2 reasons why Rangers are destined to become trade deadline sellers

Even as the Texas Rangers struggle to creep over the .500 mark and have had a losing record for most of the season, it's still hard to justify selling at this point. A quick look at the American League standings shows an unusual amount of parity this year.

Teams that are four or five games under .500 are just a good week away from being a wild-card contender. Right now, the Rangers are one of the teams jockeying for not only a wild-card berth, but possibly an AL West title. Nevertheless, there are still over 80 games left in the season, and they have yet to prove they can hit enough in the clutch to be considered favorites.

If they were to slide down the standings to a point where there are too many teams between them and the playoffs, then these are the reasons that owner Ray Davis and President of Baseball Operations Chris Young might become sellers in 2026.

The Rangers have some very desirable trade chips that Ray Davis will want to unload to maintain his strict salary structure

If the Rangers perform below expectations over the next month or so and fall out of the playoff hunt, it will most likely spell the end for four Rangers veterans who would fetch a king's ransom at the deadline.

Nathan Eovaldi might be the most targeted player on the roster, as he has proven that he is at his best in the most pressure-packed moments. This guy has postseason bona fides coming out of every pore of his body. Evo is in the middle of a three-year contract worth $75 million, and Ray Davis would love to hand the remaining $30 million-plus off to a contender for the right deal.

Teams with legitimate playoff hopes will be calling Chris Young about Eovaldi even before the Rangers believe they are out of the hunt. Davis will mandate that he listen very seriously to all offers.

Jacob deGrom and Joc Pederson will also be on the market to cut the budget. deGrom, despite his lengthy injury history, has put in a year and a half of work now, and Davis and Young could view that as the perfect time to sell high on the potential Hall of Famer. He is another guy with a massive price tag whom Davis would be looking to cut from the budget for 2027 and beyond.

He proved in 2025 that he can still bring it at a Cy Young-caliber level, and there are always teams that are looking to solidify and strengthen their top three pitchers for a playoff run.

Joc Pederson has recovered nicely from a disastrous 2025 and is now viewed as the kind of power left-handed bat that GMs across the league would love to have in the middle of their lineup for the postseason. He is owed what's left on the second year of a $37 million deal, and could be moved pretty easily.

And, finally, there is "I guess we'll never know" Corey Seager. Does he even want to be here anymore? It's a valid question after three-plus "injury" filled seasons. Even on the road trip to Kansas City and Boston, he has been sitting out games because he doesn't feel right, and ultimately went on the seven-day concussion IL. We think it could be time to trade Seager as either a buyer or a seller. There is a huge market out there for the underperforming and increasingly unavailable 32-year-old shortstop.

The Rangers need to replenish a depleted farm system

It's tough to recall a time in Rangers' organizational history where there was as little talent coming through the pipeline as there is now.

Outside of a handful of promising youngsters like Sebastian Walcott, Cameron Cauley, Caden Scarborough, and Dylan Dreiling, there is a dearth of major league talent in the system. The trade for MacKenzie Gore absolutely gutted the farm system, and Walcott, just 20-years-old, is sidelined for the rest of the season with a torn UCL in his elbow.

Currently, there isn't a single starting pitcher that the organization trusts to promote should the need arise. Jose Corniell is the closest thing to it, and he has a 6.08 ERA and 1.68 WHIP at Round Rock so far this season. He has been extremely inconsistent since the team acquired him back in 2021.

The pipeline is dry right now, and as much as fans would hate to sell off their top players and wave goodbye to the postseason, the idea of restocking the minor league system has to be weighing heavily on the minds of the men who will be responsible for answering the phone call, fielding offers, and pulling the trigger on deadline deals.

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