3 offseason goals Rangers GM must complete before Opening Day

As the holidays are kicking into full gear, so is the 2025-26 Major League Baseball offseason and the team with perhaps the most on the line next spring is the Texas Rangers.

Stuck somewhere between shedding payroll and the desire to remain competitive, the Rangers have already been moderately active signing role players, parting ways with franchise staples and making a splash in the trade market.

After missing the postseason for two straight seasons, the Rangers will likely only have one more underperforming season until the team starts seeing major changes. Because of that, President of Baseball Operations Chris Young and General Manager Ross Fenstermaker have a lot of hards decisions to make this winter.

3 offseason goals Rangers GM must complete before Opening Day

Upgrade dreadful offensive production

Even if they were hard decisions to make, the Rangers have already shown they are willing to make those tough moves. They've already parted ways with three of their worst offensive performing players in 2025, replacing one of them with a potential 25 homer, 100 RBI outfielder.

They still aren't complete at all. While they did remake the outfield, the Semien trade leaves a hole at second base and the release of Jonah Heim leaves a platoon role vacant alongside Kyle Higashioka.

Then there's whatever Joc Pederson provided out of the DH spot last season, which was not much of anything at all. And the unknown that is Josh Jung over at third base, who at the plate looks lost and just lacks plate discipline.

Rebuild bullpen complete with a true closer

Of course there are plenty of spots on the bullpen to be filled and yes the Rangers could fill that with proven veterans through one-year deals. It doesn't seem like they'd be too worried about having to rebuild again after 2026, they just want to survive the year.

If there was one spot Texas would like to commit to and designate early would be the closer role. Payroll is tight this winter but if they did want to spend money, the Rangers should consider doing so for a ninth-inning man.

It could be re-signing Shawn Armstrong and giving him the job, who did well in that role to close out the year. Young and Fenstermaker could also spend some of the money they saved and get an experienced closer such as Ryan Helsley or former Rangers' first round pick Pete Fairbanks.

Develop an identity and culture with Schumaker

What made the 2023 season special, outside of the championship, was the group chemsitry and genuine love playing alongside each other.

It seems over the past two seasons that that chemistry started to fade and the team lacked what makes it a little bit easier to get through a 162-game season. Once Kevin Pillar was released early in the season, he hinted at the solo vibe in the clubhouse and later in the year a story of no one showing up to a team bonding invite from Semien on a road trip.

With Skip Schumaker now at the helm, it not only means a changing of the guard and new regime but hopefully it also brings an addition of youth into the clubhouse. That might mean acting more as a team off the field, showcasing more signs of support and excitement for teammates in-game or changing the overall strategy on field.