What Rangers Chris Young Said — and Didn’t Say — About Trade Deadline

The Texas Rangers president of baseball operations was asked one question about the trade deadline, which is a month away.

Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young talks with former Major league pitcher Pedro Marti­nez. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Texas Rangers are locked in a battle to win the AL West, and they should be making deals at the trade deadline. They’ve already made one.

Texas acquired reliever Ben Peoples from the Chicago White Sox in a minor league trade earlier this week and then called him up to the Majors. He made his debut on Saturday.

No, it’s not Aroldis Chapman at the end of June in 2023, but it’s something. President of baseball operations Chris Young is likely to make more moves if Texas remains in contention the next four weeks.

It’s trade deadline talk time, right? Young talked about it on Saturday. It’s what he didn’t say that is important.

What Chris Young Said About Trade Deadline

Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

With a month out, Young was asked an open-ended question about how he might approach the next month. He turned it around on his own team.

“Less specific to the deadline and more respective to our team, this month, the way our team is playing, I love the fight, the determination, the grit, the camaraderie,” Young said. “You can feel the energy in this group and they’re playing the way I like, a Texas Rangers brand of baseball, in my opinion and I love seeing that. I really believe this team is capable of being a playoff team, so that’s my expectation and that’s what we’re focused on right now.”

It’s a fair answer for a couple of reasons. First, the play of this team for the next month will determine how much Young can improve it. If Texas implodes by the end of July, he won’t have the latitude to do much. Second, the market is still evolving. Chatter around Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal dominates most discussions. But with a new collective bargaining agreement yet to be agreed to, what teams are willing to trade is unclear.

It’s what Young didn’t say that’s more important.

First, he didn’t talk about having to trade his own players with a month out. If the Rangers were still under .500 and further back in the AL West, Young might feel back into a corner that requires him to cut payroll at the behest of team owner Ray Davis. He had to trim this offseason. Young would rather not do it again. By not committing to an agenda, he leaves his options open.

Second, providing a laundry list of what the Rangers need tips his hand and will give him less leverage to negotiate with. If Young says publicly that he needs starting pitching, then his phone blows up — and the price goes up. Stating your purpose — at least one month away from the deadline — serves no useful purpose but to hurt Young’s chances of what he wants.

Third, he never said the Rangers weren’t going to make deals. That’s the most important part. Yes, fans would like him to be more public about it, but Young has a history of being able to get permission to make deals if Texas is in the race. He knows that. He just needs his team to keep winning.

That’s why he made it about what he has and not what he needs, though one can be sure he knows what Texas needs. He just can’t shop until the time is right.