How a Decreased Payroll Could Impact Rangers Offseason

The Rangers are quickly putting their offseason plans into motion.

Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

It has only been a couple days since the Texas Rangers season came to a close. However, the front office is wasting no time with announcing changes for the 2026 season. On Monday, Texas announced they would be mutually parting ways with manager Bruce Bochy but he could be returning as an advisor in the front office.

While the Rangers begin their search for the next manager, they will also be decreasing their payroll for the second consecutive year, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com.

General manager Chris Young said he still believes that the young core and foundational pieces can compete in the coming years. Despite this, the question becomes how will this change impact free agency?

Several Pitchers Will Hit Free Agency

Texas had the 7th highest payroll in baseball for the 2025 season at $224 million but that will decrease in 2026. The Rangers will have a tough time retaining several pitchers who are set to hit free agency.

Starting pitchers: Jon Gray, Tyler Mahle, Patrick Corbin, Merrill Kelly

Bullpen pitchers: Phil Maton, Chris Martin, Hoby Milner, Danny Coulombe, Shawn Armstrong

A lot of these pitchers made major contributions to a staff that led the MLB in team ERA. Texas will have to prioritize which arms they value the most and are worth retaining. The problem is with the decreased payroll, they may struggle to compete with teams who will be interested.

The starting rotation isn't expected to take a big hit but Young will once again have to retool the bullpen.

The Rangers May Struggle to Make a Big Splash

We've seen the Rangers make some big moves over the last few free agency periods. In 2022, they signed Marcus Semien and Corey Seager which kickstarted the new era of baseball in Arlington. After a tough season, Texas signed Jacob deGrom to a big deal.

While there wasn't a huge signing last year, Young was still able to acquire Joc Pederson and Jake Burger to bolster the offense. This winter, some of the big names electing free agency include Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber, and Kyle Tucker.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (30) hits a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning at Angel Stadium. | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

While all of those players would make a huge impact on a struggling offense, it seems unlikely that Texas will be able to muster up enough money to compete with other teams.

Coming off a disappointing season in 2025, this may not be the news fans want to hear. The idea is to get back to where the Rangers were just a couple seasons ago. Decreasing the payroll may not help with that cause, but there are other ways to build a competitive roster.

Many of the major contributors are under contract for next season with tons of talent in the farm system. If Young is able to acquire a couple of proven hitters that can reverse the woes of last year, and add some experienced arms in the bullpen, Texas could be in good shape for next year.

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