One area of need over the winter is possibly catcher as Robinson Chirinos just isn’t very good, especially handling pitchers and with some solid starters in their rotation, finding a better option could help both with pitch decisions and holding runners from stealing bases.
Speculation has already started on potential free agents that could help this club and the name that pops up most is Matt Wieters from Baltimore.
The 29-year-old entered the league as one of the best hitting prospects at his position and despite never hitting for much of an average, the former first round pick from Georgia Tech has three years with over 20 home runs.
In 2014 his season was cut short by Tommy John surgery, but he returned midway through this past year with the Orioles, hitting .267 with eight homers and 14 doubles. Those numbers showed his arm is fine and playing at a hitters park like Texas could see his home run total reach career highs.
Bleacher Report has also suggested a possible trade for Milwaukee Brewers youngster Reese McGuire. The 20-year-old is very talented, especially defensively, but will get limited action playing behind Francisco Cervelli.
Both of these players would be an upgrade at catcher and while the franchise isn’t in desperation mode, they should consider the pitching staff and how they would perform with more talent behind the plate. The Texas Rangers were one of the surprise stories of the 2015 MLB season, but with the experienced gained from winning the AL West and a couple moves to strengthen weaknesses, this franchise could be set for a big year in 2016.
