The Rangers recently bolstered their roster with a few free agents, signings to grab Danny Jansen and the left hand Tyler Alexander. It is said that they also have an agreement that they use with those who use their right hand Alexis Díazalthough that agreement is not yet in force. President of baseball Chris Young and general manager Ross Fenstermaker spoke to the media today about the Jansen and Alexander signings and what’s to come in the offseason. Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports reports that the club is looking at a starting pitcher, right-handed bat and other bullpen upgrades.
Those are all good goals. The roster got tough in 2025 and they’ve released two good bats. They trade Marcus Semien to the Mets Brandon Nimmo and an unsold foreign player Adolis Garcíawho has signed with the Phillies. Nimmo successfully replaces García in Texas but Nimmo swings from the left. The most likely replacement for Semien for the second time is Josh Smiththe other left.
Besides Nmmo and Smith, Rangers have the remaining players Corey Seager, Joc Pederson again Evan Carter in the list. Nimmo and Seager are everyday guys. Smith has had a decent platoon split so far in his career. Pederson and Carter, however, both struggle with southpaws. The manager Skip the Schumaker suggested that Carter may look longer compared to the rest but also be protected from other strong.
A good outfield bat can help the club on the grass and in the designated hitting area. Ezequiel Durán again Michael Helman they are on the 40-man roster, are right-handed swingers and can play the outfield. Sam Haggerty a switch-hitter. However, all three tend to be profiled as flash utility types.
Features of the free market Harrison Bader, Austin Hays, Miguel Andujar, Rob Refsnyder, Tommy Pham, Austin Slater, Randal Grichuk and other foreign players who bowl well. No one on that team has to shell out big money but various reports have revealed that the Rangers are reportedly facing a tight budget and have other items on their to-do list. Luis Robert Jr. appears to be available in a trade but the White Sox set a high asking price. Nick Castellanos he’s out there but hasn’t had an at-bat in a few years. The Astros are looking for a turnaround Jake Meyers but he is a great player in the gloves. There’s also the in-class factor and the fact that Houston wants a quick rotation upgrade that Texas can’t really provide.
Speaking of rotation, the Rangers currently have a struggling squad. Nathan Eovaldi again Jacob deGrom they’re a solid one-two punch up front but it slows down after that. Tyler Mahle, Patrick Corbin, Merrill Kelly again Jon Gray they all became free agents at the end of the season. Jack Leiter Coming off a decent season, with a 3.86 earned run average over 151 2/3 innings. Kumar RockerThe season was less smooth, as he had a 5.74 ERA over 14 innings. Jacob Latz had a good year as a swingman but still has the experience to start a big league game. There are other starters in the 40 men but they are all younger and less experienced than Leiter and Rocker.
It would be wise for the club to add a versatile guy, who will slot in behind the Eovaldi and deGrom duo. Also, financial problems can play a role. Apart from- Dylan Cease signing, most of the top free agents are still there, but the Rangers are probably not looking at that market. Maybe someone you like Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito or Zack Littell it may work, depending on how dry the powder is and how the club hits other surfaces. Boys love it Chris Bubic, Edward Cabrera, MacKenzie Gore, Kodai Senga, Mitch Keller while others may be in a trading bloc, with varying levels of trading volume.
Budget concerns were at the root of the club’s bullpen strategy last year. They offer one-year deals Chris Martin, Hoby Milner, Luke Jackson, Jacob Webb again Shawn Armstrong. The team ended up doing very well but almost all of the relief agencies were on free agency after the 2025 season. As mentioned, they added Alexander and Díaz but will likely continue to look for other bullpen bargains. Wilson says the club is not expected to look too high in the aid market.
RosterResource currently projects the Rangers to be paid $175MM next year. That’s roughly $50MM south of last year’s figure of $224MM but all indications are that the club will spend less on the 2026 club, although it’s unclear exactly where they intend to end up.
Photo courtesy of Tim Heitman, Imagn Images
