The four-time Cy Young battled through injuries and rust while posting a rough 6.52 ERA in three postseason appearances. Though, he did throw three scoreless innings in the clinching Game 5 versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. Other guys like Mr. Clutch himself Nathan Eovaldi, Jordan Montgomery and reliever Josh Sborz came through to compensate for Scherzer’s limitations.

But can the organization trust the same to be done for at least the first half of the 2024 campaign? The 39-year-old underwent surgery for a herniated disc and will be sidelined until approximately June or July of next year. His lengthy recovery process leaves a glaring hole for the front office to address.

Fortunately, this bad news drops in the heart of the offseason, giving general manager Chris Young and company plenty of time to pivot. The only question is, how big will they go?

We have our own feelings on the matter. Let’s look at some of the most practical and enticing routes for the Rangers to take in MLB free agency following this major Max Scherzer injury update.

Rangers must re-sign Jordan Montgomery

Being without Scherzer for a significant chunk of time portends that more setbacks and struggles will likely follow. He is at the end of a Hall of Fame career, with Father Time already on his back. A full return to form is difficult to envision, and so too is the Rangers winning another World Series without at least two reliable front-end starters.

This franchise is not one to be content. One celebratory parade should only fuel the hunger for more, which means a strong response is now necessary. The Rangers must either retain one of their most prominent October heroes or trade for another ace.

They know what they have in Jordan Montgomery. He has found success in multiple places and thrived in a chaotic playoff atmosphere. His market value is arguably higher than his worth, but that is just a hard fact of professional sports these days. Continuity can be an essential ingredient when crafting a formula for sustained excellence, particularly in a pitching rotation.

Montgomery, who turns 31 at the end of the month, has a 3.68 ERA in 141 games pitched and has been one of the best at his position over the last year-and-a-half. Losing the southpaw in free agency puts the organization in a potential bind, one that would force it to target someone with an even more impressive résumé.