One thing is certain. Either the Milwaukee Brewers or the Tampa Bay Rays are going to win their first world championship by the end of October.
The National League champion Brewers and the American League champion Rays being the World Series on Friday. The Brewers are making just their second appearance in the Fall Classic. The Rays are going for the third time. The winner will be crowned world champions and head into an offseason on the highest of highs even as a work stoppage and lockout loom on the horizon.
Some of that talent will hit the free agent market before a potential work stoppage in December. That gives Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young some options to chase. Here are three players that could fit the Rangers that are playing the World Series.
RP Antonio Senzatela
Senzatela isn't technically a free agent yet. But the Colorado Rockies traded him to the Brewers at midseason and Milwaukee inherited his $14 million club option. It's highly unlikely the Brewers will trigger it, especially with a labor stoppage looming.
The right-hander was a long-time Rockies starter who was eventually converted into a reliever after he had a forgettable 2025. But he was solid for both the Rockies and the Brewers in 2026, as he went 11-5 with a 4.05 ERA in 57 games.
He can be a starter, he can be a one-inning reliever, and he can be a multi-inning reliever. He should get a robust market even at age 31 but the Rangers can certainly get him for less than his club option would have paid him.
INF Gavin Lux
Gavin lux could be a good flier for the Rangers or for another team that needs solid second base help. He didn't play in 2026 due to his shoulder injury but he's on the Rays’ roster anyway so if they win the World Series he gets a ring. In 2025 with Cincinnati, he slashed .269/.350/.374 with five home runs and 53 RBI. He’s a career .256 hitter but he doesn’t have much power. But he gets on base at a .332 clip for his career and that is something the Rangers want.
It's likely that Ezequiel Duran is the Rangers’ starting second baseman come opening day. But in a scenario where the Rangers prefer to have Duran continue to be their super-utility player and Texas wants to build competition at second base, signing Lux to a one-year deal at a bargain rate would allow him and players like Cody Freeman and Justin Foscue to compete for the starting job.
SP Drew Rasmussen
Saying that Drew Rasmussen would fit the Rangers isn't saying a whole lot because he would fit a lot of teams. He's been one of the best starters in baseball the past two seasons. He won 16 games for the Rays in the regular season, made his second straight All-Star Game appearance and hasn't had an ERA above 3.00 since 2021. The only thing that slowed him down was Tommy John surgery which stole parts of his 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Tarik Skubal is going to dominate the free agent market, but Rasmussen is going to get paid. So how do the Rangers do this? Imagine a scenario where Young can trade two of his big contracts — perhaps Corey Seager and Nathan Eovaldi — to free up the money to sign Rasmussen and have money left over. It's probably a pipe dream. But it's worth exploring for a pitcher of Rasmussen's ability.
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