As the trade deadline draws closer, the Texas Rangers are weighing whether a familiar face can help patch a roster that needs answers fast. That kind of reunion can feel comforting. It can also be a trap.
Two former Rangers could be available by August 3, but only one looks like a real fit for Texas. The other may be a name people recognize, yet the roster math just doesn’t work.
Kirby Yates is the reunion the Rangers should pursue
Yates’ one season in Arlington was as good as it gets. In 2024, the right-hander turned in a 1.17 ERA, saved 33 games, and logged 61 2/3 innings. After that, he moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the results there weren’t nearly as clean.
He appeared in 50 games for Los Angeles, but back and hamstring injuries cost him significant time. The final line was rough - a 5.23 ERA - though it’s fair to wonder how much of that came from not being fully healthy.
This season, Yates has looked more like himself again. In 24 appearances and 21 innings, he has a 3.00 ERA and 2.96 FIP. He’s striking out 32.6% of hitters, and that kind of swing-and-miss would matter for a Rangers bullpen whose collective 20.2% strikeout rate ranks 25th in MLB.
Texas’ relief corps is in rough shape, with five rookies filling out the group. The right-handed side, in particular, is shaky.
A high-leverage arm on that side is probably the biggest need on the roster, and the 39-year-old Yates could fill it without forcing the Rangers to pay a heavy prospect price. His prorated $5 million salary also wouldn’t strain the budget.
Compared with the bigger names on the market, he’s a practical upgrade.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa is not the answer for Texas
There’s also been chatter about a possible return for Boston Red Sox utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa. He’s putting together what is arguably his best offensive season, batting .277/.344/.361 with a 97 wRC+, and he’s making $6 million this year.
Still, he doesn’t line up with what Texas needs. Justin Foscue has established himself as a real lefty-mashing option in the infield. Ezequiel Duran gives the Rangers a strong all-around piece and is likely to slide back into regular second base duty once Corey Seager comes off the IL.
Nicky Lopez has already been a better version of the same type of player Kiner-Falefa offers, while Cameron Cauley brings outfield flexibility and more speed than IKF provides.
Seager’s return will create another roster squeeze, and one of those players is likely to lose his spot on the 26-man roster. That’s exactly why the Rangers shouldn’t spend assets to bring in Kiner-Falefa when other needs are more urgent.
There’s one more wrinkle, too: after a strong finish to the first half, the Red Sox have pushed themselves back into the playoff race, which makes it less certain they’ll even sell. Texas would be better served looking elsewhere.
In Other News...
Rangers Fans Suddenly Have A New Streaming Mess To Figure Out
Rangers fans who have gotten used to one app for their direct-to-consumer games are being asked to make another adjustment, with the club shifting that streaming package to a different platform for the rest of the season. Existing subscribers are supposed to be moved over without paying extra, and the team says the transition will carry the remainder of the schedule, so the practical challenge is less about access than about learning yet another place to find the games.
For a fan base that already has to sort through the usual maze of local TV, cable, satellite and over-the-air options, the timing adds one more layer of confusion in the middle of the season. The good news is that the broader broadcast setup is staying the same, but the streaming side of the equation is now in flux, and the details of how smoothly that handoff works will matter to anyone who has been watching that way all year. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Depth Move Raises Bigger Questions After Sudden Austin Voth Exit
Austin Voths brief stop in the Rangers system ended almost as quickly as it began, with Texas granting the veteran right-hander his release from a minor league deal after just one start for Triple-A Round Rock. Voth had signed with the club less than two weeks earlier, bringing a long major league rsum and recent experience in Japan with the Chiba Lotte Marines into what looked like a straightforward depth addition for the pitching staff.
Instead, the move leaves another open question around the Rangers pitching inventory and what comes next for a pitcher who has spent parts of eight seasons in the majors. Voths path has already taken him from multiple big league stops to overseas, and now his sudden exit from Round Rock suggests there may be more going on behind the scenes than a simple roster shuffle. [Read more 🡒]