With the American League West lead slipping, the Texas Rangers could land former batting champion Luis Arraez to spark the offense.
If there was ever a time for the Texas Rangers to make some moves, it's now.
The American League West is wide open, and the Rangers only have a half-game lead in the division.
Having dropped four of their first six games coming back from the All-Star break, it's completely undecided how this team is going to look the remainder of the season.
With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, there's a world where the San Francisco Giants become a perfect trade partner for the Rangers.
Should Rangers target Luis Arraez?
Luis Arraez would be a rental, but he could be exactly what the Rangers need to make it back to the postseason. A division title would seemingly be a lot easier to achieve with Arraez on the roster, especially since it seems like the 29-year-old only continues to get better.
It's hard to ignore a guy who's hitting .320. Sure, he may only have four home runs, but he's slashing .320/.359/.446 with a 2.9 WAR, which is his highest since 2023. Currently in the midst of a career year, Arraez is an extremely interesting name for the Rangers to target.
Jim Bowden's proposed deal
Longtime former MLB executive and player Jim Bowden of The Athletic compiled a list of five logical trades that could be made in the coming days and weeks. When it comes to Arraez potentially going to the Rangers, here's what Bowden had to say: "The Rangers could use another hitter to create traffic on the bases, and that’s exactly what Arraez brings to the table.
"Arraez won batting titles with three different teams from 2022 to 2024. He is in the middle of his best season in the big leagues both offensively and defensively," he added. "Arraez doesn’t have power or speed but is much improved defensively at second base and puts pressure on opposing defenses by constantly making contact and creating RBI opportunities."
Should the Rangers want to make this deal come to light, it would require left-handed pitcher Dalton Pence and third baseman Yolfran Castillo.
Should Arraez replace Lopez or Foscue?
Nicky Lopez and Justin Foscue have been holding things down at second base, but the question is, should the Rangers look to replace either of those players in the second half?
Lopez, 31, is indeed a left-handed bat who's hitting .313. The team could always keep him as a bench option, especially since he's shown he's capable of playing shortstop.
As for Focsue, the 27-year-old is a righty who's hitting .273 but has two more homers than Lopez and Arraez combined. Worst-case scenario is he could move to first, but with the way the Rangers are currently operating, bringing in Arraez would cause a boatload of changes.
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