MLB Trade Rumors (Rangers): Joc Pederson Declines Mutual Option With Rangers
MLB Trade Rumors (Rangers): Joc Pederson Declines Mutual Option With Rangers
Rangers could target Giants reliever Camilo Doval if San Francisco non-tenders him (projected $6.6M). With Junis, Alexander and Quantrill hitting free agency and a 4.47 bullpen ERA, the flamethrower is a speculative fix, if Texas can straighten him out. π₯
Rangers prospects in the AFL: Sebastian Walcott is hitting .300/.362/.460 and Paxton Kling .326/.446/.413, each with 9 steals. Pitchers Mason McConnaughey and Jacob Johnson have struggled, while Surprise sits a half-game back. π
Evan Grant reports the Rangers will likely wait out labor negotiations before trying to fill roster holes, a path he calls dangerous. Also on deck: four Rangers who could win hardware after 2026, plus a lockout survival guide. π
Brewers-Rays World Series prompts a Rangers lineup audit: Jake Burger (.302 OBP, 167 K) is an easy out, not Brewers material. Foscue, Josh Jung and Ezequiel Duran fit the contact-first mold. Seager's too pricey. π
Cam Cauley, 23, fits Chris Young's "younger, more athletic, more dynamic" mandate: 100th-percentile speed, 16 HR and 39 SB at Triple-A Round Rock. But he hit just .207/.281/.345 in 34 MLB games, so 2027 is his leap year. π
Gavin Collyer could be the lynchpin of the Rangers' 2027 bullpen if he sharpens his command. He flashed a 98 mph fastball and 23 strikeouts over 25 innings in 2026, but walked 19. Developing his sinker could be the key. π―
Four Rangers are AL Gold Glove finalists: Jacob deGrom, Ezequiel Duran, Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter. Duran's 17 Outs Above Average led the team, and deGrom went error-free over 162 2/3 innings. Awards season, meet the glove work. π§€
Bleacher Report floated a mock deal sending Jacob deGrom to the Tigers this winter, with Texas seeking young talent back. It's only speculation: deGrom has a no-trade clause, he's owed $37M in 2027, and he turns 38 next season. π€
Jake Burger was named the MLBPA's 2026 Players Trust Philanthropist of the Year for his Burger Family Foundation work supporting people with Down syndrome. Rangers offseason news also includes prospect honors and Sebastian Walcott buzz. π
A Bleacher Report projection has the Rangers possibly landing Yankees righty Luis Gil, the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year, for three years of control. It's only a mock idea, and his results since 2024 leave real questions. π€
Jim Bowden floats lefty Sean Newcomb as an ideal Rangers fit for 2027, projecting a 1-year, $6.5M deal. Newcomb posted a 3.09 ERA over 90.1 innings for the White Sox in 2026 and could handle bulk relief or one-inning starts. π
Jim Bowden reportedly views the Rangers as the best and only fit for Joc Pederson, projecting a 2-year, $30M deal. After 26 homers and a 134 OPS+ in 2026, he holds an $18.5M mutual option, but this take argues a reunion would be a mistake.
Rangers' 2026-27 offseason to-do list: replace or re-sign DH Joc Pederson (a free agent in November), settle catcher alongside Danny Jansen, and decide on Evan Carter's future after a .194 average. The bullpen looks far less of a worry. π
10/27/2023: Corey Seagerβs fourth homer of the postseason tied up World Series Game 1 in the ninth inning for the Rangers.
Rangers GM Ross Fenstermaker admits the farm system isn't perfect (MLB Pipeline has it 20th), but says upper-level talent is "bubbling up" and will give the 2027 club quality, playoff-caliber options. The "gap year" is closing. π±
Rangers morning rundown: Jack Leiter looks to bounce back after a flukish injury derailed his season, and Sebastian Walcott is standing out as the cream of the crop at the Arizona Fall League, per FanGraphs' Eric Longenhagen. π΅
The Rangers could pursue a right-handed platoon partner for Evan Carter, who hit .194/.288/.315 in 2026 and posted a .329 OPS against lefties. Two veterans reportedly make sense, while the market's biggest name is one to avoid. π§©
Jakob Junis' $5M mutual option for 2027 looks like an easy call: Spotrac pegs his market value at about $5.1M for one year. He should return, but a bullpen this thin, on a tight payroll, will need more than him. π§
Jack Leiter is driven by his love of pitching as he works back from June ankle surgery. He ended 2026 with a live BP session in Minneapolis, praised his fastball command, and posted 83 strikeouts in 80 innings before the injury cost him the rest of the year. π―