These underrated free agents are musts for the Rangers to target

There will be hundreds of major league ballplayers hitting the free agent market this winter. Some are well-known, like Tarik Skubal and Bo Bichette, while others, including the three names listed here, will be flying a little bit lower and under the radar and should absolutely be monitored by Chris Young and the Texas Rangers' front office.

You may question some of Young's personnel decisions, but one thing you can't argue is that he is always looking to make the product on the field at Globe Life better. Sometimes he is hamstrung by Ray Davis and a frugal ownership group, but the intent is there, and he gets it from his days as a big -league pitcher.

With that said, here are three free agent names that should be within the Rangers' financial reach and should be tracked by fans to see if they could land in Arlington in 2027.

These 3 lesser-known free agent names would look good in a Rangers uniform next season

Jake Bauers - 1B

The truth is, Jake Bauers may not be underrated anymore after his breakout campaign in 2026. The 31-year-old slashed a mighty .266/.389.484 with the Brew Crew and was a driving force behind Milwaukee's postseason surge, a David vs. Goliath run to the NLCS against the Dodgers.

It took the California native a few years of team changes to find his footing, and in his first full season as an everyday player, he swatted 26 homers with 86 RBIs, a 4.4 f WAR, and 140 OPS+ spanning 144 games and 578 plate appearances. He's a guy who can play first base and DH if they decide to move on from Joc Pederson and/or look for a Jake Burger platoon partner or outright replacement.

Michael King - SP

It feels like guys who play in San Diego consistently don't get the media attention that the other California teams. King has been a solid right-hander for the last six years when his ERA numbers have ranged from 2.29 with the Yankees in 2022 to 3.44 with the Padres in 2025. He is coming off arguably his best all-around season, logging a career-high 185 innings, going 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 4.3 bWAR.

King made $9 million last season and is an opt-out candidate in a year when he would see his salary skyrocket to over $30 million annually in 2027. While the Rangers likely won't spend that much, he could be had at a lower price, factoring in no state income tax in Texas. If the Rangers move on from Jacob deGrom and/or Nathan Eovaldi, they are going to have to replace that front-end stability. King is a proven No.2 starter who would require the Rangers to step up with the checkbook.

Cal Quantrill - SP

Bring him back! Bring him back! Talk about reinforcing the stability of the starting rotation; Quantrill did exactly that as the Rangers' best pitcher in the second half of 2026. He finished the season on the IL, but his 9-5 mark, 2.86 ERA, and 1.03 WHIP over 110 innings pitched were the most encouraging stats from a Rangers starter. His splitter was almost unhittable over July, August, and September.

Still only 31, he made just $1.1 million last season and is now a UFA. He earned a new deal that will pay him according to what he has proven he can still deliver. Re-signing Quantrill on a one-or two-year deal at a reasonable rate feels like it would be a coup. Even if he regresses to his more modest career averages, he can still be a useful starter and has the versatility to pitch long relief. This one feels like the easiest and most realistic of the bunch.

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