Texas Rangers

Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, will host the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.

This will be just the second time the Rangers have hosted the Midsummer Classic. The National League earned a 3-2 win over the American League in Arlington in 1995.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the Rangers and Arlington "presented a robust bid for All-Star Week."

"The Rangers stepped up under difficult circumstances and Globe Life Field served as terrific host for the 2020 Postseason, including the World Series," he said. "We are excited to once again feature Baseball's newest ballpark on a global stage next summer."

This was inevitable once Globe Life Field opened in 2020. MLB wouldn't wait too long before taking the All-Star Game to North Texas, and Manfred said as much in 2019.

Beyond being the newest MLB stadium on the block, Globe Life Field's retractable roof makes it much easier to stage major events in the heart of summer. Unlike in 1995, the heat won't be a factor in the 2024 All-Star Game and its accompanying showcases.

To some degree, Thursday's announcement adds a little more pressure for Rangers general manager Chris Young, who's running the front office following the August firing of Jon Daniels.

Texas made a big splash last offseason by signing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.

Despite that signal of intent, the Rangers ultimately finished 68-94. The organization will obviously want to see more success by 2024, and the number of ASG representatives it has in its home ballpark will be one barometer for whether that goal is met.

Coming off their sixth straight season with a losing record, the Texas Rangers are aiming high in free agency as they look to upgrade their pitching staff.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Rangers have contacted the agents for Jacob deGrom, Carlos Rodón and Japanese star Koudai Senga.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported deGrom has told the Rangers he's interested in them but that Rodón "may be a better fit for Texas ultimately."

The Rangers have also been linked to Clayton Kershaw, who they tried to sign last offseason before he returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

They are also trying to re-sign Martín Pérez, though Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today noted Pérez will likely receive a qualifying offer after the sides reached an impasse in contract talks.

DeGrom has the highest risk-reward potential of any starter on the market. He had a 3.08 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 102 strikeouts last season for the New York Mets but only made 11 starts as he recovered from a shoulder injury.

Over the past two seasons combined, deGrom has only thrown 156.1 innings in 26 starts thanks to injuries.

Rodón is coming off the best two-year run of his MLB career. The left-hander has a 2.67 ERA. 1.00 WHIP and 422 strikeouts in 310.2 innings over 55 starts since 2021. He spent last season with the San Francisco Giants after playing for the Chicago White Sox in 2021.

Senga is little known to baseball fans in the United States, but the 29-year-old right-hander is ranked as the 18th-best free agent by The Athletic's Keith Law.

"He throws 100 mph with a plus splitter, while opinions on his slider vary from below-average to just slightly above," Law wrote about Senga's arsenal. "He does have a true curveball that looks like it would be at least an average pitch as well."

Playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball last season, Senga posted a 1.94 ERA with 156 strikeouts in 144 innings.

After the Rangers fired Jon Daniels as president of baseball operations in August, they seemingly handed over control of their front office to general manager Chris Young.

The Daniels-Young front office spent big last winter to bring in Corey Seager (10 years, $325 million), Marcus Semien (seven years, $175 million) and Jon Gray (four years, $56 million).

Those moves didn't produce the results Texas hoped for. The team finished fourth in the AL West with a 68-94 record. One of the biggest reasons the Rangers struggled is that the starting rotation was the fifth-worst in Major League Baseball by FanGraphs' wins above replacement (5.8).

The New York Mets are reportedly "most worried" about the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers as they attempt to re-sign starting pitcher Jacob deGrom, who opted out of his contract to become a free agent.

SNY's Andy Martino reported Tuesday the Mets are expected to make a "strong" offer to bring back deGrom early in free agency but aren't planning to stay in a long-term bidding war with the Braves, Rangers and other interested clubs if that's how the situation plays out.

Martino also noted the two sides have had "preliminary contact":

The top of New York's pitching staff is the main point of concern as free agency gets prepared to open Thursday, especially after the team was able to re-sign closer Edwin Diaz to solidify the back end of the bullpen.

There are a lot of question marks behind Max Scherzer, which means multiple additions could be necessary if Carlos Carrasco and Chris Bassitt also depart.

DeGrom coming back would provide a major boost, but it doesn't sound like the Mets' front office is willing to meet or exceed any offer to keep him.

The club is willing to pay fair market value or "perhaps go a bit higher" but will otherwise attempt to fill the void in another way, per Martino.

Watching the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who's pitched his entire nine-year career with the Mets, land with the NL East rival Braves would be a tough pill to swallow, though.

Atlanta already features one of MLB's best rotations with Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Kyle Wright and Charlie Morton, and picking up a starter with a 2.52 ERA across 209 career starts would give the Braves the best starting group in baseball.

Meanwhile, deGrom represents a bigger need for the Rangers, who have more talent on their roster than their 68-94 record in 2022 would indicate. One of the missing pieces is a true ace.

In October, Texas general manager Chris Young didn't hide his intention to enter free agency with an eye toward improving the rotation.

"We will be active on the free-agent market with the intention of signing multiple starting pitchers," Young told reporters.

Landing deGrom would be a massive step in the right direction toward rebuilding that area of the roster.

All told, it's hard to imagine the Mets won't do everything in their power to keep their longtime ace, but all signs point toward ample competition on the market.

After three years of retirement, Bruce Bochy is returning to Major League Baseball as manager of the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers announced on Friday they have agreed to a three-year deal with Bochy through the 2025 season.

"As we went through the interview process, Bruce’s passion and excitement about returning to the dugout was very evident. It became clear he was the ideal individual to lead our club as we continue to build a championship culture here in Arlington," Rangers general manager Chris Young said of Bochy's hiring.

Expectations were high for the Rangers coming into the 2022 season. The front office spent more than $500 million combined to sign Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Jon Gray in free agency.

Things didn't work out as planned, as the Rangers struggled en route to a 68-94 record. Chris Woodward, who was in his fourth season, was fired as manager on Aug. 15 after a 51-63 start.

Third-base coach Tony Beasley replaced Woodward as interim manager for the rest of the season.

Bochy spent 25 consecutive years as a manager from 1995-2019. He began his managerial career with the San Diego Padres when he took over for Jim Riggleman.

Before getting into coaching, Bochy played nine seasons in the big leagues from 1978-87. He had stints with the Houston Astros, New York Mets and Padres before retiring.

The Padres ended an 11-year playoff drought in 1996 when they won the National League West. Bochy was named NL Manager of the Year for leading the team to a 91-71 record that season.

San Diego made the playoffs three more times under Bochy, including an appearance in the 1998 World Series.

Following the 2006 season, Bochy left San Diego to replace Felipe Alou as manager of the San Francisco Giants. He had back-to-back losing seasons in 2007 and 2008 and missed the playoffs again in 2009 to begin his tenure in the Bay Area.

Starting with the 2010 season, the Giants had one of the best five-season runs in franchise history. Bochy led them to three World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. They also posted winning records seven times in eight seasons from 2009-16.

Bochy announced in February 2019 he was going to retire after the upcoming season. He did manage France last month during World Baseball Classic qualifying games in Germany.

The 67-year-old ranks seventh in MLB history in games managed (4,032) and 12th in wins (2,003).

Texas hasn't finished with a winning record or made the playoffs since going 95-67 in 2016.

The Texas Rangers have interviewed Bruce Bochy for their vacant managerial position, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Bochy, a former San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres manager, met with Rangers general manager Chris Young on Thursday.

The Rangers also interviewed interim manager Tony Beasley for the full-time job earlier this month.

Beasley replaced former manager Chris Woodward in August and finished with a 17-31 record for the 68-94 Rangers. Young told reporters earlier this month that Beasley wasn't going to be judged just on his record leading the team in a short period of time:

“He inherited a difficult situation with a midseason change. We acknowledged that when we made the move we felt like Tony was the right person at the time to help us really re-establish some things that we were missing. And he, in my opinion, succeeded in those areas.”

Bochy is a far more experienced candidate, though.

The 67-year-old managed the Padres from 1995 to 2006, going 951-975. He won the Manager of the Year award in 1996, won four NL West titles and led the Friars to the National League pennant in 1998, though they went on to fall to the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Bochy left the Padres to manage the Giants in 2007 and he served in the position through 2019 before retiring. He went 1,052-1,054 in his 13 seasons in San Francisco and led the Giants to two division titles and three World Series championships.

While Bochy is retired, he's still being considered a managerial candidate after telling Rosenthal in September that he was "not ruling anything out," including a potential return to the dugout.

In addition, Bochy spent time managing recently, agreeing to lead Team France in the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers. However, France was eliminated and did not earn a spot in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

If Bochy is hired by the Rangers, the franchise will be hoping he can lead them back to the postseason for the first time since 2016. Texas also has not posted a winning record since then.

However, there will likely be some competition for Bochy's services. The Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox all need new managers. The White Sox have most recently been linked to Bochy.

The Texas Rangers may pursue New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom if the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner declines his $32.5 million player option for 2023 and becomes a free agent next offseason.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post provided the news Thursday.

"The Rangers are intent on adding a big-time starter, and word is they may go for Jacob deGrom. Folks marvel at how MLB’s best pitcher is throwing better than ever off his 13-month layoff, and while there aren’t a lot of teams ready to take a $40 million gamble, the Rangers might.

"Rangers baseball president Chris Young wouldn’t address any specific pitching targets but said they 'will leave no stone unturned' in their search to upgrade pitching a year after they significantly upgraded offense."

DeGrom, 34, has posted a 5-2 record, a 2.32 ERA, a 0.61 WHIP and 86 strikeouts in 54.1 innings over nine starts this season. He missed the first half of the season after suffering a stress reaction on his scapula.

Since 2018, deGrom has gone 37-23 with a 1.97 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP and a 12.2 K/9 rate.

DeGrom told reporters in spring training that he planned to opt out of his contract and enter free agency. However, he also made clear that he was interested in sticking around long-term with the Mets.

The ace won't have a shortage of suitors, though. Texas isn't shy about spending big money and notably paid $500 million for middle infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien last offseason.

However, the 65-84 Rangers' pitching staff sports the fourth-highest ERA in the American League. They need more help in the rotation and bullpen to get back in the playoff mix, and deGrom could go a long way toward making that happen.

At the same time, Mets owner Steve Cohen isn't shy about spending money either. New York has the second-highest payroll in baseball these days behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As Heyman noted on Sept. 1, "Mets owner Steve Cohen told The Post he wants to keep deGrom, and you have to think he has that ability." That's despite the fact that Heyman also wrote that some believe deGrom "will shoot to become the first $50 million player."

Cohen brought in big talents such as Max Scherzer and Francisco Lindor to fat contracts that have enabled the team to reside in first place in the National League East.

Keeping deGrom around should certainly be No. 1 on Cohen's to-do list this offseason as the Mets look to create a sustained run of playoff success. The Rangers and other teams will obviously be in pursuit, but the Mets have the deep pockets to get it done as well.

Amid a disappointing 2022 season after spending big money to upgrade their roster last offseason, the Texas Rangers continue to clean house with Jon Daniels the latest person to be let go.

The Rangers announced Wednesday that Daniels has been fired as president of baseball operations. General manager Chris Young will take over his role.

Wednesday's announcement comes two days after the Rangers parted ways with manager Chris Woodward.

The Rangers were one of the most aggressive teams in Major League Baseball when it came to spending over the winter. They handed out contracts totaling $556 million to sign Corey Seager (10 years, $325 million), Marcus Semien (seven years, $175 million) and Jon Gray (four years, $56 million).

It seemed like a sound strategy to accelerate the franchise's return to postseason contention. They finished with a sub-.400 winning percentage in each of the previous two seasons, including a 60-102 record in 2021.

"We've been very transparent," Young told reporters in December when the Rangers introduced their free-agent signings. "We were a 102-loss team. We haven't run from that. But we have a vision, we have a plan and this is how we're going to accomplish it. 'Does this scare you? Do you want to be part of this? Do you want to do something special that's never been done in Texas Ranger history?'

"We knew the answer with these players before we asked the question. And that's part of the process for us identifying the right people to help turn this organization around.”

Seager and Gray have played well this season, though maybe not up to the full potential based on the deals they signed. Seager leads the team with 26 homers and was named to the American League All-Star team. Gray has a 3.83 ERA and is averaging a career-high 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings, but he's currently on the injured list with a strained oblique.

Semien has been a huge disappointment with a .236/.294/.403 slash line in 115 games. He finished third in AL MVP voting twice in the previous three seasons and hit a career-high 45 homers for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021.

The Rangers have played better overall in 2022 than in recent years, but their 52-64 record is still 9.5 games behind the Blue Jays for the final playoff spot in the AL.

Daniels has worked in Texas' front office since 2002. He became the youngest general manager in MLB history (28 years old) when the Rangers promoted him to the job after John Hart stepped down in October 2005.

The Rangers added the title of president of baseball operations to Daniels' résumé in March 2013. Young came on board as general manager and executive vice president in December 2020.

The Texas Rangers fired manager Chris Woodward on Monday amid a disappointing season.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News initially reported the news.

Texas is coming off back-to-back wins against the Seattle Mariners, but it entered Monday with a 51-63 record that puts it 9.5 games out of the final wild-card spot in the American League.

The team is just 10-14 since the All-Star break.

In three-and-a-half seasons with the Rangers, Woodward had a 211-287 record with zero years over .500.

Woodward spent 12 seasons in the majors as a player, including seven with the Toronto Blue Jays, excelling as a utility player in the field who lined up at seven different positions.

The 46-year-old quickly entered the coaching ranks after retiring in 2012, serving as an infield coach with the Miami Marlins before becoming the Los Angeles Dodgers' third-base coach. He was hired as the Texas manager after the 2018 season, taking over a team that went just 67-95 the previous year.

There were slight improvements in 2019, but the team still couldn't get over the hump toward playoff contention.

Even after finishing 60-102 in 2021, the Rangers gave Woodward a contract extension through 2023.

"He is the leader on and off field the field, in the way he goes about pushing the group and consistency pushing that message throughout the organization," president of baseball operations Jon Daniels told reporters last November. "I just feel really strongly about him and how he goes about his business and who he is as a person."

It now seems the patience has worn out after another poor start in 2022.

The Rangers have invested heavily in free agency, adding Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and others, but now they need a new manager to get the most out of the roster in 2023 and beyond.