The Texas Rangers had their shot. They could have brought Rafael Devers back into the picture—a power bat capable of reigniting a faltering offense and shifting the mood in Arlington. But the front office balked at the commitment: $225 million through 2033. And now, with the season in free fall, they’re reconsidering everything.
That includes the unthinkable—trading away Adolis García or Joc Pederson to make a Devers union possible after all.
Devers, now lighting it up for the Giants, was once seen as a long shot, a luxury the Rangers couldn’t afford with Corey Seager and Marcus Semien already commanding nearly $60 million this season. But Devers has done what those two haven’t: consistently deliver. Even with a slow April, his RBI total alone exceeds that of Seager and Semien combined.
And now the Rangers, still built to slug but stuck in neutral, are searching for answers. A possible reunion with Devers—an unforgettable force who could immediately anchor the middle of the lineup—isn’t off the table. But to make it work, sacrifices must be made.
Sources suggest García and Pederson are on the trade block, each for different reasons. García, the emotional heartbeat of the 2023 title run, is affordable and still productive. Pederson, a high-risk, high-reward veteran, hasn’t met expectations but could still be flipped to a contender.
Either departure would be painful. But Devers might be worth the cost.
General Manager Chris Young and owner Ray Davis are trying to walk a tightrope: remain competitive without blowing past luxury tax thresholds. Yet after weeks of inconsistency, Bruce Bochy’s squad still doesn’t know if it’s a buyer, seller, or something in between.
Bochy’s tried nearly everything—lineup resets, call-ups, coaching changes. None of it’s stuck. Even with stars like Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi throwing well, injuries to pitchers like Tyler Mahle, and a lineup that can’t string together wins, have left the Rangers exposed.
They weren’t built to grind out games. They were built to dominate with power. And right now, the bats are quiet.
Reacquiring Devers—now possibly more open to a reunion after a change of scenery—could reawaken the team. But doing so means letting go of players who helped win it all.
So here’s the choice: go back for the star they passed on, or risk watching the 2025 season slip away completely.
The deadline is coming. And with it, a decision that could define the Rangers’ next era.
