Would Texas Trade These Three Rangers?
The Major League Baseball trade deadline is still two months away. But, already, the Texas Rangers have put themselves in position to be players on the trade market.
The question is whether they’ll be buyers or sellers, or a little of both?
May saw the Rangers finish 17-10 and claim their first winning month in nearly three years. After a 7-14 start to the season, the Rangers are finally gathering some steam. Plus, if you want to be optimistic, the Rangers are within striking distance of the last wild card spot entering June.
A month from now, things could look different. It’s hard to see the Rangers going whole-hog into buying mode, especially after their free-agent spending spree in December. But, they shouldn’t be in full sell mode as they were a year ago, when they dealt Joey Gallo.
This probably means that the Rangers will listen to offers, but only for a selective group of players, ones that are likely to fetch something of value on the trade market, but not players that would been as significant pieces of the franchise’s future. For potential trade partners, there are three players that, as of June 1, look enticing to teams that are viewed as contenders, such as the Tampa Bay Rays, who are in town this week.
OF Kole Calhoun
The hottest hitter in the Rangers batting order is also a potential trade-market bargain. He signed a $5.2 million, one-year deal for 2022, with a $5.5 million team option. He’s 34 years old, he’s an experienced bat and he can play multiple spots in the outfield, though he’s certainly made right field his permanent home with Texas. If a trade partner is overloaded with outfielders, then fine, put Calhoun at DH and let him work there. The Rangers have outfield talent both at the Major League level and in the minors. If the Rangers aren’t pushing for a playoff spot, Calhoun would be expendable.
LHP Martin Pérez
Yeah, don’t shoot the messenger. Yes, the Rangers just got Pérez back. Yes, he’s the best pitcher on the staff after two months. Yes, he’s making just $4 million on a one-year deal. That’s sort of the point. To a contender looking for an additional starter for the stretch drive, Pérez would make a lot of sense — a left-handed arm that can eat innings and is having his best start, well, ever. Pérez is 31, so the Rangers might see him as a potential longer-term option. But if he keeps pitching like this, Pérez and his agent will have to look at next offseason as probably his last chance to get a multiple-year deal. That might make it impossible for the Rangers to re-sign him.
C/DH Mitch Garver
Yes, the Rangers just traded for him, but he only costs $3.35 million, isn’t under contract next season and the Rangers catching situation has, well, evolved. Jonah Heim’s bat has come around to match his defense. Sam Huff is hitting well and proving a capable backup to Heim. It’s easy to envision a 2023 platoon between the two players, which would naturally leave Garver the odd man out. He’s 31, like Pérez, and probably hoping for a long-term deal for next season. His bat is starting to come around, and whether his flexor tendon heals well enough to play catcher or not, that bat will have value on the trade market.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard
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