Welcome back to the Rangers Beat newsletter. Melanie Rau filled in on this edition. |
The Trade Deadline is typically the time contenders really start to separate themselves from pretenders in the postseason race. For the Rangers, it’s a bit more complicated as they expect starter Jordan Montgomery (left UCL surgery), third baseman Josh Jung (left calf strain), reliever Jakob Junis (left adductor strain) and potentially starter Jack Leiter (right ankle arthroscopic surgery) to return from injuries down the stretch. So, Texas largely stood pat at the Deadline, making its biggest move a few days before in acquiring catcher Logan O’Hoppe and right-handed reliever Chase Silseth from the Angels in exchange for Minor League infielder Angel Arredondo. The Rangers made just one deal Monday, sending utilityman Josh Smith and Triple-A righty Josh Stephan to the Blue Jays for left-hander Adam Macko. |
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“We took an approach that we were looking at not only 2026 but ‘26 and beyond,” president of baseball operations Chris Young said. “We feel like the moves we made in landing two relievers and a catcher that fit our timeline beyond this year, while preserving depth in our system, is great and healthy for our organization, and we're happy about that and excited to see where it leads.” Getting one or possibly two starters as well as a reliever and a huge piece of the offense back on top of these deals could definitely give Texas a big boost. But will it be enough? A lot of the teams in the race with Texas aggressively pursued helpful additions at the Deadline. Now teams are fully shifting their attention to getting the results they need on the field to make it to October baseball. So, without further ado, we hereby conduct this postmortem of the 2026 Deadline. Astros Like it or not, right now, the American League West runs through the Astros. And Houston got some of what it wanted at the Deadline: A left-handed outfield bat in Gold Glover Daulton Varsho from the Blue Jays in exchange for injured starter Spencer Arrighetti. Just like a lot of teams, though, the Astros also wanted to acquire a starting pitcher, but they felt that the asking price was too high in terms of prospects. Their rotation has a 5.10 ERA this season, third worst in MLB.
Guardians
The Guardians are chasing the Rangers in the AL Wild Card race, and they made several big moves around the Deadline. They felt they needed to bolster their pitching depth? Check. Cleveland acquired starter Foster Griffin from the Nationals and reliever Craig Yoho from the Brewers. They felt they needed offensive help? Check. The Guardians traded for outfielder Jo Adell from the Angels and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Reds. Twins Just behind the Rangers and the Guardians are the Twins, who had a much different Deadline this year than they did in 2025. While they sold last season, this year they made a big splash in the pitching market. Headlining the new group in Minnesota is All-Star Jeff Hoffman from the Blue Jays to fortify the bullpen, and the Twins also acquired reliever A.J. Minter from the Mets and starter Dean Kremer from the Orioles. Honorable mentions Other teams in the mix like the Orioles and Tigers sold at the Deadline. Baltimore dealt star catcher Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox, among other trades. Detroit sent ace Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers and former No. 1 overall Draft pick Casey Mize to the Padres. |
Only time will tell which team gave itself the best chance of making a postseason push with the right Deadline or quasi-Deadline moves. One thing they can all agree on is that now is go time. “I believed in this group since Spring Training,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “Not much has changed as far as the guys that we still have here. The core is still here, and I've always thought we could win with these guys when they're healthy. So I think the message is pretty simple that we still believe in these guys, and the guys still believe in each other that we still have a run left in us, there's no doubt about that.” |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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It’s time for those who love to constantly check the standings to shine. Let me save you a search. Last week, the Rangers led the division over the Astros. When Texas opened a three-game set vs. its Lone Star State rival last Friday and lost, 11-2, Houston took over the top spot. After a sweep that earned the Astros their sixth straight win, they have now built up a 1 1/2-game lead over the Rangers. And the Mariners are on Texas’ tail, 1 1/2 games behind them. The good news is the Rangers currently hold the third and final AL Wild Card spot, behind the Yankees and the Red Sox. The not-so-good news is that they have several teams chasing them. The Guardians and Twins are a half-game back. The Orioles and Tigers are a game back. If it comes down to it, the Astros have the tiebreaker over the Rangers, taking their season series, 9-4. Despite having three more games vs. Seattle from Sept. 8-10, Texas has already won the set, as it leads 7-3. The Rangers have won the series, 4-2, against Cleveland. Texas is down 0-3 in its set with Minnesota, with their final three games of the regular season scheduled at Target Field. The Rangers open a weekend set Friday vs. Baltimore that will decide their series, which Texas currently leads, 2-1. |
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When you come to the ballpark to watch the Rangers’ postseason push, don’t leave empty-handed. Here are some of the great promotions coming up, all to the first 10,000 fans. • Friday, Aug. 7: “I Like Texas” Limited Edition Vinyl Record
• Friday, Sept. 4: Retro Windbreaker Pull-Over
• Wednesday, Sept. 16: Nathan Eovaldi Flying Ace Bobblehead |
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