Chris Young may not say much about what the Rangers can really spend this winter, but the shape of the offseason is pretty easy to read. Texas is probably going to have to be selective again, and that makes value just as important as star power. With that in mind, there are four free agents who make a lot of sense for the Rangers.
Luis Arraez is the cleanest fit if Texas wants to add more table-setting to the lineup. He started 2026 on a one-year, $12 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, then was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at the deadline. He finished the season hitting .310/.345/.419 with six home runs and 64 RBI.
If the Rangers keep most of the roster together, second base looks like his best landing spot. Texas needs more help getting on base, and Arraez does exactly that.
He puts the ball in play, keeps the strikeouts down, and former Rangers manager Ron Washington helped him become a better defender in San Francisco. He won’t bring much power, but the appeal is obvious for a team chasing a different kind of production.
A two- or three-year deal at a similar average annual value to what he got from San Francisco could make sense, especially in a market that doesn’t look especially strong. That kind of move would also let the Rangers keep Ezequiel Durak in a super-utility role.
Daulton Varsho brings a different kind of versatility. He’s coming off a season that ended with injury and cysts in his left wrist, and that may have softened his market even though he should be ready for next season. After being traded from Toronto to Houston, his offense dipped, and he finished at .221/.281/.355 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI.
The bigger draw is what he gives you in center field. Varsho is a Gold Glove-level defender there, so the Rangers would not be sacrificing much if he won the job.
His splits are more balanced against lefties and righties, and he has historically hit left-handed pitching better. That would create a real competition with Evan Carter, which is exactly the kind of battle Young wants in spots where younger players can earn their way onto the field.
The loser would slide into a fourth outfielder role, so the whole setup still works. Varsho played last season on a $10.75 million deal, and it likely wouldn’t take much more than that per year to get him.
Casey Mize is the arm on this list who could fit the Rangers’ ballpark situation nicely. The former first-round pick has dealt with Tommy John surgery, but over the past two seasons he has started to settle in.
In 2025 with Detroit, he went 14-6 with a 3.87 ERA and made the All-Star team. He opened 2026 with the Tigers at 4-6 and a 2.70 ERA before a trade to the San Diego Padres, where things went sideways and he finished 2-4 with a 7.46 ERA.
The split in production could come down to the parks. Comerica Park helped him once he got his stuff back in order, while Petco Park was a tougher environment.
Globe Life Field has played more like a pitcher’s park in recent seasons, which is why Mize makes some sense for Texas. He turns 30 next season and is looking to get paid, but he’s not in the top tier of free agents.
He made $6.15 million in arbitration in 2026, and a deal in the $10-12 million AAV range would not be out of reach for the Rangers.
The last name on the list is one Texas already knows well: Alexander. He barely made $1 million last season with the Rangers after coming back home, and he was outstanding in 2026. The Southlake Carroll and TCU product went 5-2 with a 3.70 ERA in 75 games, striking out 60 and walking 23 in 73 innings.
He was used in just about every role imaginable, from opener to middle reliever to setup man to closer. Bringing him back would solve the Rangers’ left-handed setup need for 2027 and more. Given the season he just had, a deal around $5 million in AAV feels reasonable.
In Other News...
Rangers Face A Real DH Dilemma With Joc Pederson This Winter
Joc Pederson gave the Rangers exactly the kind of thump they were hoping for at designated hitter in 2026, spending most of the season in that role and finishing with 26 home runs and an .817 OPS. For Texas, that production came with a familiar tradeoff: plenty of offense, very little defensive flexibility, and a winter decision that could shape how the rest of the roster gets built.
Former general manager Jim Bowden has suggested the market may not be eager to chase Pederson given his age and limited defensive value, which leaves the Rangers in a tricky spot as they weigh whether to keep the DH lane open. If they move on, the payoff could be a more versatile lineup and a chance to spread at-bats around, but it also means saying goodbye to one of the more productive bats they had in that spot. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Linked To A Rotation Gamble With Long Term Stakes
Payroll pressure often pushes clubs toward uncomfortable decisions, and the Rangers may be headed into that kind of territory as they look for ways to shore up a rotation without pushing the budget too far. One possible path would be a buy-low trade market, the sort that asks a front office to weigh present need against long-term uncertainty, especially when a pitchers talent once made him look like a fast-rising rotation piece.
Luis Gil fits that kind of conversation because the upside is obvious, but so is the risk. His recent track record has been interrupted by injury and uncertainty about his standing with the Yankees, which makes him more of a projection than a sure thing. For Texas, the appeal is finding a starter who can help fill innings, but the real question is how much confidence anyone can have in what he might look like beyond 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Bullpen Plan Raises A Bigger Question About Texas Priorities
The Rangers bullpen conversation has taken an unexpected turn toward the future, with former GM Jim Bowden making the case for a left-handed arm who could help in a range of roles. Sean Newcomb has resurfaced as a name worth watching because of the way he has handled both middle relief work and spot starts, and Bowden sees that versatility as a strong match for what Texas may need down the line.
Newcombs recent performance has given him real credibility as more than just a depth add, and the broader discussion around him has centered on what kind of contract a pitcher with that profile might command. For a Rangers club always trying to balance immediate pitching needs with longer-range planning, the question is not just whether Newcomb fits, but how aggressively Texas would want to act if the market lines up in their favor. [Read more 🡒]