MLB Trade Rumors Texas Rangers arbitration contract projections

The Texas Rangers arbitration-eligible contract projections are out at MLB Trade Rumors, which has the projections for every arbitration-eligible player in MLB this offseason based off of Matt Swartz’s proprietary model. There aren’t any huge surprises, but it is useful in helping spitball what the Rangers’ financial commitments are going to be heading into free agency.

The Rangers have eight arbitration-eligible players (nine if you include Martin Perez, but his 2018 option is being picked up). Texas doesn’t have any real high-dollar arb cases at this point — Jake Diekman is projected at $2.8 million, while A.J. Griffin and Nick Martinez are projected at $3 million and $2 million, respectively. I’m not sure either would be back at those numbers.

Jurickson Profar, Keone Kela and Ryan Rua are all projected in the neighborhood of $1 million, while Phil Gosselin and Will Middlebrooks would be barely above league minimum (and are unlikely to stick on the 40 man roster to get to the arbitration stage anyway).

Interestingly, on Perez, the MLB Trade Rumors arbitration model indicates he would get $7.8 million this year in what would be his final year of arbitration before hitting free agency, had he not been inked to an extension. In actuality, he will be making $6 million this year once the club exercises its team option.