The Texas Rangers are operating this offseason with less money than they spent for the 2025 campaign. They believe they can fill out a competitive roster for 2026, and these players might help.
For MLB teams that might have missed Black Friday or Small Business Saturday, like the Texas Rangers, here’s the good news: It’s Cyber Monday.
Like the other 29 teams, the Rangers have holes to fill. Like most teams, they are operating on a budget and would love to find players who might not be at the top of the wish list but whose performances will make folks happy nonetheless.
President of baseball operations Chris Young said last week, after the Marcus Semien-Brandon Nimmo swap, that the front office would meet to update its shopping list. The list includes a catcher, a starting pitcher, several relievers, a right-handed bat and an infielder.
That’s quite a list, especially considering the budget restraints Young is facing. Time to start saving.
Infielder: Luis Arraez
The Semien trade created an opening at second base, where free agent Arraez played 167 games in 2023 and half of 2024 for Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. Shortly after being hired by the Rangers, Schumaker said during a national interview that Arraez is one of his favorite players.
Arraez also fits the Rangers’ new offensive philosophy of putting the ball in play and getting on base. He makes contact more than anyone in baseball. Signing him would help an offense that struggled so much the past two seasons.
Adding him, though, would mean that the Rangers would be sacrificing power and defense. Arraez wasn’t bad defensively for the 2023 Marlins, leading the NL in fielding percentage at second, but the metrics say he is below average.
Another issue is the potential cost for Arraez, who could fetch around $14 million a year. But he’s only 28, so an argument can be made that his best years are ahead.
If the new manager gets one new toy, perhaps Arraez will be it. If not, say hello to Josh Smith at second base.
Starting pitcher: Cody Ponce
Young is a firm believer that the Rangers can never have enough pitching, and he said last week that he wants at least one starter. Starting pitchers don’t come cheap, so if the Rangers are going to make one significant investment, this might be it.
That said, it likely won’t be at the same level as the Blue Jays, who signed Dylan Cease for seven years and $210 million. It might be hard to find the kind of guy the Rangers want at $20 million a year.
The Rangers lost two members of their rotation to free agency, Tyler Mahle and Merrill Kelly. Each can be very good, and each has flaws that might keep prices down. That duo would be a good starting place.
If the Rangers are looking for bounce-back candidates, well, Mahle is likely on that list. So is Dustin May, from Justin Northwest High, and Frankie Montas, Zach Eflin and Nestor Cortes.
The Rangers could also look to the Far East. Anthony Kay (Nippon Professional Baseball) and Ponce (Korea Baseball Organization) would come without a posting fee and with an average annual value below $10 million.
Ponce is drawing comparisons to Kelly, who came from KBO in 2019, but throws harder.
Catcher: Trade
The free-agent market at catcher is pretty thin. Then again, it usually is. J.T. Realmuto is the class of the group, and the next best is Victor Caratini. He’s interesting because new Rangers assistant hitting coach Alex Cintron has worked with Cartini the past two seasons in Houston.
The Rangers have likely been on the phone with other teams to discuss a trade. The Orioles have Adley Rutschman, who many think is available because of the contract extension given to rookie Samuel Basallo. That might be true, though at an extravagant price.
So, let’s be a little more realistic.
The Twins have Ryan Jeffers, and the Pirates have Joey Bart and Henry Davis. The Braves have Sean Murphy, who is now expendable after his 2025 fill-in, Drake Baldwin, blossomed into the National League Rookie of the Year.
Atlanta would have to take on a hefty chunk of Murphy’s contract, which has three years and $45 million remaining on it. If he’s healthy, it could be a bargain for the Rangers.
Bullpen: Five arms
Devin Williams is an interesting case. He’s valued by Sportrac at $5.7 million. He’s going to get more than that, but the question is how much more.
Some projections have him signing a one-year deal at $10 million, while others have him getting multiple years at upwards of $15 million a year. If he’s on the lower end, the Rangers need to put on their full-court press.
The guess here is that the Rangers will attempt to replicate their spending on the 2025 bullpen, which was minimal as they targeted veterans looking for rebound seasons. The Rangers could add five free agents. They added six last season, and barely spent $10 million doing it.
Man, did it work.
Shawn Armstrong said he wants to return to the Rangers after a rebound season that has him among the top available relievers. He is likely seeking a multi-year contract that could rival the deal the Cubs just gave former Rangers reliever Phil Maton, and that might be too much.
Lefties Hoby Milner and Danny Coulombe live locally and likely would be in favor of returning. Non-tenders Jacob Webb and Josh Sborz might be candidates to be re-signed. And never count the Rangers out on pitchers returning from the Far East.
Here’s one guess of free agents: Armstrong, Milner, Ryan Brasier, Scott Barlow and Foster Griffin. But a trade for a catcher could also produce bullpen help.
Outfielder: Austin Hays
Nimmo is an outfielder, an everyday outfielder. So is Wyatt Langford. Evan Carter? The Rangers could use a right-handed hitter who could platoon with Carter, who remains unproven against left-handed pitching.
Hays posted a .949 OPS in 2025 against lefties and has a .819 OPS against them in his career. He played for the Reds on a one-year, $5 million contract, so he’s not going to break the bank.
The only potential drawback is that Hays’ primary position is left field, which Langford plays. Against lefties, though, Langford could slide to center field in place of Carter, and that would open up left field for Hays.
Jeff Wilson, jwilson@alldlls.com
