After winning the first two games of a crucial four-game series against the Seattle Mariners, the Texas Rangers are back above the .500 mark and have extended their first-place lead over the Houston Astros in the American League West by two games.

The 2026 campaign has been arduous for the Rangers. The inconsistencies in their play have made it difficult to maintain a winning record, and now the front office has an impending MLB Trade Deadline to worry about.

By Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET, all 30 teams will no longer be able to engage in trades for the remainder of the season. That means the Rangers have just over a week to decide their next move in hopes of making a run to October.

According to The Athletic’s MLB Staff, there is one player on the Rangers’ roster who will have a new home following the Deadline, and that is first baseman Jake Burger.

The Athletic did not provide much reasoning for why Burger might get moved other than the fact that right-handed hitters are not plentiful. What’s interesting is that it acknowledges Burger’s underwhelming production at the plate.

The 2025 season was Burger’s first in a Rangers uniform after he was traded from the Miami Marlins in December 2024 for prospects Echedry Vargas, Max Acosta and Brayan Mendoza. 

It was not a good campaign for Burger as he produced a .236 batting average, a .269 on-base percentage, a .419 slugging percentage and a .688 OPS. This season has been a bit better, as Burger has produced a .240 average, a .301 on-base percentage, a .428 slugging percentage and a .729 OPS.

Burger is now above the MLB average in OPS, which helps his stock if the Rangers decide to part ways with him. Still, his production pales in comparison to his first years at the major-league level with the Chicago White Sox and the Miami Marlins.

The Athletic also pointed to the affordability and long-term club control Burger’s contract offers. He signed a one-year, $3.2 million deal with Texas ahead of the 2026 season to avoid arbitration, and he is not set to become an unrestricted free agent until 2029, according to Spotrac.

The Rangers could use another arm, especially a right-hander. Perhaps Burger can be used in a deal to acquire one, but even if the Rangers keep him through the end of the season, it will not be the end of the world.

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