The Texas Rangers have a multitude of decisions to make when it comes to payroll. Some of those decisions relate to players who are under contract while others are impending free agents.
Here is a look at each of the major decisions the Rangers must make from a payroll perspective before the 2027 season.
The first three players listed take up the most room on the 2027 payroll. Texas can't just trade them. There are some hoops they would have to jump through. They might even have to accept paying down some of the contract to get them moved.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom. Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
deGrom is entering the final gear of his five year, $185 million deal that will pay him $37 million in 2027. The Rangers hold a club option in 2028 worth $20 million, but he will be 40 that season.
deGrom said after the trade deadline that the Rangers did approach him about waiving his no trade clause for a deal that was ultimately reported to be with the Atlanta Braves. deGrom declined, saying he wanted to "win in Texas." Has his mind changed after failing to make the playoffs for the third straight year?
The trick here is that deGrom has a full no-trade clause on his contract. So if the Rangers want to get out from underneath the $38-year-old's salary, he must agree. Another team would have to take on his salary and the potential diminishing returns on his talent.
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager. Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The shortstop is halfway through the 10-year, $325 million contract he signed before the 2022 season. He'll make $31 million in 2027. Seager now has full no trade protection because he has 10 years of service time and five years with the same team. An added benefit for Texas is that he's only 32 years old. But injuries have dogged him since the World Series championship season in 2023.
Texas must decide if keeping Seager is worth it? If the Rangers do, then he isn't going anywhere. But if the Rangers decide to seriously seek a trade, they must move Seager to a team that can handle his salary and is willing to live with the injury travails. He would also have to agree to leave.
It's a 50/50 decision, as with deGrom. Both parties must agree.
Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Eovaldi is coming off his worst season since joining the Rangers in 2023. But he costs significantly less than deGrom and Seager and will only make $24 million in the final year of the three-year, $75 million contract he signed in 2024. He's entering his age 37 season and it seems unlikely Texas would re-sign him after he becomes a free agent.
But, like his veteran counterparts, he has full no-trade protection. So, if the Rangers want to get out from under his contract, they'll have to find a trade partner that is suitable to Eovaldi. He has typically been reliable. But he's also been on the injured list for roughly a month each season he's been in Texas. As with deGrom, there are some diminishing returns due to age.
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jakob Junis. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Rangers have three players that have mutual options on their contract. That includes designated header Joc Pederson, relief pitcher Jakob Junis and catcher Kyle Higashioka. Mutual options mean both sides must trigger the option. This is different than the option Peterson had on his contract last year, which was a player option. When he triggered his player option, the Rangers had to accept it for 2026.
Pederson's mutual option is $18.5 million, and the Rangers seem highly unlikely to trigger it. The presence of Logan O'Hoppe as backup catcher means the Rangers don't have to accept Higashioka's $7 million option. Junis' option is the one that is the most palatable at $4 million. It's also at an area of need - the bullpen.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/rangers/onsi as Every Major Contract Decision Facing the Texas Rangers This Offseason .
