The Texas Rangers want to get younger, faster and more versatile, and that means the roster is going to look different in 2027.
President of baseball operations Chris Young said Monday that everything is on the table as the club tries to improve, from trimming payroll to trading players. He didn’t have a definitive answer on whether any of the Rangers’ free agents will be back, which is hardly unusual this time of year. So the next question becomes obvious: if those players move on, who fills the holes?
At designated hitter, Justin Foscue looks like the cleanest internal fit. He gave the Rangers a real boost against left-handed pitching after being called up in May and finished the season with a .271/.332/.484 slash line, 11 home runs and 34 RBI. The bat still needs work against righties - he hit just .175 against them - but if he can raise that to .225 while keeping the .317 he posted against lefties, he profiles as the everyday DH.
Behind the plate, the picture is murkier. Higashioka has a mutual option that the Rangers are unlikely to pick up, while Diaz is a free agent.
O’Hoppe, acquired from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline, didn’t catch a game for Texas this season, but he should be in line to work as the tandem for Danny Jansen in 2027. In 10 MLB games with the Rangers, O’Hoppe slashed .353/.333/.412.
The bat isn’t the issue. The growth has to come defensively.
On the mound, the Rangers would be wise to find a way to keep Quantrill. The club may need to go beyond the $1 million he made this season, but after what he did for Texas, he’s earned a raise.
Quantrill worked both as a starter and a reliever and finished 9-5 with a 2.86 ERA. A one-year deal in the $5-7 million range would make sense and would keep him in the mix with the younger arms.
The bullpen has its own set of decisions. If Junis and the Rangers don’t trigger his mutual option for 2027, Texas will need a new right-handed setup man.
Silseth, acquired from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline, looks like the most likely first crack at that job. His numbers in Texas weren’t pretty - 0-2 with a 5.31 ERA - but he was far better with the Angels in 2024 and 2025, when he posted a sub-3.00 ERA and a strong strikeout rate.
The walks need to come down, but the stuff is there for the eighth inning.
The left side of the bullpen could also shift. The Rangers are highly unlikely to bring back Beeks, who is recovering from elbow surgery and probably won’t help any team next season.
Alexander, by contrast, was excellent as both an opener and a setup man, and Texas would love to have him back. The problem is price.
He likely helped himself enough in free agency to push beyond the Rangers’ range, much like Hoby Milner after the 2025 season. If both are gone, Ahlstrom is the likeliest candidate to handle the left-handed seventh- or eighth-inning role.
He went 3-1 with a 6.08 ERA in 42 games, and his workload could grow if the others don’t return.
In the infield, the Rangers are expected to keep leaning younger and more athletic, which makes Lopez a tougher fit even after a strong season. His glove and versatility will be missed, but Freeman brings the kind of flexibility Texas wants.
He can handle nearly every infield spot and at least one outfield position. He hit .247/.319/.318 in 36 MLB games while dealing with a stress reaction in his back and a herniated disc, and the Rangers want to see what he can do over a full healthy season.
Ezequiel Duran also figures to be the starting second baseman in 2027.
Montgomery may be the easiest call of the bunch. There’s no real reason not to re-sign him.
He returned in August, worked out of the bullpen rather than the rotation, and went 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA in 15 games after coming back from Tommy John surgery. His stuff improved as the season went on, and he should be on track for a starter’s workload next year.
The Rangers could even try to get him on a one-year deal in the $5-7 million range before the lockout, especially with the amount of money coming off the books and his interest in the organization.
Williams looks like the least likely to stick. Texas grabbed him on a veteran minimum deal when rosters expanded on Sept. 1 after the Washington Nationals released him following his recovery from elbow surgery.
He’s expected to test the market rather than return, which could open the door for Cole Winn. If Winn comes back from the 60-day injured list and recaptures the 2025 form that made him one of Texas’ best relievers, he could step into a long-relief role in 2027.
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