The Rangers head into 2027 with a rotation that could end up looking a lot like the one they rolled out in 2026. That’s not exactly because everything clicked. It’s more a matter of contracts, no-trade clauses and a lack of easy exits.
Texas entered 2026 believing the rotation was one of the club’s real strengths. Instead, the group was uneven more often than dominant. Built around two expensive veterans and supported by three younger starters with upside, the staff produced only two winning records and just one ERA under 3.00.
That leaves the Rangers with a familiar puzzle: what actually changes next?
Jacob deGrom appears headed for the final season of his five-year, $185 million contract in 2027 unless he changes his mind about waiving his no-trade clause. The upside is obvious.
He made 31 starts, struck out 201 hitters and held opponents to a .226 average. The other side of the ledger is harder to ignore: he finished 11-11 with a 4.20 ERA, allowed 20 home runs and had trouble consistently getting through the sixth inning late in the year.
The Rangers may need to manage his workload more carefully in 2027 to keep him fresh. Better run support wouldn’t hurt, either.
Nathan Eovaldi is in a similar spot in terms of roster flexibility. His no-trade clause makes him difficult to move, and Texas probably isn’t looking for an easy way out anyway after giving up five prospects to get him.
The season wasn’t his sharpest. He went 11-10 with a 4.20 ERA in 27 games, 23 of them starts, missed a month with right posterior elbow inflammation, struck out 144 and walked 35 in 145.2 innings, and allowed a .253 batting average with 24 home runs.
Eovaldi has long been a pitcher the Rangers expect to miss some time every season, but this one was more volatile than usual. That stands out because he’s typically known for getting off to strong starts.
In his first season in Texas, he went 8-11 with a 4.58 ERA in a career-high 34 starts, striking out 174, walking 71 and allowing a .241 average. The Rangers need cleaner outings, fewer walks and more innings from him.
At the same time, his track record suggests there may be a limit to how much more he can become.
Jack Leiter’s situation is different, but the pressure is real. He aggravated an extraneous bone in his ankle early in the season, the injury affected his mechanics, and he needed surgery in June that ended his year. In 15 games, he went 3-7 with a 5.29 ERA, struck out 83, walked 35 and allowed opponents to hit .255 against him.
His rotation spot likely isn’t in danger based on what he did in 2025. Even so, president of baseball operations Chris Young singled him out as one of four players who needed to improve in 2027, so the early part of next season will draw plenty of attention.
The most intriguing case is the right-hander the Rangers will have to work to keep. Signed for $1 million and invited to major league spring training, he didn’t even break camp with the club.
By the end of the season, though, he had turned into a real piece of the staff, going 9-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 32 games, including 15 starts. He struck out 81, walked 25 and held opponents to a .218 average, taking over Leiter’s rotation job after the injury.
Re-signing Quantrill this winter won’t be cheap, but he also doesn’t look like a pitcher who’s about to cash in for $20 million on the open market. The Rangers may have a window to bring him back at a manageable price before a possible lockout in December, especially after the familiarity he built with the organization this season.
In Other News...
Rangers May Need One Uncomfortable Move To Fix This Roster
Chris Young is looking at a Rangers roster that has lost its way a bit after three straight postseason misses, and the next fix may not be a comfortable one. Texas already knows it needs more balance, with a starting center fielder and a first baseman high on the list, while the pitching plan also points toward bringing back veteran arms to help steady young starters Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker.
The harder question is how to create room for all of that without simply layering more payroll onto a club that still needs flexibility and a younger core. One path being considered is moving one of the four high-paid players, and Corey Seager stands out as the likeliest trade candidate, a sign of how serious the Rangers may need to get if they want to reshape the roster rather than just patch it. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Have Three Offseason Answers That Could Reshape The AL West
The Rangers are already being pushed to think a few steps ahead, and the 2027 offseason has the look of a possible pivot point. With spending plans still uncertain and roster choices looming, the front office could have a real chance to address multiple needs at once if it decides to get aggressive in the market.
Lane Thomas, Adrian Morejon and Shota Imanaga all surface as names worth watching because each would fill a different kind of gap, from lineup help to bullpen depth to rotation stability. None of it matters, of course, if Texas decides to stay cautious, which is what makes the next round of roster decisions so important for how the AL West race could look down the line. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Cannot Afford To Repeat This Roster-Building Mistake
The Rangers spent too much of the 2026 season trying to patch holes on the fly, and president of baseball operations Chris Young acknowledged the root problem was deeper than any one injury or slump. Texas did not create enough genuine competition for roster spots, which left the club with too few alternatives when players failed to perform and made the day-to-day decision-making more difficult than it should have been.
Chris Young said the front office has to correct that in the 2027 offseason by adding players who can actually push for starting jobs, not just fill out the depth chart. For a team that wants to avoid another season of thin margins and limited fallback plans, the lesson is clear: better depth is not a luxury, it is part of the baseline for building a more resilient roster. [Read more 🡒]