3 trade destinations should the Rangers decide to move Josh Jung

It can't be overstated how important Josh Jung was to the Texas Rangers' offense last season. Not only was he the Rangers' most well-rounded hitter, but when he was out of the lineup, Texas's offense cratered.

However, there are certain developments that could come to fruition this offseason that push Jung out of the picture. For one, Sebastian Walcott could force the Rangers' hand for an early promotion in 2027, and the potential for that decision to yield an additional draft pick gives the club even more reason to be bold with its top prospect.

On top of that, there's a chance that Texas makes a play for Japanese superstar Teruaki Sato. The Rangers recently had scouts in attendance watching him in Central League Climax Series. Whether that was just due diligence or part of a grander plan remains to be seen.

Another factor to consider is how bad Jung's defense was in 2026. Jung played 847 innings at the hot corner, not enough to qualify, but posted -12 DRS, which would have been the worst among all big league third basemen if he had enough playing time to qualify. At a certain point, the glove washes away a lot of the bat's value.

With all these factors coming to a head, it's not unreasonable to believe that Jung could find himself on the trade block this winter. Three teams look like perfect matches.

These three teams would be perfect Rangers trade partners in a Josh Jung deal

New York Yankees

The Yankees have Ryan McMahon under contract for one more season at $16 million, but he's become so problematic that New York Baseball insider Joel Sherman believes that New York will try to dump his salary one way or another. On top of that, the Yankees lineup is incredibly left-handed, with five of the eight projected starters for 2027 (aside from McMahon) hitting from the left side.

New York has a surplus of controllable starting pitching, which could interest Texas. Creating competition with Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker is not a bad idea, and the loser could go on to bolster the bullpen. Looking forward, Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and MacKenzie Gore are all free agents at the end of 2027. Nabbing one of Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, or Elmer Rodriguez could go a long way toward solidifying the rotation for the future.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are at a crossroads after another early playoff exit. They're running it back with Don Mattingly as the permanent manager now, which means they probably aren't blowing up their core. What they are facing is an uncertain future at the hot corner.

Alec Bohm is a free agent, and it's unclear if they'd want to bring him back. The 30-year-old has been exactly a league-average hitter with a career 100 wRC+, though his performance at the plate has been an issue at key moments, and his defense has been porous, posting -10 defensive runs saved this season.

The issue for Philadelphia is that, other than Sato, the free-agent market doesn't present any real viable alternatives. The Phillies lineup is also very left-hand heavy, much like the Yankees. They might only be able to offer up a package of prospects in order to land Jung, but they have some good ones, and that could help revitalize the Rangers' farm system.

New York Mets

This potential destination is less certain, since there are some moving parts. A lot depends on whether Bo Bichette decides to opt out. Bichette was better in the second half than he was in the first, but he only truly looked like himself for two months of the season — June and August.

If Bichette is gone, Jung could make a ton of sense. The Mets have been rumored to be looking to deal Brett Baty for some time now. Baty is a failed former top prospect, but he might be overlooked at this point. While his overall numbers in 2026 were a tad underwhelming, he slashed .280/.335/.491 from June 30 onward.

Baty alone wouldn't be enough for them to land Jung, but he is a versatile player who has logged time at third base, second base, first base, and the outfield corners. He could be an answer at second base in a platoon with Justin Foscue, and if the Mets throw in a couple of prospects, we could have a deal.

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