The MLB Offseason is the time for fans to start dreaming about what their following season could look like.

While every team still has hope for a World Series title, the Texas Rangers have more than a lot of others and fans have some spirited opinions.

Today, I am going to be reacting to your Texas Rangers hot takes as sent in on X. If you want to be featured in future editions follow my X @Kane_McCutchen6 and look out for future opportunities to be featured.

Hot Take – Jacob deGrom is going to win the CY Young, MVP and make 30 starts @@c_golden07, @AshleySchaub – I had two Jacob deGrom takes so I went ahead and grouped them together.

Jacob deGrom is a fascinating case heading into 2025. Following recovery from his second Tommy John surgery, deGrom came back and made three starts in 2024 finishing with a very solid 1.69 ERA in just 10.2 innings.

With deGrom under contract for at least the next three years at 40,38, and 37 million, there is no doubt he needs to be your ace.

Looking at 2024 specifically, deGrom will be one of the highest-paid players in baseball and the Rangers are going to need him to play like it.

To say that deGrom isn’t capable of winning the Cy Young and or MVP would be foolish, we know he was the stuff to do it. Obviously, if you were tasked with picking deGrom or the field for MVP or Cy Young, you pick the field every single time.

In a very rough estimate, I’d give deGrom a 2% chance to win the MVP and a 7% chance to win the CY Young.

Almost just as important for the Rangers is whether or not he can make at or around 30 starts on the season.

deGrom has made 30 starts four times in his career but has not done so since 2019 with the Mets. 30 starts would require deGrom to be healthy for just about the full season.

You’d have to think that deGrom making less than 30 starts is more likely than him making more than 30, especially with the caution that the Rangers will exercise with him.

However, if deGrom stays healthy and is pitching well, 30 starts is a number that we may be able to get to.

Hot Take – The Rangers should trade Josh Smtih while his value is high. Doesn’t make sense to have 4 backup/ utility infielders on your 40-man roster @Grounds6Justin –

Outside of Corey Seager, Josh Smith was the Rangers’ best offensive player last season.

Smith hit .258 with 13 home runs and 68 RBI in a career-high 149 games played while claiming a Silver Slugger at the utility position.

There is no doubt that Smith’s trade value is higher than ever right now. That combined with the fact that Marcus Semien and Corey Seager have the middle infield locked up for at least the next four years fuels Smith’s trade case.

While the Rangers certainly have a bit of a clog in the infield, you have to find a spot in the lineup for Smith if he continues to play the way that he did last season.

The Rangers like to use the DH spot as a place for guys to rotate through and if they choose to go with that strategy again, Smith would certainly find at-bats there.

Smith’s ability to play three infield positions as well as left field makes it far easier for Bruce Bochy to get him AB’s.

If Texas feels that they do need to get rid of an infielder, someone like Ezequiel Duran or Jonathan Ornelas is far more likely to be let go rather than Smith.

Hot Take – The Rangers should try to go for something other than Nathan Eovaldi and they should try to trade for Jordan Montogmery if Evo leaves @buddiesquad87, @ahoelsken – Once again, I had two takes regarding Eovaldi so I grouped these two together

It’s not as much that the Rangers should go for someone other than Nathan Eovaldi but they may have to.

Eovaldi’s price range is as of now somewhere between $23-26 million if not more and as of now with no TV deal, the Rangers likely won’t be able to do that with the other upgrades they need.

With that being said, Texas very well may be forced to look elsewhere and they may not have to look past the place they won the World Series in 2023.

After immense struggles in 2024, a reunion with Jordan Montgomery makes a whole lot of sense.

Bringing Montgomery back to Texas where he is familiar with Bruce Bochy and Mike Maddux as well as all of the little things could go a long way in producing a bounce-back season.

Arizona is reportedly looking to move Montgomery and is willing to eat some of his salary to do so.

With Texas wanting to add another starter to lengthen their rotation, trading for Montogmery could make sense if Eovaldi does not resign.

Hot Take – The Rangers finally win the division and Kumar Rocker goes for 12+ wins and below a .250 ERA

It doesn’t take me telling you to know that the Houston Astros have had a stranglehold on the American League West for the better part of the last decade.

However, that reign could be coming to an end. With the uncertainty surrounding Alex Bregman, the Astros will certainly be worse if he doesn’t resign in Space City.

On the Rangers side of things, the roster to win the AL West is most certainly in place in Arlington. To say that Texas can’t win the West in 2025 just isn’t realistic.

As for Kumar Rocker, the three starts that he made for Texas in 2024 were very solid but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Rocker will have to come in and earn his spot in the rotation for 2025 and even if he does that, him being a CY Young candidate isn’t exactly something a lot of first-year pitchers do.

If we see the Vanderbilt version of Kumar Rocker come out, a lot of the Rangers’ offseason questions would be answered.

Once again, it’s far more likely that Rocker doesn’t win 12 games with below a 2.50 ERA but certainly, that is who Texas envisions him as at some point.