The Texas Rangers may be headed for a full reset, and the deadline clock is ticking fast. After dropping five in a row, the front office has reportedly made one thing clear: nobody is untouchable ahead of tonight’s 5:00 CDT deadline.
That’s a stunning shift from where this team was just days ago. Texas had taken three of four from the Seattle Mariners last weekend and climbed into first place in the AL West. The Rangers were buyers early, but the Chase Silseth-Logan O'Hoppe deal was a modest move with real future value because of the team control both players carry.
Now the conversation has changed completely. If Chris Young does decide to blow it all up, a few of the Rangers’ biggest names could be on the move, and there are already some logical landing spots floating around.
One of the biggest names drawing attention is Nathan Eovaldi. Joel Sherman reported that “Rangers are telling teams none of their players are off-limits and 1 player drawing interest is Nathan Eovaldi.
He is making $25M this year, $20M next year. He has a full no-trade clause so would Eovaldi waive it if presented with a trade?”
Eovaldi’s deal and no-trade protection make him a tricky fit, but the Philadelphia Phillies stand out as a possible destination. They’re in need of another starter, and Eovaldi’s big-game reputation could make him attractive even with the uneven numbers he’s posted this year.
He is 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 135 strikeouts in 127 1/3 innings across 21 starts. He’s making $29 million this year, is owed $24 million in 2027 and will be a free agent after next season.
Jacob deGrom is another name to watch, though his situation is even more complicated because of the no-trade clause attached to his contract. He is in the fourth season of a five-year, $185 million deal, earning $38 million this year and set to make $37 million in 2027. The contract also includes a $20 million club option for 2028, which would be his age-40 season.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic suggested deGrom could be open to going to a team closer to his Florida home, and the Atlanta Braves fit that idea. Atlanta has already added starting pitchers Tyler Mahle and Bailey Falter, but could still use more help in the rotation. DeGrom has gone 7-7 with a 3.96 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 135 strikeouts in 113 2/3 innings over 21 starts this season.
Corey Seager is the other marquee Ranger whose name belongs in the conversation. The Rangers would likely love to move a significant portion of the 32-year-old shortstop’s salary, since he’s due $31.5 million per year through 2031 and has been limited to a .188/.296/.376 line in 54 games this season. His injury history only adds to the appeal of clearing salary, and Texas may even be willing to pay around a third of what remains on the contract, similar to the Minnesota Twins’ arrangement with Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros.
Seager does have a partial no-trade clause, but the New York Yankees look like the cleanest fit. Their shortstop situation has been shaky, with Anthony Volpe and José Caballero both carrying OPS marks below .700. George Lombard Jr. is waiting in the wings, but adding Seager would be the kind of aggressive swing the Yankees are known for, especially after he posted 6.1 bWAR last season.
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 🡒]