3 upcoming Rangers free agents that have been good but don't need to be re-signed

We are nearing the end of the 2025 regular season and whether or not the Texas Rangers make the playoffs, they will soon be faced with tough roster decisions heading into next spring.

There will be some not so tough choices to make and some that will take President of Baseball Operations Chris Young some time in deciding if pursuing them in free agency will be worth it.

Rangers are still fighting for a playoff spot this season but I bet the prep has started in secret for Young and the organzation. Here are three current players that are set to be free agents in the winter that despite their production will not return to Texas.

3 upcoming Rangers free agents that have been good but don't need to be re-signed

Merrill Kelly, RHP

Acquired by the Rangers during the trade deadline this July, Texas sent four pitching prospects to Arizona for Kelly's services in the final months of the 2025 season.

The 36-year-old had only ever pitched in an Arizona Diamondback uniform throughout his seven year big league career but made his Rangers debut on August 2 in Seattle. Since being traded, Kelly's presence has been much needed with the injuries to Nathan Eovaldi and Jon Gray, mixed with inconsistencies of Kumar Rocker.

In seven games as a Rangers, Kelly is 2-1 with a 2.98 ERA, 35 strikeouts, nine walks and a 0.99 WHIP in 42 1/3 innings. While I am sure Texas would love to have Kelly back next season, there's a high possibility that he will just not worth the money given the direction they are headed in the future.

Chris Martin, RHP

A veteran that is respected and quite reliable in the backend of the bullpen for a team, Martin is in his second stint with the Rangers and is still a trusted reliever for Bruce Bochy.

The 39-year-old right-hander has a 2.63 ERA in 43 games for Texas this season but has seen his fair share of injruies throughout the year. Since returning from the IL on September 1, Martin is still a big-time arm, with only two earned runs over the last 3 1/3 innings of work.

He will be a free agent at the end of the year and the decision will have to be made for Martin if he will even continue his playing career or end up retiring. Even if he continued his career, Texas will likely balk on re-singing him and go after other options.

Rowdy Tellez, 1B/DH

Tellez has been a revelation since he joined the Rangers on July 18 after being waived by Seattle a month earlier.

The left-handed first baseman stepped into a rocky first base position with Jake Burger consistently getting injured and the other options Texas tried didn't seem to pan out. Texas was looking for a veteran who could right the ship and give them some stableness at the position.

Tellez has appeared in 35 games for Texas and in that time he's slashed .244/.305/.419 with four home runs and 13 RBIs with a .724 OPS. He's come up clutch, including a handful of big-time hits for Texas during their miracle second-half.