RADIO
Jose Leclerc 2023 Player Outlook: Veteran Reliever back to full health for New-Look Rangers
2 years agoAfter throwing just two innings over the last two years, Leclerc returned to the Rangers in late June and showed he could still sling it. He obviously wasn't inserted into high-leverage situations immediately after such a long recovery, but over his last 20 appearances of 2022 he secured seven saves and two holds. I'd like to say that means something positive in terms of trust from management for the 2023 season, but with Bruce Bochy being hired as the new manager there is some risk. In the past, Bochy has utilized more than one reliever as his closer. But in his most recent season with the Giants in 2019, Will Smith earned 34 out of the teams' 41 saves. With Jonathan Hernandez and Brock Burke also lurking as potential late-game matchup options for Bochy, it is unlikely any Rangers reliever is rocking 30+ saves at season's end. But Jose Leclerc is the veteran of the trio with the most closing experience and that should go a long ways with his new skipper. Leclerc finished 2022 with a 27.3 K%, 2.83 ERA (3.17 xERA), and a 1.13 WHIP. At an ADP of ~197 even roughly two-thirds of the save opportunities on the new-look Rangers will make Leclerc well-worth the draft pick.
