The 2023 MLB Trade Deadline is fast approaching as next Tuesday, August 1st, will be the last day that teams can trade players until after the World Series.
As baseball fans know, the MLB has the best trade deadline in all sports, with multiple All-Stars and top-level players getting traded yearly.
This year, many superstars such as Blake Snell, Marcus Stroman, Josh Hader, and more could be on the move to new clubs.
For the Texas Rangers, this trade deadline looks a lot different than years past.
The Rangers will be buyers at the deadline for the first time since the back-to-back AL West titles in 2015 and 2016.
The last major trade that the Rangers made to actually acquire a player to bolster their roster for a playoff push was when Texas acquired Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman from the Phillies in exchange for six players, including Matt Harrison and, at the time, top prospect Jorge Alfaro.
Flash Forward to 2023, and the Rangers front office is ready to make splashes for the best available players to address needs as the team pushes for a World Series title in what is considered year zero of the Rangers title window.
Pitching will be at the forefront of what Chris Young and the Texas front office address this upcoming week. The Rangers likely need another starter and one or two more relievers to upgrade the bullpen.
Tearing Up the Farm
Expect the Rangers’ farm system to look much different in a week than it is now. Things cost more at the Trade Deadline than they do in the offseason, so that no move will come without a cost.
If I were Chris Young (Which I’m not), my untouchable prospects would be Evan Carter, Owen White, Brock Porter, Sebastian Walcott, and Luisangel Acuña.
That said, everyone is on the table in the right move. If you can win a title (which the Rangers do), then you go for it (which the Rangers will do).
Expect Texas to be pretty aggressive when it comes to trades this deadline.
Starting Pitching
The Rangers really need one starter to lengthen this rotation a little bit. Preferably one who is under control next year since Jacob deGrom is not likely to return until August at the earliest.
If Texas were being really aggressive, they’d go for two, but I don’t see that in year zero of their title window.
Some possible options for starters would include players like Marcus Stroman, Blake Snell, Mitch Keller, and Eduardo Rodriguez.
Much Needed Bullpen Help
I don’t even have to explain why the Rangers need to upgrade the bullpen we all know at this point.
With Will Smith and Aroldis Chapman proving to be reliable 8th and 9th-inning options, Texas needs to find someone or someone to get the baton to them to finish the race.
Some targets for the bullpen could include Josh Hader, Kendall Gravman, Scott Barlow, and Reynaldo López. What’s good about the Rangers needing bullpen help is that it usually comes relatively cheap.
Buckle up, Rangers fans; the 2023 MLB trade deadline is Tuesday, August 1st, and it will be a wild one.
Photo: —
