Here are 9 Texas Rangers players who won’t be coming back in 2024

The Rangers have — count ’em — 13 unrestricted free agents this offseason, a player with an opt-out, and one with a club option. There are a few they’ll gun to keep, but even more who they won’t, and always a few who will decide to leave because better options might be out there. Any way these deals do shake out, the Rangers will be a fun team to keep an eye on ahead of the 2024 season.

Aroldis Chapman

If there’s any word that can best describe Aroldis Chapman, ‘dangerous‘ seems like a good one. There are a lot of ways you can look at it: he’s dangerous to hitters not only because he can be the fastest throwing guy in baseball, but also because of the threat of getting plunked by one of those fastballs. He’s also dangerous because his pitches sometimes reflect zero control, and he’s prone to giving up some of the most poorly timed bombs in recent memory.

Evaluating Chapman’s free agency is accordingly double-edged. His reputation will always precede him, but he also didn’t do much for the Rangers’ exasperating bullpen, and fellow closer Jose Leclerc not only pitched more innings but came out from them with a much lower ERA. Leclerc was also seen more in the postseason, and despite giving up three more runs than Chapman, it’s clear that Texas’ faith is and perhaps should be shifting toward Leclerc.

Chapman is one of many lefties Texas could be losing this offseason, but getting him off the payroll will free up millions of dollars for a different lefty who is dangerous, but more so in the good ways.