Texas

Rangers

The Rangers could instead try for Victor Caratini or Danny Jansen to share time with Kyle Higashioka, who was signed to a two-year, $13.5 million deal last winter. Higashioka hit .241/.291/.403 while starting 68 games behind the plate and 16 at DH last season.

Hoopii-Tuionetoa looked like a nice relief prospect when the Rangers traded him to the White Sox for Robbie Grossman in May 2024, but something went wrong; he didn’t pitch at all last season after getting placed on the restricted list, and the White Sox released him in July. Maybe getting back to his original organization will turn things around for him.

Bride reunites with new Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, who he previously played for in Miami during the 2024 campaign. The 29-year-old infielder got into 45 games last season between the Marlins and Twins, hitting .170 (19-for-112) with five RBI during that span. He represents a low-risk insurance policy at both corner infield spots after both Josh Jung and Jake Burger struggled to stay healthy this past season.

The Rangers clearly wanted to move on from the 35-year-old Semien after his offensive production dipped over the last two seasons. Nimmo was the far better hitter last season, slashing .262/.324/.436 with 25 home runs and 13 steals for the Mets. He did play some center field, but he’s been a league-average corner outfielder for most of his career and should get a chance to replace Adolis García for the Rangers. While he doesn’t have the ceiling that García does, García has also failed to reach that season over the past couple of seasons, and Nimmo has been a fairly consistent player. It’s a bit of a lateral move for the 32-year-old from a fantasy perspective heading into 2026.

The trade was reported last night and is now official. The Mets are sending the Rangers $5 million to cover some of the $101.25 million Nimmo still has on his contract. While Semien’s offensive production has dipped in the last two years, underlying metrics (and a ballpark upgrade) suggest that he could still be a .250 hitter who has 20 home runs, 10-15 steals, and plays well above-average defense at second base. That last part is a key reason that the Mets acquired him, since they have been adamant that improving their team defense is a key focus for them this offseason.

Smith, who hit .251/.335/.366 with 10 homers in 563 plate appearances in 2025, has played pretty regularly against right-handers the last two years, but he hasn’t really had a spot of his own. That might change now. Semien’s departure also might lessen the chances of Josh Jung being dealt, since Smith having his own spot would take him out of the mix at third base. Of course, it’s still really early, and the Rangers, who non-tendered former All-Stars Adolis García and Jonah Heim, have made it clear they’re willing to make big changes.

Haggerty will stick around after being a relatively solid bench option for the Rangers in 2025. The 31-year-old can play the outfield and infield and will likely do the same in 2026.

Webb’s designation is a bit of a surprise, as he was effective in his 55 relief appearances with a 3.00 ERA and 58/19 K/BB ratio. Sborz was less effective, but teams will likely have interest in the right-hander as a potential mid-inning option. The same can be said about Webb, but likely with more guaranteed cash.

Heim was a big part of the success of the Rangers in 2023 while helping the club win their first World Series, but he hasn’t had much success since and was usurped by Kyle Higashioka behind the plate. The 30-year-old will likely see interest as a backup backstop on the open market.

There were multiple reports that the Rangers were trying to find a trade partner for García, but no there were evidently zero suitors. The 32-year-old power/speed combo outfielder batted just .227/.271/.394 with 19 homers and 13 stolen bases as Texas wound up missing the postseason this past year. He’ll likely find at least a one-year prove-it deal with a new club, but fantasy managers should be hesitant in believing in García based on his struggles over the last two campaigns where he’s experienced steep declines in both hard hit and barrel percentage.