Rangers Relief Core Looks Unrecognizable Compared to Just Months Ago

The Texas Rangers have undergone some sweeping changes this winter already, and one of the most notable units to be overturned has been the bullpen.

Aug 30, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob Webb (71) throws a pitch against the Athletics during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers have been building quite a bit this offseason, and much of that has come in the form of smaller signings to this point. One of the units that has undergone the most change so far has been the bullpen, which is going to look vastly different from the way it did during the 2025 season, as many of the core pieces are moving on to new teams already.

It was pretty clear this would end up being the case, given that a decent amount of the Rangers' arms from last year were set to hit the open market this winter. However, it was expected that they would attempt to retain quite a few of them, but instead, they are choosing to bring in more external options and build nearly from scratch.

The question becomes, will they be able to match the production they had in 2025, or will this new-look bullpen struggle to find the level of cohesion that they had previously? With room left to add more arms to the group, they are likely not done quite yet with their additions, but in terms of losing players, many of the top pieces have signed elsewhere.

What Bullpen Changes Have the Rangers Undergone This Winter?

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

So far, from the 2025 bullpen, the Rangers have lost Shawn Armstrong, Hoby Milner, Phil Maton and most recently, Jacob Webb. Maton, Milner and Webb all ended up going to the Chicago Cubs, while Armstrong ended up with the Cleveland Guardians.

The Cubs are in agreement with right-handed reliever Jacob Webb on a one-year contract that includes a club option for 2027, per a source briefed on the deal. Webb has a career 2.99 ERA over 247 major-league appearances with the Braves, Angels, Orioles and Rangers.

— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) December 23, 2025

In terms of players, they have added this winter to the unit, they have brought in Alexis Díaz and Tyler Alexander via signings, Carter Baumler via trade, and were able to retain veteran Chris Martin on a new contract. The other members they have under contract currently who likely factor in are Robert Garcia, Cole Winn, Dom Hamel and Luis Curvelo.

Odds are that they would not like to have a few of these players be opening day relievers, and would prefer them as depth. With that said, the room is still relatively bare-bones outside the returners, so it will be fascinating to see how they are able to build things up, and if there are any prospects they wish to call up in the near future to fill some of the open roles.

Regardless, the group is going to look extremely different in 2026, and already does to some extent, which could end up being a positive if they play their cards right.

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