Rangers Still Need to Improve in One Area Before Season Begins

There could be more reinforcements for the Texas Rangers before the season begins.

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Fans of the Texas Rangers have been accustomed to massive splash hits over the last few offseasons. Whether it was Corey Seager or Marcus Semien in 2021, or Jacob deGrom solidifying the starting rotation in '22, or even acquiring Jake Burger and Joc Pederson a year ago, the Rangers have been one of the most active teams in the winter.

However, this year they've gone with a different approach, taking aim at shedding payroll and successfully doing so. Their big addition was trading for outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who will certainly boost the top of the lineup.

The acquisition of catcher Danny Jansen gives Texas another option behind the dish with Kyle Higashioka. However, despite recent moves, the Rangers still have one area that they should continue to add on.

The Rangers Should Continue to Add More Pitching

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In an article written by Alden Gonzalez of espn.com, he outlined key moves happening in the American League West, and what each team still needs to do. For the Rangers, he said, "At the moment, they once again don't have a set closer, but, given what remains, they probably won't get one. Still, more depth for the rotation and in the bullpen would help."

Texas recently got bullpen help, agreeing to a one-year, $4 million deal with reliever Jakob Junis. The deal will become official once the Rangers make a corresponding move. Texas has also acquired Alexis Diaz, Tyler Alexander, Zak Kent, and Carter Baumler.

Once again, president of baseball operations Chris Young has had to completely overhaul the bullpen, and Junis is a solid addition. He posted a 2.97 ERA across 57 appearances with the Cleveland Guardians last season. He'll likely be used as a setup guy, and manager Skip Schumaker will have to search for a closer to emerge at the start of the season.

However, Texas could still use some more help with the pitching staff. They have taken significant hits this winter, but there are still plenty of veteran arms available. Starting pitchers like Zack Littell, Lucas Giolito, or Zac Gallen could prove to be solid upgrades to the starting rotation.

The Rangers have done a good job replacing the players they moved away from on the offensive end, but that cannot be said about the pitching just yet. While strong at the top with deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, there is likely not enough depth to keep this team competitive unless some guys step up. Young still has plenty of time to make some additional moves as the Rangers look to return to the postseason in 2026.