3 Rangers Who Won't Be Back in 2024 After Second-Half Collapse
By Tyler Maher
The Rangers have been tough to watch this summer. After leading the AL West for most of the season, they've started to fade during the dog days of August, allowing the surging Astros and Mariners to catch them.
Texas recently endured an eight-game losing streak and is just 4-13 over its last 17 outings -- a terrible stretch of baseball that may ultimately cost the club its first division title since 2016.
Now, with just 25 games to go, the Rangers find themselves in a three-way battle for first place. If they ultimately fall short, they'll have only themselves to blame for opening the door.
Regardless of whether Texas finishes the job, several key players will certainly depart this offseason after failing to contribute much to the team this year. Here are three Rangers players who likely won't be back with the club in 2024.
3 Rangers Who Won't Return in 2024
1. Martin Perez
Martin Perez was a revelation for Texas in 2022, going 12-8 with a 2.89 ERA and making his first All-Star team. It was clearly a career year for the veteran lefty, and the Rangers rewarded him with a substantial pay raise, bringing him back on a one-year, $19.65 million qualifying offer.
While Perez's salary increased nearly five-fold from 2022, his production declined dramatically. He regressed into a roughly league-average pitcher, which is what he's been for most of his career.
Perez struggled in the rotation before being moved to the bullpen to make room for newcomers Jordan Montgomery and Max Scherzer at the deadline. Even so, his numbers haven't improved much. A 4.88 ERA, 5.34 FIP and 1.49 WHIP were definitely not what Texas was hoping for this year.
Perez is way overpaid for his current role, and it's hard to see the Rangers having much interest in bringing him back this offseason. Perez is set to be a free agent, and you can bet that Texas won't make the same mistake of giving him a qualifying offer again.