After winning the Fall Classic in 2023, the Texas Rangers are coming off consecutive disappointing seasons. Like other teams, the Rangers have a chance to improve with the Winter Meetings beginning this weekend, and one glaring need sticks out: Pitching.

Recently, Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly broke down why the rangers must address the middle of their rotation before the 2026 season.

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“The biggest thing that the Rangers need is for their offense to bounce back in 2026,” he wrote. “They’ve already traded Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo and will have to hope that some combination of Joc Pederson, Jake Burger and Josh Jung are better in Skip Schumaker’s first season as manager.”

“Elsewhere, the Rangers need a No. 3 starter. Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi both were excellent in 2025 but are each on the wrong side of 35 with lengthy injury histories. Texas needs a third starter they feel confident can give them innings, while also providing some upside.”

DeGrom made 30 starts last season, his most since 2019. He also logged a 2.97 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP that showcased his ability to sling it even at 37 years old. However, as Kelly alluded to, age is a factor in this situation and deGrom’s injury history cannot be ignored.

Eovaldi is viewed in a similar way, The 35-year-old put up big numbers last season with an 11-3 record, a 1.78 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP through 22 starts, but he underwent sports hernia surgery in the offseason, indicating health concerns paired with his age.

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The other question is what the Rangers front office is willing to do to shore up starting pitching.

“Exactly how much the Rangers will be willing to spend to get a No. 3 starter is unclear,” Kelly wrote. “Older options like Bassitt, Justin Verlander, Jose Quintana or bringing back Kelly probably don’t make sense given the advanced ages of the top two starters in the rotation. Giolito isn’t a sure thing given his injury history. Chris Young will be an interesting executive to monitor this offseason.”

After losing much of its offense, Texas may rely more heavily on pitching this season. While Eovaldi and deGrom are still posting elite numbers, the onus cannot fall solely on them to pull the Rangers back into postseason contention. The Rangers will have to ensure that Schumaker is in position to succeed with the right roster pieces in place.