The veteran outfielders were placed on outright waivers as the Rangers look toward 2025.
The Texas Rangers thought they would be postseason contenders when they signed Travis Jankowski in the offseason and traded for Robbie Grossman in May.
Now that they have been all but cropped out of the playoff picture, the Rangers need to look into the future. To do so, Jankowski and Grossman, championship pieces last season, might be on the outside of the Rangers’ September plans.
The veteran outfielders were placed on waivers Thursday, as reported by ESPN, and their futures with the Rangers are in the air. Both players were likely aware that this was possible.
They are permitted to play while on waivers, but if they are claimed, they head elsewhere. If not, the Rangers can release them to clear spots on the 40-man roster, spots that would go to players in the minors who could help the 2025 club.
Jacob deGrom also needs a 40-man spot when the Rangers reinstate him from the 60-day injured list.
Jankowski landed on waivers, or his exposure to them was uncovered, the day after he made a remarkable game-saving, homer-robbing catch at Chicago. The timing seems cruel, but the business of baseball can be nasty.
Just last week, for instance, right-hander Gerson Garabito was optioned to Triple A Round Rock on his birthday.
The Rangers aren’t trying to end Jankowski and Grossman’s seasons and could be doing them a favor. If the players are claimed by 11:59 p.m. Saturday, they will be eligible for the postseason and could end up with a contender.
Both are specialty players, with Grossman a solid right-handed bat against left-handers and Jankowski a defensive whiz who could also be a valuable pinch-runner. They are veterans, so they know how to stay ready until needed and don’t complain about a lack of playing time. Great teammates, in other words.
A contender could use each of them.
If both fall off the 40-man roster, a spot could go to Round Rock first baseman Blaine Crim, who has been one of the best hitters in the minor leagues since July 1. If the Rangers are contemplating changing things up at first base next season, they need to see if Crim can hit in the majors.
Double A Frisco right-hander Emiliano Teodo is eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December, and the Rangers must add him to the 40-man to ensure they don’t lose him. They could do it now and give Teodo a taste of the majors.
The big one, of course, is Kumar Rocker. He isn’t Rule 5-eligible, so the Rangers don’t need to add him to the 40-man. They could, though, they want him to get his feet wet. If they close in further on the Astros, the Rangers could bring up Rocker to help their final push.
But they are 8 1/2 games behind Houston in the American League West and have been forced to look toward 2025. That’s why Jankowski and Grossman were placed on waivers and might not be on the team beyond this weekend.
The Rangers open a 10-game homestand tonight that begins with the first of three games against the A’s.
Coming home
The Rangers managed a three-game sweep of the White Sox despite scoring only nine runs. The offense managed to make a bunch of mediocre pitchers look like Cy Young candidates, but the White Sox’s mediocre hitters reciproacted.
Nathan Eovaldi is not mediocre, though. He was dominant Wednesday, striking out 10 and allowing only one hit and one walk in seven scoreless innings. The right-hander improved 10-7 with a 3.6o ERA.
More importantly, he moved within 16 innings of 300 combined over the past two seasons. If he hits 300, the player option in his contract becomes worth $20 million and might make it more enticing for him to not test free agency.
Chances are he will test it if the Rangers can’t workout an extension before free agency opens five days after the World Series ends. Both sides want the relationship to continue, but the Rangers have to show Eovaldi a commitment to winning next season.
That falls on ownership, which is trying to find the most lucrative TV contract it can. It seems highly unlikely that the Rangers will be able to match the deal they had with Bally Sports, and the team’s success might depend on how deep managing partner Ray Davis is willing to go into his own wallet.
A healthy Jacob deGrom should help with the winning. He’s scheduled to make a third rehab start Sunday at Round Rock. Corey Seager will still be under contract in 2025. He hit career homer No. 200 on Wednesday to become the first lefty-hitting shortstop in MLB history to reach that mark.
Card of the Week
A Friday staple the past few years in the Rangers Today newsletter was the Card of the Week, and for those who are new to my coverage of the team, you can expect it at DLLS.
I’ll start with my favorite card, the 1962 Topps Roger Maris.
It’s the first card in the set, and what makes it especially cool is the back of the card. He was coming off the season in which he set the single-season mark for home runs at 61, breaking Babe Ruth’s mark.
He did so in a 162-game season, while Ruth hit 60 in 1927 over 154 games, and Maris found himself embroiled in controversy. Crusty old commissioner Ford Frick ruled during the home-run chase that 61 essentially wouldn’t count unless done in 154 games, which placed an unofficial asterisk next to Maris’ total.
That was reversed in 1991, six years after Maris tied and just as steroids were becoming prevalent in the game. Maris might have popped some greenies, but his main performance-enhancing drug was an unfiltered Camel.
Anyhoo, I think the front of the card is pretty cool, too, an iconic pose for many cards from that era.
Doggy video!
A two-way player, a 40-40 player and a master dog trainer. Enjoy.
Jeff Wilson, jwilson@alldlls.com
