Tuesday Morning Texas Rangers Update

Good morning. The Texas Rangers finally traded Lance Lynn. His beard wormed its way into our hearts but the team was just not good enough while he was around to keep him trapped here, especially with one year remaining on his very agreeable contract.

While he was here, Lynn ascended to become one of the best starting pitchers this franchise has ever had, albeit for a short and sweet two seasons, and he filled that Colby Lewis-esque dad spot that the rotation had lacked in recent years. The man who pitched the last game at The Ballpark and the first game at The Shed will now try to get an exciting Chicago White Sox squad over the hump.

Eulogizing the Texas tenure of a former 2011 St. Louis Cardinal feels strange but Lynn is ultimately one of the top-tier free agent gambles that Jon Daniels hit on. But this was a move that they had to make. Hopefully the next time they hit on one of these, that player will get to play in October.

T.R. Sullivan writes that the Rangers traded Lynn to the White Sox for right-hander Dane Dunning and left-hander Avery Weems.

Evan Grant writes that Dunning was Chicago’s No. 5 prospect and Weems had been impressing folks at Fall Instructional Camp.

Jeff Wilson writes that the Rangers kicked off the Virtual Winter Meetings with a splash by sending out a starter that finished fifth in the 2019 Cy Young voting and sixth in 2020 voting for a starter who went 2-0 with a 3.97 ERA in seven starts to begin his big league career in 2020.

Levi Weaver and James Fegan break down the trade from both sides with the real coup for Texas coming from Dunning being seen as someone with mid-rotation upside and many more years of availability over Lynn’s one.

Meanwhile, possibly the biggest move the Rangers will make this winter came just hours after they officially introduced the ninth general manager in club history.

Sullivan writes that Dallas native Chris Young is happy to be back with the team he grew up rooting for.

Weaver writes about Young’s introduction and how the structure of the front office will function with Daniels remaining as president of operations.

Wilson writes that after a few years of trying to play catch-up with other clubs, hiring Young is their bid to pull ahead.

Grant writes that Young taking on a team-building role — instead of staying on an administrative track in the Commissioner’s Office — shows that he still has the competitive fire.

And, Sullivan takes a look at the biggest deals that the Rangers have made at the Winter Meetings over the years. Perhaps now you can add trading Lance Lynn to that list.

Be well!