It’s always fun to find hidden gems in free agency, unless it’s your own free agent. It appears that a vital component of the Texas Rangers’ historic first World Series title may be departing. even when he stays hidden.
MLB.com published a list of underappreciated free agents who could deliver big for their new clubs. The seven chosen are not on the list of top 25 free agents, as ranked by MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand, so obviously free agents like Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto aren’t included
But Mitch Garver, who was the Rangers’ main designated hitter throughout their incredible postseason run and Jonah Heim’s backup catcher, is seated at the top. MLB.com analyses Garver’s circumstances:
Why he’s under the radar: It’s hard to say Garver is truly “under the radar” when he just won a World Series as a regular with the Rangers, but he might be undervalued due to his injury history and lack of a position. Garver last played at least 100 games in a season back in 2018, and he made only 42 defensive appearances behind the plate during his two seasons with Texas. As far as the interest from other clubs, Garver provides lots of upside:
He’s intriguing because: Garver’s recent at-bat performance is on par with that of some of the best hitters in this year’s free agent class. Indeed, Shohei Ohtani is the only free agent who has had a higher OPS+ than Garver (130) in the last five seasons. With an 83rd percentile or above in barrel rate (83rd), projected slugging percentage (85th), expected wOBA (87th), walk rate (90th), and chase rate (98th), the 32-year-old concluded 2023 with a 134 OPS+. His performance was not anomalous.
And while Garver saw most of his playing time as Texas’ designated hitter in 2022 and ‘23, that was mostly because he shared a roster with superior defensive backstops such as Jonah Heim and Austin Hedges during that time. Although he may never be a Gold Glove Award contender behind the plate, Garver has the potential to provide considerable value to a roster while splitting time between the catcher and DH spots, especially in a free-agent group that lacks attractive catching options.
Pitching seems to be the Rangers’ top priority in free agency, with Garver not appearing to be one of them. Priorities include bringing back Jordan Montgomery and strengthening the bullpen (Josh Hader? ), but Garver has provided DH, so a return hasn’t been completely ruled out.
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