Predicting Rangers, D-Backs Players to Sign New Contracts After 2023 World Series
On the heels of a World Series in which the runaway locomotive that was the Texas Rangers offense put an end to the comeback kings known as the NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks, there are several key players from each team who are free agents and will be likely to field calls and offers from teams hoping they can help get them to the very series they just wrapped up.
Which players may sign big deals to remain with the squads they just experienced the Fall Classic with?
The answer lies in the form of a few key veterans.
Jordan Montgomery
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Jordan Montgomery has elected free agency, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and will have potential suitors lining up to try and lure him from the world champs.
Montgomery is dependable and durable. He has not missed a single start since his return from Tommy John surgery in 2020. He has good stuff, his velocity has been on-point, and he can fool batters with clever deception.
He was 4-2, with a 2.79 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 67.2 inning pitched after being acquired by the Rangers at the trade deadline. In the postseason, he went 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA and 17 strikeouts.
His workman-like approach to his year, the best of his professional career, was rarely flashy but will attract teams in need of quality starters, with the hope being he can be part of the puzzle that gets them to the same World Series he just won.
The Rangers believed in him enough to rescue him from a lost season in St. Louis, though, and still have plenty of pieces in place to go on another run and potentially run it back next season.
It will not be easy for the Rangers to afford him, especially with Keith Law of The Athletic predicting a long-term, five-year deal for the starter, but do not be surprised to see Texas retain the services of Montgomery, his value enhanced with Jacob deGrom out of action until at least August of 2024 following Tommy John surgery and Max Scherzer's inconsistency on full display this postseason.
Lourdes Gurriel
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No player better reflected his team's season than left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
He started the season hot and exceeded all expectations en route to his first All-Star appearance on the strength of a .352 average and eight home runs.
Then, he slumped, much like the surprising Diamondbacks did.
He surged late, ending the season with a .261/.309/.463 stat line, an OPS of .772, 24 home runs, and 82 RBI.
He maintained that level of play in the postseason (.273/.290/.455), with three homers and 11 RBI.
Gurriel carried a perfect fielding percentage through the season, proving himself to be excellent defensively, too.
A player who can contribute offensively but maybe even better on the defensive side of the ball? Sounds like someone the Diamondbacks will likely want to wrap up for the foreseeable future and prevent another team, maybe in the same league, from acquiring.
Tommy Pham
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Tommy Pham was one hit away from making MLB history when he bypassed the opportunity to etch his name in the history books to allow teammate Jace Peterson to get his first World Series at-bat.
Pham had gone four-for-four in Game 2 against Texas and had a real shot at becoming the first player to ever go five-for-five in the Fall Classic but opted to let Peterson get his first taste of playing on the grand stage.
"We always talked about playing in the World Series. Me and [Peterson] have close to nine years of service. So it took us close to nine years to get to the World Series. This opportunity doesn't come so often," Pham explained to MLB.com.
Peterson said of his teammate and friend, "He's that kind of guy. He is a great teammate, a great player, and we have mutual respect for each other. Every day we see each other one step into the clubhouse, we know we're going to battle and we're going to get our work in. He did an awesome thing that a friend would do. So I really can't say enough about it."
A guy with the selflessness of Pham should always be welcomed in the clubhouse. A teammate who shows respect and understands the significance of the moment breeds teamwork and positivity within the organization.
When he goes out and performs to the level that Pham did this postseason, it only serves to emphasize why he should be re-signed as soon as possible.
Pham rose to the occasion for the Diamondbacks in the 2023 playoffs, compiling a stat line of .279/.297/.475 while hitting three doubles, three home runs, accumulating 10 runs, and stealing two bags.
A master of the moment, he went four-for-five in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Dodgers, blasted a defining home run against the Phillies in Game 6 in the NLCS, and was perfect in the aforementioned World Series Game 2.
There will be teams who heard about how Pham conducted himself in the clubhouse, who appreciate his propensity for the moment and want to add that veteran leadership to the roster.
It would behoove a young Arizona team to pony up the money and make sure Pham sticks around to help set the example for the next few seasons.
They will do that by rewarding his contributions to the team when they needed him most.
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