The Texas Rangers were extremely busy each of the past two winters but have been quieter this offseason. The Rangers did get Kirby Yates earlier in the offseason and now have added a starter in Tyler Mahle, who missed most of last season due to injury. Now with Texas, the 29-year-old will look to get back to his 2021 form for a team looking to add more hardware in the immediate future.
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A Look at Mahle
29-year-old Tyler Mahle was at one point a high-ranking prospect in the Reds system. A seventh-round pick in 2013, Mahle put up fine results in his first taste of the Majors in 2017 (2.70 ERA, 14 K over 20 IP), but it wasn’t until 2020 that he found sustained success.
Mahle struck out 60 batters over 47.2 IP for what was an elite Reds rotation that included Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, and Trevor Bauer in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, then struck out a career-high 210 batters the following campaign. But when the Reds pivoted to a rebuild, Cincinnati traded Mahle to the Twins in the summer of 2022 for pitching prospect Steve Hajjar and infielders Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand.
The trade flopped for Minnesota, but not because Mahle was a bust. The 29-year-old pitched well with the Twins, as Mahle struck out 28 and walked just five over 25.2 solid frames this past year. However, shoulder problems in 2022 and Tommy John in 2023 limited Mahle to just nine starts over a year and a half with Minnesota.
Much of Mahle’s hit-and-miss potential derives from his fastball, which maxes out in the mid-90s and is not overpowering from a velocity standpoint. However, Mahle’s fastball plays up due to above-average extension, and his delivery and release give it a bit of rising action.
That was corroborated by his fastball IVB from 2021, which came in right near the 18” sweet spot at an average of 17.1”.
Mahle’s fastball also adds some bite to both his slider and split-change, both of which he sets up well with a fastball he’s got great command of.
Mahle did not make our ranking of the top 15 pitchers available in free agency largely because he won’t be available for at least the start of 2024. However, Mahle did undergo Tommy John in the spring of 2023 and could be available later in 2024.
The Rangers gave Mahle a two-year deal worth $22MM.
Analysis
It’s not a shock to see Tyler Mahle get a multi-year deal with the Rangers, given the fact that the righty won’t be available to start 2024. The deal not only gives the Rangers the chance to get a full season out of him in 2025 but gives Texas security in two years when Max Scherzer and Andrew Heaney are off the books.
The addition of Mahle is a low-cost one, as there’s not a lengthy commitment as far as years are concerned. It should work for Mahle as he looks to re-build his profile, and for the Rangers as Texas can add a strong starter who at full health excels at picking the corners and getting hitters to chase with his secondary stuff.
This move will not yield immediate dividends, given that Mahle will likely begin 2024 on the IL. However, the prospect of getting Mahle and possibly Jacob deGrom as late-season reinforcements has to have Rangers fans excited for a shot at a second World Series title.