Rangers Know Payroll Baseline as They Work Toward Getting Younger, Cheaper

The Texas Rangers are now paying the price for chasing championships the last three years, but they know where they’re starting.

Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien (2) throws to first base during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Globe Life Field. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers hired Bruce Bochy with the idea that they would spend to chase championships. He led them to a title in 2023. The two seasons after didn’t quite work out as well.

But the money is still on the books. The Rangers must deal with that under new manager Skip Schumaker and a mandate to get younger and less expensive. To accomplish that, the Rangers may have to make some uncomfortable decisions. It’s not clear how much Texas intends to cut, but after an initial wave of roster moves this week, president of baseball operations Chris Young knows where to start.

Texas Rangers Payroll in 2026

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Per Spotrac, the Rangers have a projected $149.7 million in veteran payroll spread among six players. From there, the site projects the Rangers will land at approximately $191.9 million based on arbitration and pre-arbitration players. That’s if the Rangers hang on to everyone under contract and don’t add anyone to the roster, which is unrealistic for a team that has failed to make the playoffs each of the past two seasons.

The half-dozen players under contract play sizeable roles in the Rangers’ fortunes — pitcher Jacob deGrom, shortstop Corey Seager, pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, second baseman Marcus Semien, designated hitter Joc Pederson and catcher Kyle Higashioka.

Pederson at $18.5 million and Higashioka at $6.75 million are likely to be kept based on cost for Higashioka and based on last year’s performance for Pederson. Seager, even at $32.5 million, is not a luxury item. He’s the team’s best hitter. Eovaldi is an ace-level right-hander who at $25 million is priced appropriately.

That leaves deGrom and Semien. deGrom was the Rangers’ lone All-Star after he put together a fine first half of the season, his first full season after Tommy John surgery. His performance tailed off in the second half, and he gave up too many home runs. Still, the 38-yea effective enough to be in the Rangers’ rotation — or Texas can find a landing spot for the remaining two years of his deal, worth $38 million per year.

Semien, now 35 years old, is coming off a second straight season in which is production ramped slowly for the first two months of the season. With three years left on his deal that pays him $25 million per year, the Rangers could seek to move his contract in trade.

There are other ways the Rangers can trim payroll this offseason but trading key veteran players to shed that money will be dependent upon how much Texas needs to save. Only the Rangers knows that number.

A dozen Rangers became free agents this week — pitchers Merrill Kelly, Danny Coulombe, Phil Maton, Tyler Mahle, Hoby Milner, Chris Martin, Jon Gray, Patrick Corbin and Shawn Armstrong; and position players Donovan Solano, Dylan Moore and Rowdy Tellez. In addition, six players on the 60-day injured list were moved back to the 40-man roster per league rules — pitchers Nathan Eovaldi, Josh Sborz and Cody Bradford; and position players Evan Carter, Marcus Semien and Sam Haggerty.

The Rangers signed pitcher Declan Cronin to a minor league contract. Texas claimed catcher Willie MacIver and right-handed pitcher Michel Otañez off waivers. And, the Rangers designated two players for assignment, center fielder Dustin Harris and left fielder Billy McKinney. Both cleared waivers and were outrighted back to Triple-A Round Rock.