Rangers, Pirates swap pitchers in offseason trade

The Texas Rangers and Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a trade on Wednesday. Texas acquired right-handed pitcher Carter Baumler in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jaiker Garcia and cash considerations. Baumler’s trade comes after getting selected by the Pirates in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday.

Baumler was selected by the Orioles in the 2020 MLB Draft. He has spent his minor league career in Baltimore’s system. While he has yet to make his big league debut, the right-handed hurler has displayed promise in the minor leagues. Between pitching at three minor league levels in 2025, Baumler turned in a stellar 2.04 ERA across 28 total appearances out of the bullpen.

In previous seasons, he had both started and pitched in relief. It seems as if there was an effort to convert him to a full-time reliever in 2025. Perhaps he will impact the Rangers’ bullpen in 2026.

Garcia landed a minor league contract with the Rangers in 2022. He also has not pitched in MLB, spending the last few years in the Rangers’ organization. His numbers don’t jump off the page — he pitched to a 4.66 ERA across 18 appearances in 2025 — but a fresh start could help him turn things around.

The Rangers and Pirates have both been busy this offseason. Texas acquired Brandon Nimmo in a trade for Marcus Semien. While Pittsburgh is still waiting to make a big splash, the Pirates did reportedly have interest in signing Kyle Schwarber before he agreed to return to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Rangers are hoping to bounce back following an up and down 2025 campaign, while the Pirates are looking to build a contending ball club within the next couple of seasons.