Another season, another bullpen rebuild for the Texas Rangers. What could go wrong?

To be fair, what President of Baseball Operations Chris Young was able to do with the limited funds he had this past season was impressive. He turned a plethora of one-year deals to veteran arms into one of the best pitching staffs in Major League Baseball.

But the Rangers now will lost almost all of those arms to free agency, retaining just four relievers (3 among their regular used arms) in 2025: Jacob Webb, Josh Sborz, Robert Garcia and Luis Curvelo.

Good news is that even with the team still wanting to remain under the luxury tax and a handful of money set to be off the books this winter, Young can still do it correctly, for the price Ray Davis would love.

3 external candidates for the Texas Rangers bullpen in 2026

Kyle Finnegan, RHP

Linked to the Rangers over the past few years, Finnegan was finally traded from the Washington Nationals this summer to Detroit. He’s been a big part of A.J. Hinch’ second-half bullpen and is currently fighting for their season in Friday’s ALCS Game 5 against Seattle.

A free agent this winter, the 34-year-old Detroit native has recorded 112 career saves with a blistering 38 saves in 2024 and 24 this past season. That will likely mean Finnegan will search for the biggest payday of his career.

Prior to the 2025 season, he signed a one-year deal to rerturn to Washington for $6 million. He will for sure request more money and a longer deal in years. Will the Rangers attempt to finally grab an established closer for 2026?

Caleb Ferguson, LHP

The 29-year-old southpaw is currently in the middle of a postseason run with the Rangers division rival, Seattle Mariners. Ferguson has been a member of that Seattle bullpen for just 25 games after being traded at the deadline.

Previously, he spent five seasons with the Dodgers, a full season spent between the Yankees and Astros and another season split with Pittsburgh and Seattle. In 70 games this season, he recorded a 5-4 record, 3.58 ERA, 51 strikeouts, 22 walks and a 1.17 WHIP in 65.1 innings.

Ferguson’s four-pitch mix (four-seam, cutter, sinker, slurve) is one of the best relievers when it comes to ground ball rate, hard hit percentage and average exit velocity. Although he does struggle with striking out and missing bats.

Emilio Pagan, RHP

The veteran right-hander played 70 games with the Cincinnati Reds in 2025, compiling 32 saves as the team’s primary closer. Now, Pagan enters free agency after his ninth year in MLB.

Pagan, 35, has expressed interest in returning to the Reds and their is intrigue to that with the Reds’ Wild Card trip this season. The former 10th-round pick by Seattle, he signed a two-year, $16 million deal prior to 2024.

He will likely want something similar or more given this was the best season of his career. It couldn’t hurt to try and sway him to a more team friendly deal with an assumption he will be the team’s primary ninth-inning guy.