After winning the World Series in 2023, the Texas Rangers have now missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. However, president of baseball operations Chris Young doesn't expect the Rangers to be held out of October baseball for much longer.
There are sure to be plenty of changes across the organization. One big move has already been made with manager Bruce Bochy not returning in 2026. But for Young, the goal is simple. He kept Texas' plans blunt when addressing the media, via team reporter Jared Sandler.
“Our expectation is to win,” Young said.
On the surface, they may seem like a simple task. But alongside finding a new manager, the Rangers plan on decreasing their payroll in 2026, via Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Texas currently ranks 13th in payroll, spending just over $226 million, via Spotrac. If the Rangers are serious about cutting back, they'll be trusting a number of their prospect's ability to step up.
In terms of their own free agents, Patrick Corbin, Tyler Mahle and Merrill Kelly are all set to hit free agency. While Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi are firmly at the top of the rotation, Texas will likely need to at least one more arm.
The bigger problem for the Rangers though is their offense. Texas ranked 22nd overall with 684 runs scored. They dealt with plenty of clear injuries across their lineup. However, it's clear they could use another spark. That'll be difficult to find if the Rangers aren't going to splurge on a big name free agent.
Still, Young is confident in what the Rangers have to offer. It wasn't long ago that they were World Series champions. As Texas changes their roster, their president is still expecting them to compete.
