The Texas Rangers have a lot to sort out this offseason, but one spot stands out above the rest: center field.
That’s where the pressure lands on Evan Carter, whose 2026 season gave the Rangers far too little at the plate. Carter appeared in 141 games, the most he has played in a season, yet he finished with a .194/.288/.315 slash line, nine home runs and 40 RBI.
The home run and RBI totals were career highs only because he stayed on the field longer than he ever has before. His previous batting average mark had been .188 in 2024, though that came in just 45 games.
The deeper problem is that Carter still hasn’t solved left-handed pitching. Against lefties in 2026, he hit .134/.194/.134. Even against right-handers, the production was only modest, as he posted a .207/.306/.352 line.
There is still real value here, starting with the glove. Carter is an elite defender and Gold Glove material in center. But at 24 years old and with 791 career at-bats, he has already reached a crossroads, and Texas has to decide how to move forward.
Chris Young flagged Carter as one of four younger players who need to take a step in 2027. Keeping him won’t be expensive for now since he is not yet arbitration-eligible, even with a new collective bargaining agreement in the picture. That gives the Rangers some room to think through the options.
One path is to keep Carter and pair him with an internal platoon partner. Ezequiel Duran got time in center against left-handed pitching late in the season, and Alejandro Osuna is another possibility.
Osuna is also a left-handed hitter, and he fared much better against lefties, hitting .311/.367/.311. He can handle center field, though he profiles better as a corner outfielder.
Texas could also go outside the organization and sign a veteran center fielder to work in a platoon with Carter. The free-agent market in the outfield is thin across all three spots, but the Rangers would be looking for someone who can reach base consistently and hold up defensively in center. Power would not need to be the priority.
Then there’s the trade route. Even after a rough offensive season, Carter still carries value. His bat still comes with 20/20 potential, and teams would notice that when combined with his defense if the Rangers decided to make him available.
The long-term picture isn’t especially crowded either. Dylan Dreiling looks like the best internal hope for the future in center field.
The former University of Tennessee standout had a huge 2026 at Double-A Frisco, batting .312/.380/.516 with 22 home runs and 84 RBI. Still, he likely needs another year of at-bats at Triple-A Round Rock before he is ready for the majors.
So the Rangers have choices. They just can’t afford a repeat of what they got in center field this past season.
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