Joc Pederson, Kyle Higashioka, And Jakob Junis Headed To Free Agency As Texas Rangers Pass On Mutual Options
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers will not exercise the 2027 mutual options for designated hitter Joc Pederson, catcher Kyle Higashioka, and right-handed pitcher Jakob Junis, a person with direct knowledge of the decision confirmed to The Dallas Morning News. All three will become free agents.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers first reported Friday that Pederson had declined his end of the option. In a mutual option, both the team and the player have to agree to exercise it, unlike a team option or a player option, where only one side decides. The three options carried a combined value of $30.5 million for next season.
Joc Pederson Enters Free Agency After Two Seasons In Arlington
Pederson’s option was worth $18.5 million and did not include a buyout. He signed a two-year, $37 million contract with Texas on Dec. 30, 2024, and the deal gave him an opt-out after the 2025 season. In November 2025, he passed on the opt-out and exercised his $18.5 million player option for 2026.
In 2025, Pederson slashed .181/.285/.328 with 9 home runs in 96 games. That year also included a franchise-record 0-for-41 hitless streak. He was hit by a pitch against the Chicago White Sox on May 24 at Rate Field and fractured his right hand. The injury cost him 52 games before the Rangers activated him July 27.
This past season, Pederson slashed .235/.329/.487 with 26 home runs and an .816 OPS in 136 games. His 26 home runs ranked second on the team. Pederson, 34, is a two-time All-Star, with selections in 2015 and 2022.
At his end-of-season news conference last month, Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said the team needed to become “younger,” “more athletic,” and “more dynamic.” Pederson was limited to the designated hitter spot. If the Rangers do not add another designated hitter-only player this winter, they can rotate shortstop Corey Seager, third baseman Josh Jung, and second baseman Justin Foscue through the position, the News noted.
Kyle Higashioka And Jakob Junis Also Headed To Market
Higashioka signed a two-year, $13.5 million contract with the Rangers on Dec. 2, 2024. The deal paid him $5.75 million in 2025 and $6.75 million in 2026, and his 2027 mutual option was valued at $7 million with a $1 million buyout.
During his two seasons in Texas, Higashioka played in 152 of a possible 324 games and had two separate stints on the injured list. He finished those two seasons with a 98 OPS+.
Junis came to Texas in January on a one-year, $4 million contract that included the 2027 mutual option. He had gone 4-1 with a 2.97 ERA in a career-high 57 appearances for the Cleveland Guardians in 2025.
For much of the 2026 season, Junis worked as the Rangers’ setup man. He had a 2.80 ERA in 31 games before the All-Star break and a 5.21 ERA in 22 games after it. He also dealt with nagging health issues in the second half.
The three decisions cleared some money off the club’s books. Even if the Rangers let each of their own free agents walk, their payroll for next season stands at around $170 million before any outside acquisitions, according to the News.
