Inside The Rangers

Four 2026 Free Agents Rangers Should Already Begin Monitoring for This Offseason

The Texas Rangers should have these free agents in mind as they start to think about their plans for next season.
Dylan Sanders|
May 25, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Luke Weaver (30) pitches in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
May 25, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Luke Weaver (30) pitches in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers have been scaling back since winning the World Series back in 2023 and that likely won't change this year, but they still will need to do some work in the open market.

Even though they likely won't be chasing the big dogs like Kyle Tucker and Pete Alonso, the Rangers will still need to do at least some work for next year's team and can do that without fully breaking the bank.

Here are a couple of intriguing names that Texas should begin scouting as preparation for next year starts to come into focus:

RHP Luke Weaver

The Rangers completely re-tooled their bullpen this past offseason and it has seen some solid results, but they will need to do it again this offseason.

Weaver has become one of the best relievers in baseball over this last season and a half and could be an option for closer during next year's team.

He has a 1.05 ERA with a 0.701 WHIP and 24 strikeouts in 25.2 innings of work. He also has eight saves and has blown just one opportunity this year.

UTIL Willi Castro

Castro is a super-utility player that could fill a number of roles on next year's team. Texas already has Josh Smith, but going for extra versatility is never a bad thing.

The 28-year-old has posted a .268/.359/.439 slash line with six home runs. He hits well on both sides of the plate, but is extra-deadly against southpaws. The Rangers have a wRC+ of just 68 against lefties this season.

He hasn't been a Gold Glover on defense this year, but would be an easy way for Texas to add offense next season.

RHP Paul Blackburn

The Rangers will likely need to search for some options for the backend of their rotation. Blackburn would be a cheaper option with some experience, so Texas should watch closely as he is finally back to playing with the New York Mets.

The 31-year-old doesn't walk very many batters and is good with forcing bad contact. He has great off-speed and breaking stuff.

OF Michael Conforto

Conforto would be a buy-low candidate for some offense. He's been pretty brutal this year for the Los Angeles Dodgers with a .173/.316/.270 slash line in 60 games.

Just last year he hit .253/.323/.530 with 17 home runs in 72 games not played in Oracle Park with the San Francisco Giants, it could be worth it to take a flier on him to see if he can find that success again.

For more Rangers news, head over to Rangers On SI.

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Dylan Sanders
DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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