Rangers Lose Another Quality Reliever to Chicago Cubs in Free Agency

The Texas Rangers lost another bullpen arm in free agency on Thursday.

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The Texas Rangers entered the offseason with several pitchers that are unrestricted free agents. Their pitching staff was a welcome surprise in 2025, finishing with the league's best team ERA. In the bullpen, the Rangers got solid production from their veterans as Shawn Armstrong emerged as the closer late in the season.

However, they finished top five in blown saves and their lack of a consistent closer cost Texas multiple games. The Rangers will look to retool their bullpen this winter, but two relief pitchers are on their way out.

A couple weeks ago, trade deadline acquisition Phil Maton inked a two-year, $14.5 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. Another former Ranger will be teaming up with Maton in Chiacgo.

Hoby Milner Signed a New Deal with the Cubs

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Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, reliever Hoby Milner has signed a one-year, $3.75 million deal with Cubs. The deal also includes incentives. The 34-year-old was effective out of the pen in 2025. He appeared in 73 games, the most of any Ranger. His unique arm angle allows him to be consistently available as he doesn't need as much rest.

Milner's low velocity paired with the funky delivery makes it incredibly difficult for hitters to see the ball out of his hand. He features a sinker, sweeper, changeup, and a four-seam fastball with average velocity ranging from 81-87 mph.

He pitched to a 3.84 ERA with 58 strikeouts a season ago. Milner was efficient against left handed hitters, holding them to a .208 batting average and a .526 OPS. His ground ball percentage ranks in the 91st percentile, according to Baseball Savant.

This is a tough loss for Texas. The Rangers are already thin in the bullpen, but losing Maton and Milner makes things more difficult for president of baseball operations Chris Young. Many of the top relievers in the free agency market have signed with teams. The most recent being Robert Suarez inking a deal with the Atlanta Braves.

What's next for the Rangers?

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The Rangers are aiming to shed payroll, and have successfully done so thus far, cutting ties with Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia, and Jonah Heim. In order to build up the bullpen, they will likely go with cheap options as opposed to going after the top names.

The remaining free agent arms include Armstrong, Danny Coulombe, and Chris Martin. Texas would love to retain Armstrong and Coulombe, then fill the rest out. Young said bullpen was a top priority, but they have a lot of work to do if this will be a strength of the Rangers in 2026.