The Texas Rangers have already dipped into the trade market once before Monday’s MLB deadline, and the move fit a very specific theme: bullpen help and a rebuild of the catching pipeline, done as inexpensively as possible. That kind of bargain hunting keeps the door open for more, and if Texas is going to make another push before the deadline, the next move should be obvious.
Keep building the bullpen.
President of baseball operations Chris Young said Thursday that it’s his job to keep every option open, and that’s the right posture with the deadline still ahead. Around the league, the Rangers’ needs have been framed as bullpen help, catching, and a right-handed bat capable of handling left-handed pitching.
Starting pitching has been mentioned as a “nice to have,” but only if the Rangers could land someone with real impact without paying a steep price. That kind of deal doesn’t really fit Texas’ approach.
The bullpen, though, is where the urgency lives. Chase Silseth gives the Rangers another arm who can handle a setup role in front of closer Jacob Latz, and Friday brought more roster movement with Winston Santos optioned to the minors, Luis Curvelo recalled, and Marco Gonzales designated for assignment.
Even after that, the relief corps still looks stretched. Jakob Junis and Chris Martin remain on the 15-day injured list.
Junis has an adductor strain and won’t be back until at least mid-August. Martin is on the IL for the third time with the same right shoulder impingement, and there still isn’t a clear timeline for his return.
That leaves Texas leaning heavily on three rookies in the bullpen - Peyton Gray, Robby Ahlstrom and Ben Peoples. All three have pitched well, but the Rangers are staring down a stretch drive, and maybe a playoff chase, where inexperience can become a problem in a hurry. With the injuries and the youth already stacked in that group, Texas can’t afford to go into the final months without more help.
What makes the bullpen the cleanest target is the type of arm the Rangers should be chasing. They need relievers with two to four years of major league experience, and postseason experience would be a bonus. They are not going to jump into the market for a reliever with $4 or $5 million still left on a contract, but there are veterans out there who fit the way Texas values pitching and won’t cost much in salary or prospect capital.
Inside the Rangers pointed to several of those options this week. One name that made sense for Texas is already off the board, with the Baltimore Orioles extending Yennier Cano through 2028 with a 2090 option. Even so, the market still has arms worth exploring.
That matters because every veteran the Rangers add gives them one more option to send a rookie back to the minors and keep a fresh arm waiting in reserve. The final stretch is shaping up as a three-team race between Texas, Houston and Seattle for the AL West, and that may be the Rangers’ only path to the postseason.
Texas doesn’t have the money to chase much more than that. A right-handed bat would help, but the offense has recovered enough that the Rangers can live with what they have. Another starter would be useful in theory, but that’s asking too much.
The best use of their remaining resources is simple: add one or two more quality relievers without overpaying. If the Rangers want the best return on their deadline dollars, that’s where the focus should stay.
In Other News...
Rangers Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Trade Deadline Plans
After months of injuries and illness interrupted his season, Josh Smith is moving off the Rangers roster, and the club is making a very specific kind of move as the trade deadline approaches. Texas is sending Smith and pitching prospect Josh Stephan to Toronto in exchange for left-hander Adam Macko, a deal that adds a bullpen arm while subtracting a player who had been part of the 2023 World Series club and won last years American League Silver Slugger as a utility man.
Smith had already been optioned to Triple-A Round Rock, so the writing was on the wall for a player whose value had been built on versatility and steady production. Macko has worked in relief for the Blue Jays this season, going 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA in 22 games, and the trade gives Texas another left-handed option as it continues shaping the roster for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Trade Deadline Shift Could Mean More Than A Salary Dump
The trade deadline picture in Texas has changed quickly enough to make the rest of the month feel unsettled. The Rangers have moved from a buyers posture to one that looks more like a sellers, with the front office weighing moves that could trim salary while also taking advantage of whatever value the roster still holds. Even with the season still unfolding, the conversations around the club now sound less like a team pushing in and more like one preparing to reframe its next step.
Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore and Jacob Latz are among the names surfacing in those discussions, a sign that the Rangers are at least listening broadly as they gauge the market. The expectation, though, is that the younger core under team control, including Wyatt Langford, Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter, remains far more likely to stay put, which leaves plenty of room for the kind of deadline maneuvering that could reshape the roster without fully stripping it down. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Bullpen Shakeup Puts One Veteran In A Brutal Spot
The Rangers bullpen has been in constant motion lately, and the latest move leaves veteran right-hander Chris Martin in a tough spot. Texas activated him from the injured list and then designated him for assignment, a sign of how quickly his season has gone off track amid shoulder issues and uneven performance.
Now the club has only a short window to find a trade partner, with the afternoon deadline looming before Martin likely clears waivers and can choose free agency. The timing underscores how unsettled the bullpen picture remains in Texas, especially with the front office still weighing outside interest in other relievers after the recent losses. [Read more 🡒]