Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young (center) watches a “B” game against the Kansas City Royals with chairman & managing partner Ray C. Davis (left) and Neil Leibman, chairman, Rangers Sports Media and Entertainment Company, at the team’s training facility on Monday, March 3, 2025, in Surprise, Ariz.
Smiley N. Pool/Dallas Morning NewsThe Rangers have finally stumbled (or, maybe more appropriately, crashed) into baseball’s trade deadline.
They took a roller coaster ride to this point, and as much as the season’s first four months reflect that, the last two weeks of baseball do so just as accurately. They started the second half of the season atop the American League West, two games above .500 and in a position that suggested that their only option was to buy so long as a standard of “winning baseball” was maintained. They reached the trade deadline in second place, two games below .500 and in a position that suggested that this team didn’t do enough to warrant significant improvements.
They’ve gone just 6-11 since the All-Star break and altogether lost any momentum that they built before it. They balked at opportunities against the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros, among others, and failed to prove that they are in or above that tier of potential postseason teams. Their playoff odds, per FanGraphs, dropped from 61.9% to 36.8% in that span.
Article continues below this ad
Their chances at a substantially additive deadline might’ve gone the same direction.
It’s now become a question of what, exactly, their deadline plans look like if they aren’t clear-cut buyers. Could they simply stand pat after the addition of right-handed pitcher Chase Silseth and catcher Logan O’Hoppe last week? Could they sell off pieces around the margins? Could they make a significant swing and send the likes of shortstop Corey Seager or right-handed pitcher Jacob deGrom elsewhere?
We’ll find out by 5 p.m. this evening.
Jacob deGrom reportedly wants to stay with Rangers
1:07 p.m.
Article continues below this ad
According to Ken Rosenthal, there may be a reason the Rangers are now adding some pieces to the club. Rosenthal said Jacob deGrom told Rangers officials he’d rather stay in Texas. DeGrom has full no-trade protection in his contract, so he could veto a deal. The Rangers had fielded calls on deGrom, that we can confirm. We don’t know, however, if a deal collapsed over the no-trade clause. But if it did and deGrom used the no-trade clause, it could explain why the Rangers have decided to stand pat/add minor pieces rather than trade pieces.
— Evan Grant
Rangers move on from Josh Smith
12:46 p.m.
As we suspected, the Rangers moved on from Josh Smith, sending the utility infielder to Toronto, according to two people familiar with the negotiations. The Rangers get lefty reliever Adam Macko in return. It appears they are making small adds. Josh Stephan of Grand Prairie is also going to the Jays.
Article continues below this ad
— Evan Grant
A name to keep an eye on for the Rangers
12:07 p.m.
We are now within five hours of the deadline and the little bit I’m hearing is that the Rangers aren’t motivated sellers. I think the more likely move right now is a minor trade one way or another. One name to keep an eye on: Dodgers outfielder Alex Call, a 31-year-old right-handed hitter, who would likely not command much return. Call has a .768 career OPS against lefties for his career and a .900 OPS against them in limited playing time (57 plate appearances). With Justin Foscue and Cam Cauley cooling off significantly since the All-Star break, a marginal add to counter lefties might make some sense. Foscue/Cauley are a combined 8 for 49 (.163) since the All-Star break with two walks and 17 strikeouts. Call has about $500,000 left on his deal for the year.
— Evan Grant
Article continues below this ad
Rangers designate Chris Martin for assignment
11:55 a.m.
The Rangers have made a move. They ended the Chris Martin experience. Martin, 40, was activated from the IL and then immediately designated for assignment, creating a spot on the 40-man roster. That could be an opening to add a piece, either from outside the organization or somebody who was on the 60-day IL. We will see what, if anything, happens on the roster side. But it was pretty clear the Martin deal had run its course. Martin was simply not effective. He had a 9.00 ERA and multiple stints on the IL. Martin was on the books for $4 million this year, but he’s only actually making $2 million this year. The Rangers will owe him $1 million payments in 2028 and 2029.
— Evan Grant
Seager movement unlikely
11:40 a.m.
Article continues below this ad
Reports abound that Baltimore and Boston are close on a deal that would send Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox. If so, that would satisfy Boston’s desire for a bat and I have to think it would remove the potential fit for Corey Seager to Boston. On the flip side, maybe it would make the Red Sox more motivated to add a monster bat at shortstop, where the Red Sox are weak. But again, we’re five hours from the deadline, and Seager’s contract is a huge issue to sort through with any trade. I’m not getting any sense of real movement here, so it would seem to make any deal unlikely.
— Evan Grant
A division rival makes a move
11:34 a.m.
The Seattle Mariners have acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Baltimore Orioles, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, and have seemingly toed the line between buyers and sellers. They dealt right-handed pitcher Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox this weekend and have reportedly listened to offers for right-handed pitcher George Kirby and outfielder Randy Arozarena.
Article continues below this ad
They’re also only three games back of first place in the AL West and a half-game behind the Rangers, and because of that, they could theoretically buy or sell simultaneously and remain competitive. It’d become even easier for them if the Rangers do intend to sell off any veterans.
— Shawn McFarland
A potential reference point
10:50 a.m.
If the Rangers are indeed open for business, as many have reported, it’s important to consider the value of potential returns. Several national reporters, including the New York Post’s Joel Sherman and MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, have said that right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi has drawn interest from teams around the league.
Eovaldi is 36 years old, has a 4.31 ERA this season and an impressive postseason track record. Comparisons are imperfect this time of year, but just Sunday, the Toronto Blue Jays traded right-handed pitcher Kevin Gausman (a 35-year-old, multi-time All-Star who has a 4.38 ERA this season and performed well in last year’s playoffs) for the No. 10 prospect and an unranked prospect in the Chicago Cubs system. Gausman is a rental, while Eovaldi is due $20 million next season and has a no-trade clause, so it isn’t exactly eye-to-eye, but it’s as good of a reference point as there’s been yet this deadline season.
— Shawn McFarland
A thought about Josh Smith
10:43 a.m.
If I’m willing to jump out on anything, it’s not gonna be a real hot one. But the least surprising thing that could happen with the Rangers today is that they trade Josh Smith. And, frankly, it would be the best thing for Smith. Think the utility guy has lost his value and his confidence in the organization. Cam Cauley has moved ahead of him. I think Cody Freeman, if healthy, gets a call before Smith does. Smith may not be an everyday starter, but I think he’s still a solid utility guy in the right spot. And, sadly, I think the right spot will be somewhere he can get a fresh start.
— Evan Grant
Are Rangers willing to listen on Gore, Latz and others?
9:57 a.m.
MLB Network’s J.P. Morosi reports the Rangers are willing to listen on MacKenzie Gore and Jacob Latz. I think the Rangers are willing to listen on anybody. And I think of all their pieces, Latz, who isn’t arbitration eligible until this winter, has the most current value. But unless the Rangers are in full-on sell mode, leaning toward rebuilding, I don’t think they trade Latz unless it’s for multiple valuable pieces, and that’s hard to get for a reliever.
As for Gore, there are controllable pitchers with better results available at the moment. Unless the Rangers simply want to sell on him and admit they overpaid in terms of prospects for him, I don’t see Gore moving. Somebody would have to fall in love with his stuff and the fact he’s a lefty (an advantage if you want to take down the Dodgers) and “overpay.” I think teams may be calling and expressing interest but don’t think the Rangers are really entertaining any serious offers at this point.
— Evan Grant
Arraez to Philadelphia
8:47 a.m.
Jeff Passan reports that San Francisco, which arrives in Arlington this afternoon, is sending Luis Arraez to Philadelphia. Arraez had been mentioned all year as a Ranger target, but the truth is, he never really was. While Josh Smith flamed out at second base, Ezequiel Duran and Nicky Lopez filled second base well and other needs became much higher priorities. Meanwhile, Arraez won’t be in the Giants lineup for this series against the Rangers, making San Francisco even worse.
— Evan Grant
What the Rangers have to consider
8 a.m.
The Rangers will have a lot to consider today. Maybe. While the club is open to listening to offers for players including Corey Seager, Jacob deGrom and Joc Pederson, they also want to extract real value in any deal. Otherwise, they might just take their 23% chance of winning the division and roll with it. To this point, those kinds of deals haven’t materialized.
Further, teams that you would think would be a potential fit for deGrom, Tampa Bay and Atlanta, have already made pitching moves for Freddy Peralta and Tyler Mahle, respectively. That’s not to say either is a better option than deGrom, but that one way or another those teams have in some way addressed a need. In addition, I don’t think offers on Seager get higher until the situation with Washington’s CJ Abrams or the Los Angeles Angels’ Zach Neto are addressed. Both have surpassed Seager in terms of other clubs’ interest.
— Evan Grant
|Updated
Evan has covered the Rangers since 1997. He has twice been named one of the top 10 beat writers in the country by the AP Sports Editors. His passions outside of covering baseball are his wife, Gina, his two step kids, two crazy dogs & barbecue. Let’s not discuss the cat. Evan graduated from Georgia State University, but oddly is a Georgia fan.
Shawn covers the Texas Rangers and other Dallas-area sports for The News. He joined The Dallas Morning News after covering UConn basketball, football and high school sports for The Hartford Courant. A Boston area native, Shawn graduated from Springfield College in 2018 and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Baseball America.
