Defending a title is hard. This is perhaps most true in a sport as unpredictable as baseball, and a trend spanning more than two decades proves that. Barring an incredible turnaround that borders on a miracle, the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers will not defend their title this year. That would make the Rangers the 24th consecutive champion to fail to defend their title as kings of the MLB, with the New York Yankees of 1998-2000 being the last to do so.
This is not how things were supposed to go for Texas. The Rangers returned virtually their entire roster from their 2023 title season, bringing in reinforcements that were expected to increase their chances of returning to the playoffs and the Fall Classic.
Instead, with six weeks left in the MLB regular season, the Rangers are ten games under .500 and six teams separating them from a wild card spot. They are 11 games out of first place in the AL West and have the worst winning percentage of any third-place team.
As much as they want to believe they can still be successful in September, the Rangers should look to the future. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising if Texas placed some big-name players with expiring contracts on the waivers list in the next two weeks. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic mentioned such a possibility last week.
It would be a bitter pill for the Rangers and their fans to swallow, but caution is in the franchise’s best interest. Texas still has a core that can compete as early as next season. There’s no shame in cutting even the tiniest bit of salary to free up money for the offseason, even if it’s coming from the champions.
Left-handed starter with postseason experience says goodbye to Texas
The Rangers have gone through a lot of different pitchers over the last few seasons as they haven’t had much luck with injuries. This year, 12 pitchers have started a game for Texas and that number is only going to grow with the impending return of Jacob deGrom.
Jon Gray is also expected back this week, which will create a crowded rotation with Nathan Eovaldi, Tyler Mahle, Dane Dunning, Cody Bradford and Andrew Heaney currently filling the spots. Mahle, Dunning and Bradford are all under contract for next season, while Eovaldi still needs to throw 29 innings to trigger a $20 million player option for 2025.
That brings us to Heaney, the veteran left-hander who is inking a two-year, $25 million deal with the Rangers. Heaney hasn’t pitched much differently this season than he has in his entire 11-year MLB career. He has a 4.20 ERA and a 3.51 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2024, not far from his career marks of 4.45 and 3.53 in those respective stats.
Heaney has never been an ace and his numbers aren’t particularly impressive, but he’s had a lot of bad luck this year, as evidenced by his 4-13 record. The Rangers are 5-1 in Heaney’s six good starts this season, but the left-hander has won in just two of them. In seven other starts, he allowed three or fewer earned runs in at least five innings, only to earn a win in one of them. His only other win came as a relief pitcher.
That’s not to say Heaney is a game-changer or a must-have for a competitive team, but there’s reason to believe he’d be more reliable with increased run production. The Rangers averaged 5.1 runs per game in the eight games they won when Heaney pitched. In his other 17 appearances, that number drops to 2.7.
Heaney made just one MLB playoff appearance before last October, but pitched very well for Texas. Aside from a start in which he allowed three runs and didn’t make it past the first inning, the left-hander allowed two runs in 10 1/3 innings last postseason. He secured a World Series victory after allowing one run in five innings of Game 4.
The adage “pitching wins championships” is not lost in the age of analytics. Even if they are used little to no, the 13th or 14th pitcher on a postseason roster is important. It makes sense for the Rangers to decide Heaney is the odd man out with Gray and deGrom on the verge of returning. It makes even more sense for a contender to secure the services of a veteran pitcher.
Rangers All-Star player aims to return to the playoffs
The resurgence of Kirby Yates has been fun to watch, as the two-time All-Star reliever proved he still has what it takes to be an elite bullpen pitcher. After throwing just 11 1/3 innings from 2020-2022, Yates posted a 3.28 ERA in 61 games with the Atlanta Braves in 2023. This year, he has 22 saves in 23 opportunities and a 1.33 ERA and 0.89 WHIP for Texas.
Yates has flown under the radar due to the Rangers’ performance, but was honored with an All-Star nomination and threw a scoreless inning in his first appearance at the Midsummer Classic. Another atmosphere he hasn’t pitched in often is the postseason.
Yates made his MLB debut in 2014 but did not appear in a playoff game until last year, allowing one unearned run in one inning. Despite his best efforts throughout the 2023 season, the Braves declined his contract option for 2024.
His one-year proof deal with the Rangers worked, and while he may not get a multi-year free agent offer this winter due to his age—he’ll be 38 just before Opening Day next year—he should be a hot commodity on the reliever market.
Yates will likely opt to sign with a proven contender at this point in his career, and while he enjoyed his time in Texas, this season may have convinced him that the Rangers are not the franchise that offers him the best chance at a ring.
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There were rumors that Texas would trade Yates before the trade deadline, but they believed enough in their ability to rebound to hold on to him. Three weeks later, they have fallen further down the standings and don’t have much use for a reliever of his caliber. Putting Kirby Yates on waivers wouldn’t be a head-scratching move for the Rangers. Rival teams would jump at the opportunity to recruit or sign him.
Experienced speedster ensures excitement
While Kirby Yates is the most high-profile player the Rangers could trade before September, Travis Jankowski is a name only diehard baseball fans know. The 33-year-old migrant worker carved out a role for himself at Texas last season, appearing in 100 games for the first time since 2018. He finished the season with a .357 OBP in 287 at-bats and 19 steals.
Jankowski has slacked off in 2024 and has been unable to find consistency in his play. In 79 games, he has a .200 batting average with a .499 OPS, with only four of his 30 hits going for extra bases. His appearances have decreased every month since May. Jankowski appeared in seven games in August, five of them as a pinch runner or defensive replacement.
That’s about as much playing time as he’d get in the postseason, if at all, but Jankowski has already shown up in crucial situations and could provide decent speed and defensive ability to a competitive team. He has eight steals in nine attempts in his limited role and plays average defense with three outs above average and four defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs.
Jankowski had a strong performance in his first playoff appearance in Game 4 of the 2023 World Series, hitting 2-for-4 and scoring two runs as the Rangers took a commanding 3-1 series lead and ultimately won it the next day with Jankowski in right field.
Travis Jankowski won’t do much for a competitive team, but he could make the playoff team as a backup given his experience and ability on the basepaths. The veteran outfielder hasn’t done enough to convince the Rangers he deserves a spot on the roster next season, but perhaps a team looking for a speedy backup could use him.
