The Rangers acquired the following players for their 2025 active roster:
- Joc Pederson, designated hitter
- Jake Burger, first baseman
- Kyle Higashioka, catcher
- Chris Martin, closer
- Robert Garcia, relief pitcher
- Jacob Webb, relief pitcher
- Shawn Armstrong, relief pitcher
- Hoby Milner, relief pitcher
- Luke Jackson, relief pitcher
The Rangers rebuilt their bullpen after posting the second highest walk rate in the majors, 4.16 per 9 IP, and the fourth highest home run rate at 1.18 per 9 IP. Martin, Armstrong, and Miller project to walk rates below three. Martin and Garcia project to less than a home run per 9 IP. As a group, they all should show much better control and a somewhat better ability to keep the ball in the park. It appears the Rangers understood the weakness of their pitchers and took drastic action to fix the problem.
Pederson is pretty much the definition of what a DH should be. He generates offense with little defensive ability. Rangers designated hitters produced a .204/.263/.322 slash line in 2024, which would be embarrassing for a catcher or a shortstop. Musings Marcels has Pederson at .254/.354/.461. Another problem fixed.
Burger takes over at first base, and this looks like a step back. They traded away Nathaniel Lowe to improve the pen with Garcia. Burger won’t get on base as much, but it’s possible out of Miami that his good home run power gets better.
Higashioka is a solid defensive backup behind the plate.
In general, the Rangers identified weaknesses and did a good job of filling the holes.