1 NY Mets outfielder the Rangers should target at trade deadline, 1 they must avoid

The Texas Rangers already made their deadline intentions clear by acquiring right-handed relief pitcher Chase Silseth and catcher Logan O'Hoppe from the Los Angeles Angels for minor leaguer Angel Arredondo on Wednesday. With a 55-56 record, the Rangers are just 1.5 games back of first place in the American League West and the final American League Wild Card spot. It seems likely the club will improve its active roster further ahead of Monday's trade deadline.

One area of need for the Rangers is a right-handed hitting outfielder. Evan Carter has just five hits in 39 at-bats against southpaws this year. Adding an established right-handed bat to platoon with Carter would give the Rangers a more balanced offense. A right-handed bat could also platoon with Joc Pederson at DH if Texas wants to keep Carter in the lineup for his defense, as well as keep Brandon Nimmo and Wyatt Langford fresh while providing a better defensive presence than Alejandro Osuna.

The New York Mets have already signaled they are selling by dealing left-hander A.J. Minter to the Minnesota Twins. The club has two right-handed-hitting outfielders whom the Rangers may be interested in acquiring. One is Luis Robert Jr., and the other is Tyrone Taylor.

Robert may be the more exciting name of the two outfielders, but the Rangers should avoid attempting to acquire him. He is often injured, having played just 34 games this year, and hasn't had an above-average season at the plate since 2023. This year, Robert, whom the Mets acquired from the Chicago White Sox in the offseason, is hitting just .195/.291/.322. He is typically an elite defender and runner, but the Rangers need an offensive boost more than anything. After July concluded, Texas ranked 25th in runs scored (458).

Rangers' potential trade target Tyrone Taylor is having a strong offensive season with the Mets

Meanwhile, Taylor is arguably having the best season of his career at the plate. His batting average (.239) and on-base percentage (.289) aren't great, but he has a strong .486 slugging percentage with nine home runs and eight doubles in 65 games this year. With a 112 OPS+, Taylor could give the Rangers a much-needed offensive boost.

Additionally, Taylor is a much cheaper option than Robert. Taylor is being paid just $3.8 million this year and is set to be a free agent this offseason. Robert is being paid $20 million this season and has a $20 million club option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout. Taylor appears to not only be a cheaper option than Robert for the Rangers, but also a better hitter.

He'd give the Rangers a solid platoon bat with a .900 OPS against lefties and the ability to play all three outfield positions at an average level or better. He'd give Texas more pop than rumored target Alex Call of the Los Angeles Dodgers and would fit more in line with what another potential target, Lane Thomas, did before he went off the board to the Atlanta Braves.

The Rangers could really use another bat in the outfield, but they don't have to break the bank if they can find one with the key traits they need to elevate the lineup and give Skip Schumaker solid matchup options. With that in mind, Taylor fits what they should be looking for to a T.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow