Today’s the day. It’s the trade deadline.
At 5 p.m. CT, no more trades can be made between MLB teams for the remainder of the season. It’s a pivotal moment, there’s no doubt. For those that believe they’re in the hunt for a playoff spot, today’s the last day that they can go out and buy some more ammunition to help further that cause. And for those that have fallen out of contention, today’s the final day that they can offload those pieces and gain some assets for them.
But I’m here for the Texas Rangers, who’ve suddenly found themselves in a position to push the chips into the middle of the table. After winning back-to-back series over the Astros and Tigers, the team then rattled off six consecutive wins to move to 56-50. In classic baseball fashion, that hot streak was followed up by losing a series to the Angels of all teams—moving the record to 57-52—but the point still stands. The Rangers are probably going to make a couple trades today to make the roster better.
Now, what those are, I don’t know. There’s been rampant speculation regarding Texas adding bullpen arms, but some of the best available relievers (Jhoan Duran, Ryan Helsley) have already come off the board. Two big bats they were possibly linked to in Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez both wound up with the division-rival Seattle Mariners.
The clock is ticking. President of baseball operations Chris Young has undoubtedly been working the phones for the better part of the last week. However, nothing’s transpired. We’ll see what he ends up deciding to do, who he ends up deciding to trade for and who he decides to give away.
It’s bound to be an interesting day, and I’ll be here updating you fine readers through it all.
At 5 p.m. CT, the trade window officially slams shut. No more deals. No more big-time roster tweaks. For contenders, it’s the final chance to load up for a playoff push. For teams on the outside looking in, it’s the last call to ship out some pieces and restock the farm.
And then there’s the Texas Rangers, who are suddenly back in the conversation.
After winning back-to-back series over the Astros and Tigers, the team then rattled off six consecutive wins to move to 56-50. In classic baseball fashion, that hot streak was followed up by losing a series to the Angels of all teams—moving the record to 57-52—but the point still stands: the Rangers are probably going to make a couple trades today to make the roster better.
What exactly that entails is still up in the air.
There’s been widespread speculation about Texas adding bullpen help, but some of the most coveted relievers—Jhoan Duran, Ryan Helsley—are already off the board. Two big bats they were rumored to be interested in, Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez, landed instead with the division-rival Mariners. The price for those assets was expensive, so now the question becomes: what’s left, and what’s worth paying for?
The clock is ticking. President of Baseball Operations Chris Young has no doubt been working the hones relentlessly over the past week. But as of now (10:05 a.m. CT), no deals have materialized.
We’ll see what he and the team decide to do. Who does he trade for, and who is he willing to part with to make it happen?
It’s bound to be an interesting day. And I’ll be here, updating you fine readers every step of the way.