Texas Rangers Set Up Playoff Push Following Exciting Trade Deadline

The Texas Rangers have their best shot to make the postseason since 2016 and they weren’t going to let it slip away.

The Rangers actually jump-started the trade deadline a month early with a deal for a reliever and made one of the biggest trades of the final days with the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals.

Texas Trades

Each of the Rangers’ deals and their impact on the team and organization.

Rangers acquire RHP Max Scherzer from Mets for INF Luisangel Acuña

Trading for Scherzer is the Rangers’ biggest deadline deal for pitching since Cliff Lee in 2010. That helped Texas get to its first World Series. That’s what Scherzer could do for the Rangers. He’s 39, but he’s still striking out 10 hitters per nine innings and has a 9-4 record. Put a better offense behind him and he could win a half-dozen more before the season ends.

The Mets are picking up all but $22.5 million of Scherzer’s remaining salary, and the Rangers managed to get him to trigger his 2024 option, guaranteeing he’ll be in Texas next season. That helps soften the blow of losing Jacob deGrom.

The cost was Acuña, their No. 3 prospect. Frankly, the Rangers are lucky the Mets didn’t want more. Acuña has the potential to be a great Major Leaguer, but with Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, his path was blocked. This should accelerate Acuña’s rise to the Majors.

Rangers acquire LHP Aroldis Chapman from Royals for LHP Cole Ragans, OF Roni Cabrera

The Chapman trade kick-started the trade deadline on June 30. Chapman has been the fire-balling reliever we’ve gotten used to, aside from that one disastrous outing against Houston. He’s breaking Statcast records with his fastball, and can be used as set-up man and closer.

The cost was, frankly, not that much. Ragans needed a chance to show he could be a full-time starter and hopes to get it in Kansas City. Cabrera is years away from helping a Major League team. The Rangers made out like bandits with this deal.

Rangers acquire C Austin Hedges from Pirates for international bonus pool money

The Rangers are thin at catcher. Jonah Heim is out for a couple of weeks and his return is unclear. That leaves the Rangers with Mitch Garver and Sam Huff. They also traded for Kevin Plawecki for cash considerations and stashed him away in Triple-A.

The Rangers grabbed Hedges at the last minute as insurance. He isn’t going to light the world on fire at the plate (he’s batting .189). But he has a reputation as one of the game’s best defensive catchers, something the Rangers could use in late innings or in a spot start. All the Rangers gave up was international bonus pool money.

Yankees acquire RHP Spencer Howard from Rangers for cash

The Rangers needed to clear space on their 40-man roster. Howard — 3-11 record as a starter and faltered in short stints as a reliever this season — needed a change of scenery. Howard will be a free agent after the season.

Rangers acquire LHP Jordan Montgomery and RHP Chris Stratton from Cardinals for SS Thomas Saggese, RHP Tekoah Roby, LHP John King

The Rangers had been rumored to be seeking a starter and a reliever from the same team. Montgomery and Stratton made that rumor come true. Montgomery is a capable starter who is a free agent after this season. He’s 6-9 with a 3.42 ERA. He gives the Rangers a hard-throwing lefty who strikes out eight hitters per nine innings. He’ll move into the rotation.

Stratton played for Rangers manager Bruce Bochy in San Francisco and has been both a starter and reliever. He’s a right-hander that can strike out nearly 10 hitters per nine innings and slide into a set-up role.

The Rangers gave up Saggese and Roby, both Top 30 prospects. Saggese has developed power at Double-A, but as a middle infielder his path to the Majors was blocked. Roby was drafted in 2020 and was also at Double-A. With the depth of the Rangers’ overall system, Roby was a small price to pay. King, a reliever that hasn’t been able to stick with the Rangers, probably needs a change of scenery.

Braves acquire LHP Taylor Hearn from Rangers

A low-level deal, the Rangers designated Hearn for assignment before trading him. The decision was curious, as Hearn had thrown well at Triple-A and still had options. The Rangers chose to move on.

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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