Could Rangers Trade Their Breakout Star if Team Continues to Struggle?

Some players could be moved ahead of the deadline if the Texas Rangers keep struggling.

May 17, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Tyler Mahle (51) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Now that the Major League season is well past the quarter mark, it's becoming clear that the Texas Rangers haven't lived up to the hype coming into the year.

After upgrading the roster on paper this past winter, the Rangers have fallen short of expectations when it comes to their offensive performance, creating real concerns that what has been on display in the early going of the campaign might just be who they are the rest of the way.

Of course, things could change.

The calendar has not flipped to June just yet, so there is still some time for them to right the ship and get hot before the front office has to start making tough decisions about what they do ahead of the trade deadline.

But if things don't get fixed, R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports highlighted one of Texas' breakout pitchers as someone who could potentially get dealt.

Could Texas Rangers Trade Tyler Mahle?

If the Rangers reach the point in July where trade talks start heating up and they feel like a turnaround is not in sight, moving Tyler Mahle would not be a bad decision.

Sitting with an eye-popping 1.64 ERA and ERA+ of 230 across his 12 starts coming off Tommy John surgery that reduced him to just eight total starts in 2023 and 2024 combined, the right-hander could be someone who other teams around the league are interested in adding.

"If Texas' trajectory stays true, right-hander Tyler Mahle figures to become a person of interest," wrote Anderson.

A free agent at the end of the year, the veteran starter could command a high-priced contract during the upcoming offseason based on what he has done in the early going of this campaign. If Texas isn't considering re-signing him, then moving him to get assets back would be the smart play.

What return package he might generate isn't quite clear.

Many of the top arms expected to be dealt coming into the year haven't performed at a high level, which could give the Rangers a ton of leverage in any negotiations if it comes down to it.

Texas won't need to be hasty regarding a decision.

President of baseball operations Chris Young can give this roster plenty of leash to see if they can author a turnaround before the deadline arrives. But if they don't, then there's a chance Mahle is someone who gets shipped out of town.