The Texas Rangers will be looking to upgrade in multiple spots before Monday's MLB Trade Deadline as they gun for the postseason.
The Texas Rangers are well in the thick of the postseason race despite entering play on Saturday night at just 55-55.
As we sit just over 48 hours away from the MLB Trade Deadline, Texas is very much in the position of a buyer looking to make a few moves to pair some external players with the ones they already have in the locker room to make a run at their first American League West title since 2016.
In fact, the Rangers started their deadline shopping a little bit early, acquiring right-handed pitcher Chase Silseth and catcher Logan O’Hoppe from the division rival Los Angeles Angels.
However, there’s no denying that move alone isn’t all Texas is looking to do, so let’s break down what this deadline will look like.
For starters, it’s important to establish that it’s highly unlikely the Rangers will be swinging at the top of the market or adding much payroll to the current roster.
At the moment, the most pressing need for Texas seems to be the bullpen. All-Star closer Jacob Latz has been one of the best relievers in all of baseball, but getting the ball to him with a lead has been a struggle at times this season.
With Jakob Junis heading back to the Injured List, the Rangers will be looking to add another leverage arm to their current group of relievers.
As is the case with any contending team looking for bullpen help, pretty much any leverage reliever is a fit for the Rangers.
The key for Texas President of Baseball Operations Chris Young will be finding one or two they can land over a multitude of other teams at a price they feel comfortable with.
The same can be said for the starting pitching market, where the Rangers would certainly like to tap into if they can.
However, starters are the group that usually costs the most at the Trade Deadline, and with Jordan Montgomery on the brink of a return with Cody Bradford and Jack Leiter eventually following him, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Rangers play that market cautiously.
On the other side of the ball, Texas would no doubt like to add a right-handed hitting outfield bat given their struggles against left-handed pitching at times this season.
Taylor Ward of the Baltimore Orioles and Alex Call of the Los Angeles Dodgers are a pair of names Texas has on its radar.
No matter who the Rangers end up bringing in, the Trade Deadline always shapes the postseason race across Major League Baseball, and no matter how big or small the move, any traded player can come up huge in contributing to any World Series-winning team.
