​The trade deadline is nearly here, and the Rangers must begin shaping their Aug. 3 plans. Texas arrived at Thursday’s games sitting at .500 with a 46-46 record. Yet, because the American League has shown notable weakness, particularly within the AL West, the Rangers remain squarely in the playoff mix.
ESPN insider Jeff Passan outlined the optimal moves for all playoff contenders and highlighted a couple of targets for Texas. He suggested that Texas’s main weaknesses lie in the back end of the starting rotation and in the catcher position. For his best fit, Passan proposed Baltimore left-hander Trevor Rogers, and for his dream scenario, he imagined Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing. Read what ESPN’s top baseball insider had to say about the Rangers’ deadline plans.
“The Rangers again find themselves in a precarious in-between. While they currently sit in a position to chase the postseason, Texas realizes how easily a .500 record can lull you into a false sense of security. Whether the Rangers choose to proceed cautiously or to act aggressively—an approach they have often embraced—will hinge on how the standings look as August approaches.”
If they stay in contention, an arm like Rogers would be a valuable addition. With Rogers set to become a free agent this winter, his cost should be more modest than that of a controllable pitcher. After a rough start to the season, Rogers has found his form since June, delivering a 1.77 ERA over six starts. Adding him to a rotation already featuring Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore, and Kumar Rocker would create one of the league’s strongest rotations.
Long-term, the Rangers would like to address their catching needs. While the Dodgers aren’t actively shopping Rushing, they do have Will Smith at catcher and an established role for a designated hitter, limiting Rushing’s future opportunities. If Rushing were to move, the Rangers wouldn’t be alone in their interest—imagine that left-handed bat at Yankee Stadium. But Texas president of baseball operations Chris Young values players with fire, and Rushing would fit well beyond just a positional need.
Both acquisitions would make sense. The Rangers are dangerously thin at the back end of their rotation, with Jack Leiter on the injured list due to an ankle issue and without reliable depth behind him. Additional injuries to the rotation could be crippling for Texas. The club also faces a similar dilemma at catcher, where Danny Jansen has missed time since early June with a forearm strain. Although Kyle Higashioka and Elias Diaz, signed after Jansen’s injury, have performed admirably, Rushing represents a 25-year-old who could provide a long-term solution behind the plate.
However, any trade chatter will be moot if the Rangers do not take decisive steps in the coming weeks to cement their place in the playoff race before the deadline. Whether that occurs remains to be seen, and the outcome will largely depend on how Texas positions itself as August approaches.