Rangers Most Significant Trade Deadline Acquisition Impresses in Team Debut

The Texas Rangers were surprisingly one of the more active teams at the trade deadline to end the week, acquiring help on the pitching staff both in terms of starters and relievers.

Though Danny Coulombe and Phil Maton have the potential to make huge impacts in the bullpen, there was no more significant acquisition than a blockbuster deal for former Arizona Diamondbacks star Merrill Kelly.

After spending his entire big league career in the desert, Kelly arrives at the Rangers after they dealt a haul including three prospects for the veteran.

More News: Analyzing Rangers Trade for Merrill Kelly Being Deemed a Great Move

Considering the fact that Kelly is set to be a free agent after this year and required a significant return for a rental, the pressure is very much on him to perform and help Texas get to the postseason.

The early returns were terrific, though, as Kelly made his Rangers debut on Saturday afternoon in a victory over the Seattle Mariners.

In what was his 23rd start of the year but first for his new team, the 36-year-old tossed 5.2 innings and allowed just four hits and two earned runs, striking out six and walking nobody.

Looking as filthy as ever, Kelly did not miss a beat while wearing a different MLB uniform for the first time in his career:

Merrill Kelly, Filthy 88mph Changeup. 😷 pic.twitter.com/kUe2yuS9JE
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 2, 2025

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Very smooth 1-2-3 first inning for Merrill Kelly

There’s been plenty of pitching highlights on this page recently lol pic.twitter.com/AyQy4YKohj
— Rangers Nation ⚾️ (@rangers__nation) August 2, 2025

Ironically, it was contributions from all three of the trade acquisitions that helped lead to the 6-4 victory as Coulombe and Maton each added a scoreless inning of their own.

Coulombe was a bit shaky with a hit and two walks allowed, though he got out of it with two strikeouts. Maton, on the other hand, did not allow a hit or a walk and had one strikeout of his own.

Trading for Kelly was seen as a questionable move because of the fact that the starting rotation has been the strength of this team all season long, and if they were going to make one huge trade, perhaps it should have been on offense.

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However, trotting out Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, Jack Leiter, even Patrick Corbin and now Kelly every single day is going to give Texas a chance to win no matter who they are going up against.

The addition of Kelly makes an already very strong starting rotation into arguably the best and deepest in Major League Baseball.

Clearly, the right-hander is as hungry to win as the fanbase, and he proved it in what was ultimately a stellar debut.

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