Kelly is no longer a frontline guy and would slot into the third or fourth spot in a rotation nicely. Tons of teams could use that type of arm to help round out their starters.
With that said, let’s take a look at five teams that seem like they would make the most sense to sign Kelly this offseason.
Free Agent Landing Spots for Merrill Kelly
Texas Rangers
With the Rangers playing their way into contention heading into the trade deadline, a closer and a bat were the top two needs. When both of those options didn’t materialize, the team did a hard pivot and went after the best available starting pitching in Kelly.
We’ve acquired RHP Merrill Kelly from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for minor leaguers LHP Mitch Bratt, LHP Kohl Drake & RHP David Hagaman. pic.twitter.com/BfKkXnHEAV
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) July 31, 2025
In getting Kelly, the Rangers gave up three solid prospects that included pitcher Kohl Drake, who could be pitching in Arizona in the near future. Trades are great when a team goes on to win, but with the Rangers missing the playoffs, the cost to get Kelly seems even higher.
The Rangers had the best pitching staff in all of baseball last year. And while Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, Jacob Latz, and Cody Bradford (missed 2025 with injury) will all be returning, they will be missing Tyler Mahle, Patrick Corbin, and even Jon Gray.
With the older guys on the front end of the rotation and the young depth backing that up, Kelly might be a perfect fit to stay in Texas. The two are familiar with each other, and there are worse places to play as a 37-year-old than the air conditioned confines of Globe Life Field.