rangers.
“Imagine Jacob deGrom and Clayton Kershaw both joining the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers sometime after the All-Star break,” Ken Rosenthal said in an article from The Athletic. “It would be as if the team was making two stunning deadline additions, albeit two who are coming off injuries and entering their age 36 seasons. The Rangers can reasonably dream on deGrom, who is aiming to return from his second Tommy John surgery in August. Kershaw, a native and resident of the Dallas suburb of Highland Park, Texas, is a bit more of a stretch. He has never thrown a pitch for the Rangers, and is not certain to throw any pitches at all in 2024.”
It seems unlikely that the Rangers will bring back Jordan Montgomery next season, and that could open the door for Kershaw to go to Texas. The ball is mostly in his court, however, as he is a free agent.
“As a free agent, Kershaw first would need to choose the Rangers over the only team he has known, the Dodgers,” Rosenthal said. “Then, he would need to recover from surgery to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and capsule in his left shoulder. In an Instagram post on Nov. 3 after his surgery, Kershaw said, ‘I am hopeful to return to play at some point next summer.’ The Rangers, facing financial uncertainty due to the potential loss of their local television rights deal, seem unlikely to bring back left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who can argue that he has outperformed Aaron Nola, the Phillies’ $172 million man, over the past three seasons.”
There are a lot of different possibilities in regards to Kershaw and the Rangers. It could never happen, but if it does, it could happen in a few different ways.
“Kershaw would be less expensive,” Rosenthal continued. “A number of other free-agent starters would be, too. And in the postseason, the Rangers demonstrated the value of pitching depth, using three starters, Andrew Heaney, Dane Dunning and Jon Gray, as glorified openers or relievers. The team, according to major-league sources briefed on its plans, has the same idea in mind for ‘24. The Rangers could sign Kershaw and wait for him and deGrom in the second half. Or they can go for second-tier free agents who would be ready to pitch Opening Day, pitchers such as Michael Wacha, Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas. And perhaps prospects such as Owen White and Jack Leiter would provide the second-half boost.”
