The Texas Rangers have been on top of the trade news, release news and rumor mill this offseason due to the consistent messaging from the front office of wanting to get dead weight off the field and payroll.

Releasing Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim was the beginning, Marcus Semien’s trade continued it and while it may seem to be the end of it, it might not be the case. Many are specuating that Corey Segaer is the next off the roster but other signs point toward Josh Jung being the man.

Josh Jung listed as Rangers’ potential trade candidate as changes continue this winter

According to MLB Insider Mark Feinsand, the 28-year-old corner infielder is a good Rangers’ candidate to be traded.

The 2023 All-Star looked to be the next star on a Rangers’ team that looked primed to make consistent playoff appearances over the next 5-10 years. His rookie season in 2023, had him finish fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting and was a key piece in the team’s championship run.

However, the past two seasons have not been kind to him. In 2024 he was struck with the injury bug and only played 46 games while 2025 was just a mess offensively, hitting only 14 homers, driving in 61 runs and earning a Triple-A demotion in June.

Entering just his first season of arbitration elibigilty, Jung could be an easy piece for Texas to move and “a change of scenery may help rejuvenate his career,” Feinsand writes.

Which teams would be interested in trading for Jung?

One insider, Danny Demilio, suggested that the Pittsburgh Pirates could be interested in targeting Jung this winter.

With one of the Rangers’ key needs being the pitching staff (starters and bullpen arms), Demillio suggested that 26-year-old Braxton Ashcraft could be one of those names. Ashcraft is under contract through the 2031 season, played in 26 games (eight starts) to the tune of a 2.71 ERA, 71 strikeouts, 24 walks and a 1.25 WHIP in 69.2 innings.

If Texas did make Jung avaioable on the trade market, it would garner interest from several teams. The New York Yankees being one of them, who a lot of people speculated was a potential target for Jung before this past season’s July 31 trade deadline.

Two big reasons remain in why the Rangers wouldn’t sell Jung. The first being they still believe in his ability to be a successful major league player. He was drafted and homegrown by the organization so their belief if top notch.

The next would be that after a tough couple of seasons, his value is lower than what Texas would want to get back in return for their former first-rounder who is still uder team control for another three seasons.