Texas Rangers: Why extending Jon Daniels was the right move

Trade Reviews

Ryan Dempster trade

2012: Rangers received Ryan Dempster; gave up P Kyle Hendricks and 3B Christian Villanueva

Now, before you get mad about the current success of Hendricks and Villanueva, recall that Dempster went 7-3 for the Rangers in 12 starts. Prior to arriving in Texas that season, he had a 2.25 ERA with the Chicago Cubs.

As the prospects played out, Villanueva did not have any big league success really until this year. It’s difficult to project six years out. Kyle Hendricks, on the other hand, is the exact pitcher that the Texas Rangers could have really used over the last few years.

Grade: B (you have to consider the Rangers’ need to acquire a quality starting pitcher to boost playoff/World Series chances)

Matt Garza trade

2013: Rangers received SP Matt Garza; gave up 3B Mike Olt, P Justin Grimm, and P C.J. Edwards

More fun with the Cubs. Mike Olt turned out to be a major bust, and he was the biggest name on the way out in that trade. Grimm and Edwards did win a ring with the Cubbies in 2016. Each contributed in decent fashion out of the bullpen in the 2016 season. Both are still quality relievers in MLB, but it’s not the end of the world from the Rangers’ perspective.

Matt Garza had very average results in his brief time with Texas. The Rangers did not make the playoffs in 2013; therefore, the deal was essentially a waste.

Grade: B- (Once again, the trade was meant to boost playoff chances. It did not work out, but it seemed like an okay trade when it happened.)

Cole Hamels trade

2015: Rangers received Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman; gave up C Jorge Alfaro, OF Nick Williams, P Jake Thompson, P Alec Asher, P Jerad Eickhoff, P Matt Harrison

The Philadelphia Phillies are a much improved ball club since 2015. However, of the prospects they received in the deal with the Rangers, Nick Williams is the only one that appears to have major upside. Alfaro is outstanding defensively, but he’ll likely never be much of an offensive threat. Thompson, Asher and Eickhoff have each earned big league time, though, none have done anything spectacular.

Texas hasn’t had a ton of playoff success since acquiring Hamels and Diekman, but that doesn’t mean they’ve done a poor job. Actually, both have been exactly what the organization had hoped they would be. Hamels has been the ace of staff and Diekman has been a weapon out of the pen from the left side.

Grade: B+

Carlos Beltran trade

2016: Rangers received Carlos Beltran; gave up P Dillon Tate, P Eric Swanson, P Nick Green

The Texas Rangers felt they needed another bat if they wanted to truly contend in 2016. They acquired Beltran, who had been having a tremendous season with the New York Yankees prior to coming over. He did alright with the Rangers; however, the team was swept in an ugly ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays that season.

Dillon Tate was their first round draft pick in 2015. He is already pitching at the Double-A level with the Yankees. He is a dominant pitcher that Texas may very well regret trading a few years down the road.

Grade: C 

Jonathan Lucroy trade

2016: Rangers received Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress; gave up OF Lewis Brinson and P Luis Ortiz

Brinson and Ortiz were two of the top prospects in the Texas Rangers organization. Is a catcher really ever worth that much? Lucroy did very well in the closing months of the 2016 season, but he did not perform well in 2017. Texas traded him away to Colorado a year after acquiring him. His stay was much too short and much too underwhelming for what was given up. Not to mention, Jeffress is no longer with the Rangers either.

Brinson is uber-talented and Ortiz will surely turn out to be a middle of the rotation starter in MLB in the coming years.

Grade: D