ARLINGTON, Texas — Just days after clinching their first-ever World Series title, the Texas Rangers are already planning for the next season.
The team announced on Saturday that pitchers Andrew Heaney and José Leclerc will return for 2024.
In a news release, the Rangers said Heaney (#44) exercised a player contract option for the 2024 season. Saturday was the deadline for him to make his decision.
The team said they exercised a club option to keep Leclerc (#25). Sunday would have been their last day to use that option.
According to the Rangers' news release, Heaney went 10-6 with a 4.15 ERA (68 ER/147.1 IP) over 34 games/28 starts in his first season with Texas in 2023, posting a career high in wins (10) with his 2nd-most innings (147.1), starts (28) and strikeouts (151).
He was also 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA (5 ER/11.0 IP) over 5 games/3 starts for the Rangers in the club’s 2023 World Series championship run in the postseason. His lone career playoff win came in World Series Game 4 at Arizona (5.0 IP, 1 R-ER), a victory which gave Texas a 3-games-to-1 lead in the Fall Classic
Leclerc was 0-2 with 4 saves and a 2.68 ERA (17 ER/57.0 IP) over 57 relief outings for Texas in the 2023 regular season. He went 1-1 with 4 saves and a 3.29 ERA (5 ER/13.2 IP) over 13 relief appearances for the Rangers in the 2023 playoffs, as his 13 outings in the club’s World Series title run, tying the 3rd-highest total of games ever in a single postseason.
