Which Free Agents Should Rangers Re-Sign Going into 2026 Season?

Shawn Armstrong, Phil Maton and Hoby Milner

The Rangers should strive to keep certain pieces of their bullpen for 2026. Texas remade the bullpen and Armstrong and Milner was part of that initial rebuild while Maton was a trade deadline addition.

Armstrong went 4-3 with a 2.31 ERA and emerged as the Rangers’ closer down the stretch, as he saved nine games in 12 chances. He’s always been a durable set-up man but has never been given the chance to be a full-time closer. That may not be his lot with Texas, but Texas loved his season.

Same for Milner who faded down the stretch as he was overused. The lefty throws from a funky arm angle, and it can befuddle hitters. He’s durable and can pitch multiple innings. He went 3-4 with a 3.84 ERA in 73 games but was unable to convert a save in four chances.

Maton is a reliever Texas should be interested in keeping as he has closer stuff and has pitched in the postseason. After the trade he went 3-2 with a 3.52 in 23 games, including three saves in six chances.

All three have the added benefit of being low-cost. The three combined could potentially be had for $10 million or less.

Can Keep

Tyler Mahle, Patrick Corbin, Merrill Kelly

The Rangers have the capability of keeping all three — if they’re willing to pay. That’s the rub. Texas wants to trim payroll.

Mahle has the best chance of getting a multi-year deal after he went 6-4 with a 2.18 ERA in 16 starts in 2025. He’s past his Tommy John surgery, but he’s been dogged by shoulder issues the last two years. Still, if one extrapolates his numbers over a full season, it’s easy to see why at team might invest more than 10 million per year over two or three years.

Kelly is 37 and facing a market that will probably yield no more than a one-year deal. He was pitching on a two-year, $18 million deal. He won’t make that in 2026. Still, there is a market for a veteran starer who went 12-9 with a 3.52 ERA. That market could quickly price the Rangers out.

Corbin is 36, the Rangers signed him as an emergency starter, and he gave them a solid return. He went 7-11 with a 4.40 ERA. He’s a back-of-the-rotation lefty who never misses a start, but it not as effective as most teams would like. He could be back in Texas, but the Rangers will let him explore the market first.

Won’t Keep

Jon Gray, Chris Martin, Danny Coulombe

Gray is dealing with a major shoulder issue that ended his 2025 season. It’s an injury a pitcher can come back from — Kelly did it — but thoracic outlet syndrome is difficult enough that Gray could simply call it a career after getting his 10 years of service time earlier in 2025. In four seasons with Texas, Gray went 22-22 with a 4.28 ERA and a 2023 World Series ring.

Martin might be considering retirement, too. The 39-year-old battled injuries for the entire second half of the season. Before that, he was effective. He went 2-6 with a 2.98 ERA in 49 games, with two saves in five chances. The Arlington, Texas, native has had a long career. Even if he tries to pitch next season, the Rangers are likely to pass.

Coulombe just turned 36 and his two months with the Rangers turned into a train wreck thanks to an injury and ineffectiveness. It was stunning considering he was one of the best relievers in baseball with Minnesota before the trade. With Texas he went 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in 15 games.

The Final Free Agent

Joc Pederson is considered a potential free agent since he has an $18.5 million option on the two-year deal he signed with the Rangers before last season. He will have to decide after the end of the World Series whether he wants to stay or explore the market. The 33-year-old missed three months with an injury and slashed .181/.285/.328 with nine home runs and 26 RBI. It’s hard to envision a scenario in which Pederson doesn’t trigger his option, unless he just didn’t like playing in Texas. But there is little chance he gets that sort of deal on the open market after what was the worst season of his career.