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Rangers Outfielder Emerges as Key Winter Trade Candidate

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI | By Scott Roche | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 2:00 PM ET

If there is one thing that a lot of people expect the Texas Rangers to do this offseason, it is to trim payroll. It is something that president of baseball operations, Chris Young, is going to try and do even though he just moved Skip Schumaker as his senior adviser to the club's manager.

Just how Young goes about it remains to be seen, as there is no shortage of options for him, but if he does do it, he's doing it in a way to keep his club competitive in what should be a winnable American League West in 2026.

The Seattle Mariners are going to be good again, and expect the Houston Astros to rebound, but the Rangers are just two years removed from a World Series Championship. If Young decides to cut payroll over the winter, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report has a prime trade candidate.

Rangers Could Look to Trade Adolis Garcia Again This Winter

There were whispers at the trade deadline that Adolis Garcia was a potentially available player; however, the Rangers held onto him after Texas made another run toward a postseason berth before they faded. Miller clearly thinks Garcia will be a winter trade chip.

Texas Rangers: A Trade of Adolis García
Contract: Arbitration-Eligible in 2026

"Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young has already said a further decrease in payroll is likely. If that's the case, parting with an outfielder who is liable to cost more than $12 million after back-to-back seasons with a sub-.700 OPS is maybe the lowest-hanging fruit to achieving that goal. The Rangers could also simply non-tender García to save that money, but they'll have a few weeks to shop him around before that decision comes due in late November,'' Miller wrote.

Miller is right that Texas could choose to non-tender Garcia, but Young would rather shop him first and get a deal done. Garcia saw a dip in his numbers with 19 home runs and 75 RBIs this year, with a slash line of .227/.271/.394.

The 32-year-old Garcia is not the only trade option that Young has to trim payroll. Catchers Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka, pitcher Jacob deGrom, pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, second baseman Marcus Semien, shortstop Corey Seager, and designated hitter Joc Pederson are options. Moving a couple of those players would put a dent in their chances to compete under Schumaker.

Just how much money Texas is looking to move remains to be seen. They could move some of the players above, but they would need to find cheaper replacements that are good enough to keep as a contender in the AL West in 2026. It's possible, but Garcia feels like a player that Young would prefer to move this offseason.