Sure, the Texas Rangers have a good, young nucleus for new manager Skip Schumaker. But a big free agent signing might help, too.
Well, it's about time for MLB free agents to hit the market and see what types of deals they can get from other teams.
Maybe the Texas Rangers should at least consider signing a big name to add to their 40-man roster. But who?
To be honest, there are a number of big names that will be available to pick up. Yet I believe the Rangers, with new manager Skip Schumaker on board, should look at two players who have Texas ties to their careers.
Sure, these players have ties to the Houston Astros but they're not going back there at all.
Outfielder Kyle Tucker signed a big contract with the Chicago Cubs, but it looks like Tucker is going back out on the market. Tucker had somewhat of an up-and-down season for the Cubs, hitting at times for power while looking lost at the plate other times.
Tucker was able to play pretty well in the Wrigley Field outfield, though. If the Rangers wanted to add a veteran bat to their lineup, then Tucker might be a good addition.
As for pitching, what about Framber Valdez? He was an anchor for the Astros' rotation yet found himself in the middle of a mess of his own making last season. When Valdez appeared to cross-up catcher Cesar Salazar last season, it opened up a big can of worms about his attitude.
There have been other moments during Valdez's stint with the Astros that have left some people to scratch their heads. Valdez, when he's right, can make his curveball work effectively. When he's not right, though, Valdez can kind of fall away from what works for him.
Either Tucker or Valdez will come with a hefty price tag. Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young might not want to sign either one. Grabbing a big name out on the market, when free agency opens up, is something I believe the team should look at doing.
It should be noted that Schumaker already has an idea about what type of team he wants to field. From the get-go, it's been obvious that he wants a different energy, a different mindset, for his players than what happened under former manager Bruce Bochy.
Schumaker spent last season as a senior adviser to Young. He had a front-row seat to watch the Rangers make a late-season push to get into the postseason, only to fall short.
Now, Schumaker might think adding a big-name player to the Rangers roster isn't worth the headache.
Time will tell if the Rangers actually pick Tucker, Valdez, or another player up in the coming weeks and months.