Acquiring These Two Starters Would Fix Significant Issue in Rangers Rotation

The Texas Rangers have an underlying issue in their starting rotation.

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This offseason, the Texas Rangers will be quite selective with their free agent and potential trade process.

They swung a massive trade with the New York Mets swapping Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo. The front office is aiming to shed payroll, but that doesn't mean they won't attempt to field a competitive roster in 2026 under manager Skip Schumaker.

One of the Rangers' biggest strengths a season ago was the starting rotation. Spearheaded by Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, Texas turned in the league's best team ERA.

However, there is one common theme among the current starters. They're all right handed pitchers. Patrick Corbin was the lone lefty in the rotation, but he is an unrestricted free agent. Here are a couple trade candidates that could give the Rangers a solid left handed pitcher.

MacKenzie Gore

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In 2022, MacKenzie Gore was involved in one of the biggest trades in recent memory. The Washington Nationals traded Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres for a load of prospects including Gore, C.J. Abrams, and James Wood. While those players have performed well individually, the team has not.

Gore has been a name floating around on the trade market. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that teams expect Gore to wear a new uniform by the end of 2026. They just don't know if it will happen now or at the trade deadline. Gore isn't a free agent until after 2027, which could make for a larger asking price.

The 26-year-old turned in an All-Star season in 2025, striking out 185 hitters. His best start of the year came in June where he threw seven scoreless innings agains the Chicago Cubs. He hasn't developed into the ace many thought he would be, but that's not what Texas is looking for. He still has a lot of development to go through, and the Rangers could be a great destination for that.

Kris Bubic

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Passan also listed Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic as another potential trade candidate. He had a phenomenal start to the 2025 season, earning his first All-Star nod. Then on July 27th, he was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left rotator cuff strain, which ended his season.

Bubic posted a 2.55 ERA with 116 strikeouts in just 20 starts. In six of his outings, he left the game without allowing a run. It may be risky to trade for someone coming off that injury, but Texas isn't afraid to take a chance. They drafted Kumar Rocker in the first round despite his injury history, and signed Tyler Mahle even though he was going to miss majority of the 2024 season.

He would be an excellent addition to this starting rotation and address the need for a lefty. He incorporated a slider last year, and became a quality arm when healthy.

The Rangers could lose multiple arms this offseason. Starting pitching may not be the top priority for president of baseball operations Chris Young, but it is something to consider.