The Texas Rangers are coming up on another key decision in what should be a truncated offseason due to a potential work stoppage in December.
By Nov. 20 the Rangers must decide whether to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players and players under team control. The Rangers have 37 players on their 40-man roster so they don’t need to non-tender anyone to make space.
Many teams use this tool to create roster space to protect players for the Rule 5 draft or to sign Major League free agents. By non-tendering a contract, the Rangers are releasing that player to free agency. They could still re-sign them as free agents, but the likelihood is low.
Last offseason the Rangers non-tendered outfielder Adolis Garcia and catcher Jonah Heim due to performance and finances. Both signed with other teams.
Of the Rangers players that fall into these categories, if the Rangers had to pick one player to non-tender I think it would be Jake Burger. Here’s why.
Why Non-Tender Jake Burger?
Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger. Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Burger slashed .228/.302/.421 with 28 home runs and 90 RBI in 2026. That was a significant bounce-back from an injury-marred 2025. Texas has Burger under team control for two more seasons, so there is no urgency to move him. There are underlying numbers that the Rangers are trying to get away from.
Burger struck out a career-high 167 times. While he walked a career-best 56 times, his on-base percentage was well below his career-high of .355 with the Chicago White Sox and the Miami Marlins.
The Rangers are transitioning to a lineup that values on-base and versatility over slugging and home runs. When the Rangers traded for Burger before the 2025 season, Texas valued slugging more. He was a good fit then. He may not be as good a fit now. That may be enough reason to non-tender him.
Burger is cheap power for the position. MLB Trade Rumors estimates he’ll get $6.9 million in arbitration. That doesn’t break the bank, but the Rangers may need that money. Texas is expected to have a flat payroll in 2027, approximately $190 million based on what it spent in 2026. President of baseball operations Chris Young confirmed that earlier this week.
That means finding every margin to save money. The Rangers have more than $90 million wrapped up in three players — Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Corey Seager. Young may seek to trade one or more of them, but all three have no-trade clauses that may prevent that. If so, then he’ll be looking to trim where he can.
Non-tendering Burger would save money and open a spot for someone else at first base that is cheaper and may better fit what the Rangers are looking for when it comes to on-base and versatility like Justin Foscue. He’ll also come considerably cheaper, perhaps less than $1 million. Texas could also move Ezequiel Duran there and slot Foscue at second base.
Non-tendering Burger really boils down to the money and the fit. Texas may need that $7 million and he doesn’t fit the long-term vision Young has. Texas could pursue a trade for Burger, but a non-tender is more likely.
What About Other Candidates?
Texas Rangers pinch hitter Evan Carter. Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Among arbitration players, the Rangers need left-hander MacKenzie Gore for the rotation. Josh Jung, Duran, Logan O’Hoppe and Wyatt Langford are also players that fit areas of need. Closer Jacob Latz is a no-brainer while Evan Carter, even with his injury history, is projected to be so cheap non-tendering him seems like an overreaction to his performance in 2026. Plus, he’s injured.
Burger is the only player facing arbitration where the Rangers could cut him loose and have some sort of back-up plan that allows them to continue their push to get younger and more athletic.
The Rangers can also non-tender pre-arbitration players, but none will make more than $1 million in pre-arbitration money and with Texas seeking to keep a flat payroll, non-tendering them seems unnecessary.
The Likelihood?
I think the odds of the Rangers non-tendering burger are less than 50%. He is one of the few sources of power that gave them run production in 2026. With more on-base hounds around him, he would likely drive in more runs. Even for a team on the margins financially, $7 million on a one-year deal is cheap. Is that enough to help Texas get the free agents it needs? Maybe, maybe not.
A trade is more likely than a non-tender. Keeping him for 2027 is the most likely result, filing under the “devil that you know is better than the devil that you don’t.”
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