3 Rangers Who Will Be Gone After the Postseason
By Tyler Maher
With the MLB regular season wrapping up this week, Rangers fans are already looking ahead to the postseason. While we haven't officially clinched a spot yet, it should happen any day now with Texas leading the AL West.
Unfortunately with the season winding down, we'll only get a few more looks at some players who are bound to leave after the season. Regardless of how our playoff run turns out, not everyone can come back next year.
Roster turnover is a natural part of the sport, but it doesn't make saying goodbye any easier. Here are three Rangers players who likely won't be back with the team next season.
3 Rangers Gone After Postseason
1. Martin Perez
After nine seasons in Texas, Perez's time with the Rangers may finally be coming to an end.
This year has been a trying one for the veteran southpaw, to say the least. He opened the season in the rotation after making the All-Star team last year, only to regress across the board. His performance steadily worsened through the first half, and by late July he was no longer a viable starting option.
Perez has been much more effective out of the bullpen, especially over the last month or so. It's been great to see him find new ways to contribute, but he still ultimately hasn't been worth his $19.65 million salary.
With Perez's contract expiring at the end of the season, it probably makes sense for both sides to part ways. Perez is going to be 33 next season and he's never been a big strikeout pitcher (5.8 K/9 this year), so he doesn't profile as an elite reliever.
With the exception of 2022, Perez has been the definition of a league-average pitcher throughout his career with an 85-81 record and a 100 ERA+. Texas would be better off replacing him on the staff with someone who's younger and has more upside.
Perez has been a good soldier this year, but there's definitely an opportunity to upgrade by letting him walk in the offeason.