For a few hours on Wednesday afternoon, Rangers fans were given a small glimmer of hope that the Rangers front office may actually make a move to help Texas’ currently dismantled rotation become a bit less dismantled. It gave fans a brief break from dwelling on Jordan Montgomery and wondering if Chris Young could pull some more magic out of his hat to make Montgomery sign with the team in the twelfth hour of spring training.

Unfortunately, all of the hope the fans built up Wednesday came crashing down that evening at around 6 PM when it was reported that the San Diego Padres had made a deal with the Chicago White Sox that will be sending Chicago’s ace Dylan Cease to San Diego to start the season.

This announcement was a crushing blow to Rangers fans, who have witnessed a brutal offseason from their reigning champs up to this point and are losing more and more hope of a Montgomery reunion as spring training nears an end. On a more optimistic note, the Rangers are still two weeks away from Opening Day, and there are still several pitchers on the market they could decide to make a run for.

3 starting pitchers Rangers could acquire before Opening Day 2024

Kyle Hendricks

One player the Rangers front office could go after via trade is veteran pitcher Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks is going into the final season of his contract with the Cubs, and they may be willing to send him to Arlington as a rental if the price is right.

Hendricks is coming off of a somewhat pedestrian season with the Cubs, where he finished with a 6-8 record and a 3.74 ERA. Even if Hendricks’ best days of his career are behind him, he still could be a solid addition to the Rangers rotation, especially with how limited the rotation will be until deGrom and Scherzer return around midseason.

Overall, the Rangers could use the presence of a solid veteran pitcher, and Hendricks fits the bill. Even though the Rangers would most likely have to send some promising prospects (potentially MLB-ready ones) to the Cubs, Hendricks could be worth it if he can help keep the rotation stable, especially during the first few months of the season.

Blake Snell

I realize signing Snell could be somewhat of a stretch, especially with how limited the Rangers’ finances are currently. But the fact of the matter is that the former Cy Young winner still remains a free agent. Snell proved to fans and media last season in San Diego that he is still at the top of his game. He finished the season with a 2.25 ERA, which happened to be the second lowest of his career so far and helped him win his second Cy Young award.

It is shocking that Snell remains on the market with the regular season only a few weeks away. Even though the Rangers are handcuffed by limited financial freedom this offseason, if Chris Young and owner Ray Davis could find a way to move some money around, Snell would be worth the risk.

It is doubtful Snell will be a Ranger this season. Still, with the season looming only weeks away, one would think Snell and his agent, Scott Boras, would have come down some on their asking price. The lefty likely won’t be on the mound to start the season regardless, but if his price drops (and it must), that could give the Rangers a chance to swoop in and possibly make a deal.

Shane Bieber

Another former Cy Young winner who will soon be on the market is Guardians ace Shane Bieber. Bieber is going into his final year with the Guardians, and the Guardians have been (at the very least) listening to possible trade packages to ship him away before his contract expires.

It has been rumored that the Yankees are looking into acquiring Bieber to start the season, but if that falls through, the Rangers could always create a package that could pursue the Guardians to send Bieber to Arlington.

Bieber would be a great addition to the Rangers rotation, even if he is just a rental through this season. He could help sustain the Rangers’ pitching success, especially since two of their aces will remain sidelined for most of the first half.

Overall, there are still several pitchers on the market for which the Rangers could make a move. Hopefully, they will find a way to acquire a pitcher before the season begins and give fans hope that the Rangers can remain contenders throughout the season.