The Rangers have a center field problem to solve, but Daulton Varsho is not the answer.
That’s the basic case against the Astros outfielder, who has been floated as a fit for Chris Young’s club even after a rough 2026 season in Houston. Varsho came over from the Toronto Blue Jays in a deal that sent right-handed starter Spencer Arighetti the other way at the 2026 trade deadline, then played 41 games for the Astros and hit .172/.224/.311 while manning center field. Houston still won the AL West in a down division, but Varsho didn’t move the needle before the White Sox knocked them out 2-0 in the wild-card round.
Texas does need help in center. Evan Carter is out for the next several months after hip surgery and is expected to miss time in 2027, and Young has already said center field is a priority heading into that season. But the argument here is that Varsho would be a bad way to patch the hole.
The comparison to Carter is where the fit starts to fall apart. Carter last season was a left-handed-hitting, Gold Glove-caliber defensive center fielder who hit .194/.288/.315 and was unplayable against left-handed pitching. At one point in the second half, Skip Schumaker even used Carter as a bunt option just to give him a way to contribute.
Varsho’s profile is awfully close to that, only with less value attached. His 0.8 bWAR topped Carter’s by more than a win, but Carter’s 1.9 WAR came almost entirely from defense and baserunning. Varsho’s value also comes mostly from the advanced metrics, but he is a step slower than Carter and carries a minus arm, ranking in the 11th percentile in both arm strength and arm value, according to Statcast.
The one area where Varsho offers a real edge is against left-handed pitching, but even that isn’t enough to justify the price. He hit .222/.274/.341 with two homers and 10 RBIs against lefties, and the projected cost - two years and $20 million - is simply too steep for a player who doesn’t clearly upgrade the spot.
Texas has other paths. Cam Cauley is already in the organization, made his debut last season, and at 23 is under team control for years. If the Rangers want to shop externally, Arlington-area native Trent Grisham looks like the better free-agent option.
Grisham is projected for $11 million to $14 million next season, and while he would likely be available on a one-year deal, he brings more offensive punch. He hit 18 home runs and drove in 59 runs in a down year at the plate, and his plate discipline is elite, ranking in the 99th percentile in whiff rate while drawing 61 walks against 89 strikeouts in 418 at-bats. The tradeoff is defense, since he has minus range in center, but he at least gives an offense something back.
However the Rangers handle it, center field is going to need a real answer. It’s the third most important position on the field behind catcher and shortstop, and Carter doesn’t look like the long-term solution. Varsho, at two years and $20 million, would be the wrong stopgap.
In Other News...
Rangers Trade Talks Could Put One Familiar Name In Play
With the General Manager Meetings set for Nov. 10-12 in Las Vegas, Chris Young is heading into the kind of week that can quietly shape a roster for months to come. The Rangers president of baseball operations is expected to be in the room for trade conversations, and as always at this stage of the calendar, familiar names can start surfacing in speculative talks as clubs explore what it might take to improve.
For Texas, the chatter naturally circles back to a few players who would draw attention if the Rangers decided to listen. Nathan Eovaldi remains the sort of established arm that could interest contenders, while Sebastian Walcott gives the organization a premium young piece whose value is easy to imagine in bigger conversations. Nothing is settled, and these are still just possible frameworks rather than actual deals, but the fact that both veterans and prospects could enter the discussion is enough to make Las Vegas a place worth watching for Rangers fans. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Shortstop Debate Just Got Much More Complicated
Bostons search for a long-term answer at shortstop has only gotten messier as it looks ahead to 2027, with Trevor Story still on the roster but not locked into the job. The Red Sox are keeping tabs on multiple possibilities, and Corey Seager has emerged as one of the more intriguing names in the mix, alongside younger stars such as Elly De La Cruz.
Seagers appeal is obvious enough for a club trying to stabilize the position, but any pursuit would have to clear two hurdles: the price and the fit. He is under contract for five more years, and after a down season, Boston would have to decide whether the upside of adding a proven shortstop outweighs the risk of taking on a major commitment for a player coming off a rough year. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers May Be Heading Toward A Corey Seager Crossroads
The Rangers are entering the offseason with a difficult question hanging over Corey Seager, and the answer may start taking shape at the general managers meetings in Las Vegas. Texas is expected to gauge the trade market for its star shortstop, a move that reflects both the clubs desire for payroll flexibility and the reality that Seagers contract and injury history make any deal complicated from the start.
Seagers full no-trade rights give him control over where this goes, and the financial commitment attached to him means any conversation will be about more than just baseball value. If the Rangers do decide to explore moving him, it could open a path for Sebastian Walcott, the prospect many around the organization see as a possible long-term answer at shortstop, but the first step is simply finding out whether there is real interest at all. [Read more 🡒]