Thursday, October 30

ARLINGTON -- The World Series has begun, and the Skip Schumaker era is just days away from getting up and running. 

After winning the World Series in 2023, the Rangers have faced back-to-back seasons of third-place finishes in the American League West. 

“We didn't reach expectations, and certainly not to the level that our fans deserve,” said president of baseball operations Chris Young. “That said, our fan base is tremendous. Our fans deserve a winning team, and that's our intent to give them one. … Moving ahead to 2026, we have a lot of work to do. I really feel good about where we are, and I'm very optimistic that we're going to get back to winning baseball next year.”

Here are some notable questions and dates as we head into one of the busiest times of the offseason:

Who are the free agents? 

Starters: RHP Jon Gray, RHP Tyler Mahle, LHP Patrick Corbin, RHP Merrill Kelly

Relievers: RHP Shawn Armstrong, LHP Hoby Milner, RHP Chris Martin, RHP Phil Maton, LHP Danny Coulombe

Position players: 1B Rowdy Tellez, 2B Dylan Moore, 1B Donovan Solano

Are any of them likely to receive qualifying offers?

Qualifying offers must be extended five days after the conclusion of the World Series, but no Rangers are likely to be extended one, since that would lock that player into a one-year, $22.025 million salary for 2026.

Which players have options, and what’s the dollar figure and impact on payroll?

Joc Pederson has an $18.5 million player option. The deadline for teams and players to make decisions on contract options is also five days after the conclusion of the World Series, though after a down year at the plate, Pederson is likely to exercise his player option and rejoin the club in 2026. 

Are any players likely to be non-tender candidates this winter? 

The non-tender deadline is on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. CT. Teams must formally tender a contract to unsigned players for the following season, including their arbitration-eligible players. If a player is non-tendered, he becomes a free agent. The Rangers are likely to tender a contract to all eligible players.

Who needs to be added to the 40-man roster this winter to avoid the Rule 5 Draft, and do they have a crunch for roster spots? If so, how might that be resolved, and when does that need to be set?

The Rule 5 Draft will take place on Dec. 11 during the Winter Meetings in Orlando. The Rangers have quite a few prospects at risk of being picked up if not added to the 40-man roster before then, though it’s not as loaded a crop as usual. 

That list includes:

• INF Cameron Cauley (Rangers’ No. 17 prospect, per MLB Pipeline) 

• RHP David Davalillo (No. 7)

• 1B Abimelec Ortiz (No. 18)

• OF Aaron Zavala (NR)

What kind of help does Texas need, and will it be active in free agency? Who might the Rangers target?

Texas has a solid rotational core going into 2026, but you can never have too much starting pitching behind the trio of Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter. The Rangers could very well work toward bringing back Corbin, Mahle or Kelly to round out the rotation, but they will no doubt need someone who can eat quality innings on the back end. 

Young will also be tasked with fully rebuilding the bullpen once again. This time, with a lockdown closer. Texas finished 37-for-66 in save opportunities in 2025 despite a solid bullpen ERA of 3.62  that was third best in the American League behind Boston (3.41) and Cleveland (3.44). The only thing that would've made the relief corps more successful was an established closer. 

Additionally, the Rangers could benefit from upgrading the offense after two consecutive seasons of regression at the plate. What position they would upgrade is yet to be seen. 

Are there any players the Rangers might be willing to trade this winter?

It wouldn’t be shocking for Texas to shop Jonah Heim or Adolis García this winter. Neither has quite reached his potential on either side of the ball since each was named an All-Star starter in 2023, and though García returned to Gold Glove form this season, he was still very streaky at the plate. 

That all obviously hinges on Texas replacing any level of production from the two of them via trade or free agency, but Young and the front office will always explore any way to make the club better.

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