5 Rangers on Thin Ice This Offseason

The Texas Rangers just won the World Series, so there's not too much to complain about if you're a Rangers fan right now.

Texas' front office is already turning the page to 2024, however, and that means taking a hard look at the roster. If the Rangers want to be even better next year and repeat as champions, they'll need to make some changes and potentially move on from some players who didn't carry their weight this season.

With that in mind, here are five Texas players who are on thin ice this offseason.

1. Josh Sborz

The Rangers' bullpen was a serious issue in 2023, and it nearly cost them a playoff berth down the stretch. Texas blew countless games in August and September due to its underwhelming relief corps, choking away its division lead and nearly its Wild Card lead as well. When the dust settled at the end of the season, the Rangers ranked 24th in bullpen ERA at 4.77.

Josh Sborz was one of the primary culprits there, which shouldn't have been too surprising for anyone who watched him pitch the year before as well.

Sborz finished 2022 with an ugly 6.45 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP in 19 appearances, making him one of the worst relievers in baseball. Shockingly, Texas opted to bring him back for 2023 rather than release him, presumably because of his high strikeout rate (12.9 K/9).

Unfortunately, Sborz didn't provide the improvement the Rangers were looking for this year. He continued to be a liability in the 'pen, going 6-7 with a 5.50 ERA in 44 appearances. According to Baseball-Reference, he was worth half a win below replacement in 2023, which is obviously not good.

As a clear weak link on the roster, Sborz needs to go. I'd be shocked if Texas gives him another chance in 2024 given how poorly he's pitched over the last two seasons. We've seen enough, and it's time to cut the cord.