5 Rangers on Thin Ice This Offseason
By Tyler Maher
![5 Texas Rangers players on thin ice heading into the MLB offseason. 5 Texas Rangers players on thin ice heading into the MLB offseason.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4726,h_2658,x_0,y_95/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/181/01hekfmv5gpk6sjzevyq.jpg)
4. Andrew Heaney
The Rangers just picked up Heaney's $13 million club option for 2024, but that was mostly to lock him in as a depth option. He's not out of the woods yet after his poor finish to the 2023 campaign, and he may not survive the 2024 season if his struggles continue.
Coming off an impressive 2022 and a career-best 3.10 ERA with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022, Heaney was a bit of a letdown in 2023. On the plus side, he avoided major injury, finishing with the second-most starts (28) and innings (147 1/3) of his career.
That heavy workload seemed to take a toll on him as the season progressed, however, as he wore down during late summer. That resulted in manager Bruce Bochy shifting him to the bullpen to preserve his arm and keep him healthy for the playoffs, where he bounced back a bit thanks to all the rest days.
Heaney will need to be closely monitored again in 2024, however. He's going to be another year older (turns 33 in June) and he's never completed 100 innings in back-to-back seasons before, so his arm may not hold up. If his performance spirals or he gets hurt, Texas can easily afford to move on from him given that he's only on a one-year deal.