The Texas Rangers are heading into the offseason with a clear hole behind the plate, and the front office appears to know exactly what kind of fix it wants.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, who spoke with Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker at the general managers’ meetings in Las Vegas earlier this week, Texas is targeting defensive help in free agency at catcher and in center field. The center-field need is easy to see after the Rangers announced earlier this month that Evan Carter will have hip labrum surgery and could miss opening day. That leaves a Gold Glove finalist out of the lineup and creates an immediate opening.
Catcher, though, may be the more complicated problem. The only catcher on the Major League 40-man roster is Danny Jansen, who is signed through 2027.
Logan O’Hoppe is also listed as a designated hitter, while top catching prospect Malcolm Moore - the Rangers’ 2024 first-round pick - had a strong 2026 in the minors but likely needs another year there before he’s ready for the big leagues. Kyle Higashioka did not trigger his mutual option, and Elias Diaz is now a free agent.
That leaves Texas shopping for a short-term answer, and defense is clearly the priority.
Jansen brings one useful skill to the table. He ranked in the 90th percentile in blocks above average per Statcast.
But the rest of the defensive profile was much less appealing. He sat in the 32nd percentile in caught stealing above average, and his framing and pop time numbers were even worse.
Diaz, by comparison, was stronger across the board. Even in framing, where he was only in the 49th percentile, he was still better than Jansen. His 1.89 pop time, which landed in the 80th percentile, made him far tougher to run on.
O’Hoppe’s defensive numbers were rough. He was in the first percentile in both blocks above average and framing, and his career marks in those categories have stayed below the 50th percentile.
A reunion with Diaz would make sense as a one-year bridge. He hit .235/.267/.383 with six home runs and 30 RBI.
The free-agent market does offer other names, but most of the catchers available are 30 or older. Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers is viewed as the best option on the board, though his defensive numbers are no better than Jansen’s. Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson is also available, but he comes with the same issue as Jansen: he blocks well, yet doesn’t separate himself in the other defensive categories.
Another possibility is Austin Hedges, a fan favorite and part of the Rangers’ 2023 World Series team. He’s regarded as an elite defender, even though his 2026 season in Cleveland was a down year on that side of the ball. In 2025, he was among the best in baseball in caught stealing above average and framing.
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