Rangers should re-sign these 2 veteran pitchers to ensure starting rotation depth

MLB insider Jim Bowden suggests Rangers could re-sign Merrill Kelly, Tyler Mahle

In MLB insider Jim Bowden's list of top 50 MLB free agents for 2025-26, he wrote that the Texas Rangers are among the best fits for free-agent starting pitchers Merrill Kelly and Tyler Mahle.

The Rangers' starting rotation currently includes Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter. Hopefully, Kumar Rocker can take his game to the next level, but the Rangers cannot count on that. The Rangers also cannot count on Cody Bradford returning healthy and in peak form. Therefore, signing two established starting pitchers would be in Texas' best interest, but signing at least one is necessary.

Why Rangers should re-sign Kelly, Mahle

The Rangers should bring back Kelly and Mahle for the reasons stated earlier, but also because they both are familiar and comfortable with pitching for the Rangers. Kelly, 37, wasn't lights-out on the mound after the Arizona Diamondbacks traded him to the Rangers this past summer, posting a 4.23 ERA in 55 1/3 innings with Texas. However, he still had several dominant starts in a Texas uniform in 2025. Kelly also has a strong track record, boasting a 3.77 ERA with 911 strikeouts over 1,008 1/3 career MLB innings.

As for Mahle, he had an absolutely dominant season when he was on the field, managing a 2.18 ERA over 86 2/3 innings, but he unfortunately only appeared in 16 games due to the injury bug. Mahle, 31, has a long history of being injured, having appeared in just three games in 2024, five games in 2023 and four games in 2022. Still, the Rangers should consider bringing him back on just a one-year deal. That way, if he suffers another injury, Texas will only have to deal with paying him for the one year.

The Rangers should also re-sign Kelly to just a one-year deal, in case his rising age catches up to him. Bowden predicts he will receive a two-year, $30 million contract in free agency, which wouldn't be the worst deal for the Rangers to offer. But if they can, they should bring him back for just 2026. However, with a lockout in 2027 seeming inevitable, it may not matter if he is signed through 2027.