Since winning the 2023 World Series, the Texas Rangers have disappointed fans for the last two seasons. The Rangers went 81-81, finishing third in the A.L. West in 2025. Although they had bright spots like the starting rotation, the offense was unable to score enough runs to win games when it mattered. The Rangers have two choices this offseason: try to add talent to improve the team, or trade star players to rebuild.
The Rangers have already made big moves this season, starting with their coaching staff. The Rangers and Manager Bruce Bochy mutually agreed to part ways. Shortly after, the Rangers hired Skip Shumaker as the new Rangers manager. After Bochy left, more coaches followed him, like pitching coach Mike Maddux and third base coach Tony Beasley. The Rangers filled those positions by hiring Jordan Tiegs as pitching coach, moving Corey Ragsdale to third base coach and hiring former Ranger and World Series Champion Travis Jankowski as the first base coach. These moves will provide a much-needed change for a Rangers team that’s struggled to find success after a World Series win, and Shumaker is a very talented coach who won Manager of the Year in 2023 for the Miami Marlins.
This offseason, the Rangers also looked to free up money by trading or releasing some of their players. The Rangers initially looked to find trade deals that included catcher Jonah Heim and right fielder Adolis Garcia, but after not finding any trades, they decided to non-tender the two who had major contributions to the 2023 team. This move allows the Rangers to keep star players like Corey Seager and Jacob DeGrom, who the Rangers are paying a collective $510 million for.
After non-tendering Heim and Garcia, the Rangers made one of the biggest moves of the offseason so far. The Rangers made a trade with the New York Mets that sent second baseman Marcus Semien to the Mets for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Even though this trade may signal that the Rangers are trading their star players to rebuild, it’s actually the opposite. This was a trade that immediately fills the hole in right field left by Adolis Garcia, and the Rangers already have Josh Smith to play at second base, who’s been a solid hitter and great defender the past two years. This trade is so good because it fixes roster issues and Nimmo is a consistent hitter who was a fan favorite in New York and is sure to be in Texas. This trade’s not the start of a rebuild; instead, it’s the start of big moves that could help the Rangers win games.
Only one month into the offseason, the Rangers have already been in the headlines and they still have three months to add to an already promising team. The Rangers could make additions to the bullpen and add a catcher to fill Heim’s role. The Rangers have shown that they are not going into a rebuild and need to go all-in by signing key players to establish the Rangers as a contender.
