Three questions facing the Texas Rangers this offseason

The Texas Rangers season came down to the final day.

The Rangers had been tied with the Astros atop the AL West for the previous five days. A win, coupled with an Astros loss, would have sent the Rangers to the playoffs. Instead, they lost 6-4 to the Twins, finishing a game out of the postseason.

The Rangers have stability in the front office and managerial position. They also have a veteran roster, but several holes could make for a busy offseason. Let's look at three questions facing the Rangers this offseason.

Three questions facing the Texas Rangers

1. Can the Rangers rebuild their bullpen?

General manager Chris Young has spent the past few years building his relief corps on a shoestring budget with varying degrees of success. The 2026 season was not nearly as successful despite the emergence of closer Jacob Latz.

The Rangers are going to have significant turnover in the bullpen. Jacob Junis, Trevor Williams, Jalen Beeks and Tyler Alexander are slated to reach free agency. Latz is a solid piece to anchor the bullpen, but the Rangers will need to find more success while bargain hunting in free agency.

2. Can Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter take the next step?

The Rangers have a solid trio atop the rotation in Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and MacKenzie Gore. The question is who follows. Former top prospects Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter filled the fourth and fifth starter roles but were inconsistent at best. Rocker posted a 4.38 ERA and a 1.405 WHIP on his 148 innings while Leiter had a 5.29 ERA and a 1.438 WHIP over 80 innings.

The Rangers have faced payroll limitations over the past couple of years. As the Rangers have numerous holes to fill on the roster, especially in the bullpen, having Leiter and Rocker take a step forward to fulfill their potential as former top prospects would go a long way toward contending.

3. Can the Rangers trade another large contract?

The Rangers were able to move on from one onerous contract during the 2025-26 offseason, swapping infielder Marcus Semien to the Mets for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Adding Nimmo filled a hole in the outfield while shaving just over $5 million from their payroll in 2026. 

Some relief will be coming after the 2027 season as deGrom and Eovaldi are likely to enter free agency. However, deGrom, Eovaldi, Nimmo and infielder Corey Seager have no-trade clauses, which limit the Rangers' ability to move on from those contracts during the offseason. The Rangers currently have $122.5 million guaranteed for five players next season, and may need to get creative if they are going to build a contender.