How Rangers Could Shake Up First Base Situation for Second Straight Offseason

The Texas Rangers shook up first base last offseason, and it yielded limited results. Free Agency offers them another chance.

A view of the Texas Rangers logo on the field before the game. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Last offseason the Rangers moved on from fan favorite Nathaniel Lowe, trading the first baseman to the Washington Nationals for pitcher Robert Garcia. Lowe struggled in Washington and landed in Boston after he was released.

The Rangers traded for Jake Burger to take his place. His power numbers declined in 2025, mostly due to three different stretches on the injured list. He also needed wrist surgery in the offseason. Texas could run it back with Burger. Part of the attraction of dealing for him was that he was under team control for three more seasons.

But the Rangers are likely to remake the offense again in 2026, partly through coaching changes and partly through personnel changes. Curiously, MLB Trade Rumors believes the Rangers could look to upgrade first base in the offseason with San Diego’s Luis Arraez. He doesn’t have Burger’s pop at the plate, but he’s a three-time batting champion in the National League and has a lifetime .317 batting average.

So, how would this work?

A Rangers Courtship of Luis Arraez

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MLBTR projects that Arraez, who is entering his age 29 season, will find a two-year deal worth $24 million. Two of its analysts projected he would land in Texas, with the other two projecting Arizona and Minnesota.

Arraez is an incredible hitter, but mainly for contact. He led the National League with a career-high .354 batting average in 2023 with Miami. He’s led the NL in hits twice. A ‘bad” season for the left-handed hitter looks like the .292 season he just wrapped up with the San Diego Padres. In an analytic age he’s a throwback to the days of players who were dedicated tablesetters who got on base.

For a Rangers team that struggled with strikeouts and chase, he would be a godsend. His whiff rate and his strikeout rate were in the 100th percentile per Baseball Savant. He’s consistently avoided strikeouts, with a career rate of 6.1%.

But he doesn’t hit home runs. He’s reached 10 home runs in a season one time. He’s a solid doubles hitter. But his value is getting hits, getting on base and setting up the guys behind him. Just the fact that he is a threat to get a hit gives the hitters ahead of him and behind him protection.  

But, even at an average annual value of $12 million, the Rangers have a desire to cut payroll that makes it a hard sell. Burger will be much cheaper, and he’s hit more than 20 home runs in a season twice. They’re comparable defensively. Signing Arraez might potentially derail what could be the long-term plan, a promotion of Rangers Top 30 prospect Abimelec Ortiz, who was at Triple-A Round Rock and has shown immense pop at the minor league level. He can also play outfield.

The Rangers would have to move players, with Burger likely among them, to bring in a player like Arraez. His average makes him well worth it. He would certainly shake up the lineup. But it seems a stretch to believe Texas would make the moves necessary to make this happen.