The Texas Rangers are still in the mix in the AL West, and that alone puts them in position to act like buyers at the trade deadline. If they decide to add, the clearest place to help this roster is the rotation.
That’s where Jeff Passan of ESPN sees Baltimore Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers fitting in. Passan labeled Rogers the Rangers’ “Best match” at the 2026 MLB trade deadline, pointing to both the fit and the price tag.
“Best match: Trevor Rogers, LHSP, Baltimore Orioles,” Passan writes. “Unless they collapse, an arm like Rogers would suit them well. Because he's slated to hit free agency this winter, Rogers won't cost as much as controllable starting pitching.”
For Texas, the appeal is obvious. Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and MacKenzie Gore give the Rangers a strong top group, but another starter would deepen the staff in a meaningful way. And with a thin farm system, a cheaper rental arm makes more sense than paying up for a longer-term piece.
That’s part of why names like Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Joe Ryan, and Reid Detmers don’t line up as cleanly. All of them would help, but they’re multi-year options and likely to come at a steeper cost.
Rogers, by contrast, is on a different track. His overall numbers this season aren’t pretty, with a 4.70 ERA, but the recent stretch has looked much better.
Since the start of June, he has posted a 1.77 ERA in 35.2 innings with 27 strikeouts over six starts. That’s a sharp turnaround from the 6.84 ERA he carried through his first 10 starts.
If Baltimore sells, Texas should be in the conversation. Rogers would not be an expensive add, and he profiles as the kind of back-end starter that can fit neatly behind the Rangers’ current core. A group of deGrom, Eovaldi, Gore, and Rogers would give Texas a rotation built for October.
In Other News...
Dodgers Trade Proposal Puts Orioles In A Tough Spot With Lefty
The Orioles keep getting pulled into the pitching market chatter, and Trevor Rogers is the kind of arm that naturally draws it. He has been uneven enough over the full season to leave plenty of questions, but his recent stretch has also reminded teams why left-handed starters with upside still carry real appeal in July. For Baltimore, that creates the familiar tension of weighing short-term value against the kind of trade interest that can reshape a deadline conversation.
What makes the situation trickier is the timing. Rogers would come with no long-term control, so any deal has to be judged against the price of the return, not just the name value on the other side. The Dodgers are still shopping for pitching help and have bigger targets they could chase, which only adds to the sense that Baltimore could be asked to part with a useful arm without getting the kind of package that makes a move easy to justify. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans May Never Forget This Missed Chance At An Ace
The Orioles were in position at the 2024 trade deadline to chase the kind of frontline starter every contender covets, and Tarik Skubal was sitting right there as the obvious prize. Detroit never completed a deal, Baltimore never got its ace, and the missed window has only grown more frustrating as the pitching market keeps reminding teams how rare those chances are.
MLB Network Insider Jon Morosi has framed it as the kind of opportunity Baltimore may not get back, especially with Skubals name already surfacing again as the 2025 deadline draws closer. For an Orioles club that has spent the last year trying to balance present urgency with future value, the lingering question is whether the front office will be willing to pay the price this time around. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Mountcastle Just Became An Orioles Deadline Tension Point
Ryan Mountcastle is still working back from the 60-day injured list, and the Orioles at least have some clarity on the broad outline of his recovery. President of baseball operations Mike Elias said Mountcastle is progressing, with a return possible after the All-Star break, but he stopped short of putting a date on it. For a team in the middle of a rebuild, that leaves one of its more recognizable bats in a familiar holding pattern: close enough to matter, not quite close enough to know exactly where he fits.
The bigger question is what happens once he is ready. Baltimore has enough uncertainty around the roster that Mountcastles next step is not just about health, but about opportunity, and there is already a sense that the Orioles could listen if the right trade angle emerges before the Aug. 3 deadline. For now, the club is still waiting on the same thing everyone else is - a clearer picture of when he is back, and what role he would actually have when he gets there. [Read more 🡒]