MLB Trade Rumors has laid out its arbitration numbers for all 30 teams, and the Texas Rangers’ list comes with a clear split: two players who make sense as extension candidates, and one veteran who could end up on the non-tender edge.
The Rangers had 10 players included in the projections, with salaries ranging from MacKenzie Gore’s $8.7 million estimate to Jacob Latz at $3 million. The full group also includes Jake Burger at $6.9 million, Ezequiel Durán at $4 million, Josh Jung at $5.2 million, Logan O’Hoppe at $3.1 million, Cody Bradford at $1.3 million, Robert Garcia at $1.1 million, Wyatt Langford at $3.3 million and Evan Carter at $1.7 million.
Among that group, Wyatt Langford and Jacob Latz stand out as the names Texas should at least think about locking up beyond the arbitration years.
Langford is only 24 and under team control through the 2029 season. The Rangers may have some real hesitation because of his hamstring issues and the way his season tailed off late, but there’s enough there to justify exploring an extension.
Even with the injuries and uneven production, he still finished with 2.7 fWAR, a 115 wRC+, 17 home runs, 44 RBI and 15 stolen bases. Since his MLB debut in 2024, Langford has piled up 9.9 fWAR, 55 home runs, 180 RBI and 56 stolen bases in 378 games.
Latz is in a different spot, but he also belongs in the extension conversation. He’s controlled through the 2030 season, though he’ll already be 30, which could make Texas reluctant to go long.
Still, the idea of buying out some arbitration years while adding an extra year or two has real appeal. After years of battling injuries, Latz has been mostly healthy over the past couple of seasons, and 2026 was his best work yet.
He took over as the Rangers’ full-time closer and delivered a 2.13 ERA with 30 saves and 83 strikeouts across 72 innings. He was also the club’s lone All-Star representative this season.
Burger, meanwhile, looks like the player most at risk of getting squeezed out. He remains under team control through 2028 and put together a decent year, hitting .228/.302/.421 with 28 homers while handling first base well.
But Chris Young has made it clear the Rangers want to get younger and more athletic, and Burger, now 30, doesn’t really fit that description. Texas could shop him this offseason, and if it can’t find a trade package it likes, non-tendering him would be on the table.
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