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Rangers Should Bring Back Quantrill to Bolster Rotation Depth
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- Rangers Should Bring Back Quantrill to Bolster Rotation Depth
(© Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images)
Now that the World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers ended, offseason transactions will begin. Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young must be prepared to act quickly.
Young should already understand what his budget will be for 2027. He also knows that a labor stoppage is approaching.
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Barring an unexpected agreement, MLB and the MLB Players Association are headed toward another work stoppage without a new deal by Dec. 1. That leaves Young approximately one month to complete moves before business potentially shuts down.
The Rangers already have a starting rotation under contract, along with left-hander Cody Bradford . However, Young has publicly stated that a team needs eight starting pitchers to navigate an entire season.
The 2026 campaign supported his assessment.
Texas opened the season with Jacob deGrom , Nathan Eovaldi , MacKenzie Gore, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker in the rotation. The Rangers also relied regularly on Bradford and Cal Quantrill.
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The only reason Texas did not use an eighth starter was because Jordan Montgomery worked as a reliever rather than returning to the rotation.
The Rangers have six experienced starting pitchers under contract entering 2027, creating a need to add two more.
A Quantrill return makes sense for Rangers
The simplest solution would be re-signing Montgomery and Quantrill. Both pitchers fit what Texas needs and could probably return on relatively inexpensive contracts.
A more ambitious approach would involve pursuing pitchers who command significant interest without reaching the extraordinary price range of Los Angeles Dodgers ace and two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.
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That group could include Rays starters Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta, along with Casey Mize from the San Diego Padres .
Quantrill would provide value as both a starter and reliever. He recorded a 2.86 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 110 innings over 32 appearances (15 starts) for Texas in 2026.
His experience in both assignments would, once again, give the Rangers flexibility whenever injuries, workload restrictions or ineffective performances force changes to the rotation.
Quantrill posted a 3.85 xERA and 4.01 FIP, leaving open the possibility that his results could regress.
His difficult 2025 season also supports making only a short commitment. Quantrill recorded a 6.04 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 117.2 innings over 26 starts with the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves .
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Quantrill's upside
Quantrill's willingness to move between the rotation and bullpen makes him particularly useful for a staff seeking depth. Quantrill can fill an unexpected opening, cover multiple innings or provide relief when a starter exits early.
A short contract would protect Texas from excessive risk while rewarding him for his productive 2026 season. It would also preserve Young's financial flexibility to pursue another starter.
Quantrill would not need a guaranteed rotation position to help the Rangers. His adaptability and experience could make him the seventh starter Texas requires before addressing the eighth.
