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The Houston Astros' fanbase has endured a troubling offseason thus far. Houston traded Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, and while the Astros got a nice return for their superstar outfielder, replacing him will not be easy. The Astros also seem ready to part with longtime third baseman Alex Bregman after failing to meet the Gold Glover's contract demands.
The Houston faithful are somewhat at odds with the Astros' front office and ownership, given the slew of departures this offseason — many of which would not have been necessary if the team wasn't on the hook for some poor contract decisions (Jose Abreu and Rafael Montero).
But as painful and puzzling as some of the Astros' offseason moves have been, the Texas Rangers may have one-upped the defending AL West champions in the weirdness department.
Over the weekend, the Rangers traded first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and signed platoon DH Joc Pederson to a two-year contract. What's going on in Arlington?
The Astros' offseason doesn't look so bad when compared to the Rangers' recent transactions
On one hand, Rangers fans are probably happy to just see their favorite team making moves after a disappointing 2024 campaign in which Texas failed to defend their World Series title, much less return to the MLB Postseason. But on the other hand, some of these moves are just baffling and bizarre.
The Rangers re-signed Nathan Eovaldi after he opted out of his contract with Texas earlier this offseason. The right-hander's three-year, $75 million deal seems rather steep, considering Eovaldi turns 35 in February. Texas also decided to part ways with their Gold Glove Award-winning first baseman despite having him under team control through 2026.
Outfielder Joc Pederson and the Texas Rangers are in agreement on a contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. Pederson, 32, hit .275/.393/.515 last year, destroyed right-handed pitching and is regarded as an elite clubhouse presence. First on the news: @Ken_Rosenthal.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 23, 2024
But the Rangers' biggest head-turner was signing Pederson to a two-year deal. That 151 OPS+ and 23 home runs look really nice until you understand that most of his success came only against right-handed pitching. Pederson only received 32 at-bats against southpaws in 2024.
Given the Rangers' odd offseason moves and the Seattle Mariners' silence, Astros' fans should still feel good about Houston's chances to contend in 2025 despite losing both Bregman and Tucker. At the moment, Houston figures to still be the favorite in the AL West next season.