Rangers Hope to Keep Streak Alive of Avoiding Salary Arbitration Hearing

The Texas Rangers face salary arbitration with just four players as the deadline to finalize agreements approaches.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers have one of the most enviable streaks in baseball and it has nothing to with what happens on the field.

For a quarter-century, the Rangers have managed to avoid salary arbitration with a player. It can be a contention process that becomes more about the team trying to prove that the player is not worth his salary demands. It can lead to acrimony, especially on the player’s side.

The last time the Rangers went to an arbitration hearing was 2000, when the franchise couldn’t agree to a deal with then-first baseman Lee Stevens. The Rangers won the hearing with Stevens, who was coming off a season in which he had career highs in home runs (24) and RBI (81). Incredibly, shortly after he lost the hearing, the Rangers traded him before the season started to the Montreal Expos in a three-team deal that netted them David Segui.

It’s a process the Rangers want to avoid at all costs. With just four players eligible for arbitration and tendered contracts, Texas has until Thursday to get deals done.

Texas Rangers Remaining Arbitration Players

Each of the four remaining players are considered part of the Rangers’ immediate plans for 2026, led by first baseman Jake Burger, who is due an estimated $3.5 million, based on estimates set by MLB Trade Rumors in October.

Burger is coming off a rough season that saw him optioned to work on his swing, hit the injured list three times and end with wrist surgery after the season. He slashed .236/.269/.419 with 16 home runs and 53 RBI. Texas gave up two prospects to acquire him from the Miami Marlins, and he is in his first year of salary arbitration.

The same goes for third baseman Josh Jung, who was the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2019 and a member of their 2023 World Series roster. He is due a projected $2.9 million. Jung was also optioned for a week to work on his swing in July, and he finished the season with a slash of .251/.294/.390 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI. President of baseball operations Chris Young has pointed out that Jung faces a critical season in 2026.

The other two players are infielders Josh Smith and Ezequiel Duran, who will be among the players competing to take over for Marcus Semien at second base. Smith is due a projected $3 million while Duran is due a projected $1.4 million. Smith has been a Silver Slugger as a utility player and had a Gold Glove-level glove. Duran has been productive with consistent playing time. Both were utility players on the 2023 World Series team.

Before the non-tender deadline in November, the Rangers made moves to reduce payroll and their arbitration headaches. They non-tendered four players— catcher Jonah Heim, outfielder Adolis Garcia and pitchers Josh Sborz and Jacob Webb, which saved them an estimated $20 million.

Texas also reached a deal with an arbitration-eligible players before the non-tender deadline, signing outfielder Sam Haggerty to a one-year deal worth $1.25 million.