MLB insider’s Tyler Stephenson free-agent prediction has Rangers barking up the wrong tree

MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic projected that free-agent catcher Tyler Stephenson could sign a two-year, $16 million contract with the Texas Rangers. While Bowden envisions Texas pursuing the mid-tier target, writer Stephen Parello argues that signing Stephenson would be an unwise allocation of the team's limited financial resources during the upcoming offseason.

Parello notes that the Rangers already owe Danny Jansen $8 million for 2027 and have young catcher Logan O'Hoppe in the system. The writer emphasizes that committing $16 million total to the catcher position would restrict Texas from addressing more pressing roster needs, particularly a bullpen facing the potential free-agent departures of Jakob Junis and Tyler Alexander.