The Rangers are shopping catcher Jonah Heim and outfielder Adolis Garcia ahead of the non-tender deadline on November 21st, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Passan adds that both players are candidates to be non-tendered if Texas is unable to work out trades for them.
Both longtime stalwarts of the Texas lineup were featured on MLBTR’s list of the Top 40 Trade Candidates for the 2025-26 offseason. While Heim and Garcia were both key parts of the core that won the 2023 World Series for the Rangers, neither has played especially well since then. Heim was a four-win player and an All-Star in 2023 but since then has slashed just .217/.269/.334 (71 wRC+) in 255 games with sharply declining defensive metrics behind the plate. Garcia has fallen from similar heights, as he garnered MVP votes and won a Gold Glove in 2023 but has hit just .225/.278/.397 (89 wRC+) in 289 games the past two seasons.
Given each player’s past success, it’s not impossible to imagine either one bouncing back to be quality players in 2026. With that being said, the Rangers are facing payroll constraints this winter that will make it difficult for them to roll the dice on either player. That makes the decision to shop them on the trade market an easy one, as they can look to potentially recoup some value for one or both players before they’re forced to either pay the pair hefty arbitration salaries or non-tender them, cutting them from the organization for no return whatsoever.
Of the two, Heim appears to be far more tradable. He’s projected for a salary of just $6MM by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz in 2026 as he heads into his age-31 campaign. That’s not a particularly onerous figure for even teams with real budgetary concerns, and between that light salary and the dearth of quality catching options around the league it would make sense if another club was interested in rolling the dice on Heim. Teams like the Rays, Padres, Astros, and Phillies all could be in the market for catching help this winter and could consider giving Heim a look.
Garcia, by contrast, seems harder to convince a team to take a chance on. He’s entering his age-33 season and is projected for a $12.1MM salary in 2026. While the market for right-handed outfielders is somewhat sparse this winter, players like Austin Hays, Miguel Andujar, and Rob Refsnyder all provided above-average offensive production from a corner outfield spot this past year and would likely be able to be had for much less than Garcia’s arbitration price tag. Teams might even see Garcia as more comparable to a roll of the dice on a player like Randal Grichuk, Lane Thomas, or Starling Marte, any of whom could be had in free agency much more affordably without having to trade anything away.
As for the Rangers, they’ll need to find another complement to Kyle Higashioka behind the plate if they wind up trading or non-tendering Heim. Garcia would be easier to replace internally given the presence of controllable outfielders like Alejandro Osuna and Michael Helman, though the team’s need for more offense could still lead them to peruse external additions to help Wyatt Langford, Josh Smith, and Evan Carter out on the grass as well.
Both 100% non tender
That whole 2023 team crashed offensively. Same players nosedived and nosedived hard. MLB please investigate that team.
Heim to the Red Sox, Garcia to the Pirates.
Yeah very weird
Are you suggesting that the 2023 Texas Rangers won through illicit activity?
Padres send Campusano and Peralta to Tex for Heim.
The manager at the time BRUCE BOCHY should of payed attention to what was going on the past two years with his players, but then again he’s gone now and the story played out, he lost the clubhouse and the team. As you see he’s no longer here after just 3 years. And no I don’t believe he got Texas to the 2023 World Series.
Garcia might be washed up, but he might not be. As an Astros fan I’ve got nothing but respect for the way he plays.
Another WS winning team finally looking into purging roster of nearly all veteran players from WS winning team couple years later has been done so often, I feel it should be done all the time so come on Dodgers you too should do that now as well. LOL
Garcia is probably worth a flyer to a team that needs a RH corner OF/DH bat. Would cost next to nothing to acquire. Though still best to let him get non-tendered first.
Heim and Garcia to the Braves for Murphy and a young MiLB starter. Would reunite them with Hyers who was their hitting coach in 2023 and would fill a hole for the Braves while giving a quality backup for Baldwin.