Three Trade Deadline Needs for the Texas Rangers

Bolster the Late-Inning Bullpen

Of the three needs, this one seems the least urgent. Right now, Texas features a late-inning relief crew of Shawn Kelley, Chris Martin, and Jose Leclerc. The latter has really had a disappointing season that saw him get bumped from the closer role but Kelley and Martin have been very solid this year. Kelley, who has assumed the closer role, has been reliable and Chris Martin has been consistent in his opportunities giving you confidence in the 8th and 9th inning options. We could add Jesse Chavez to that mix if the former need gets addressed which really forms your late-inning core.

With that trio of Kelley, Martin, and Chavez, Texas has a reliable late-inning group, however adding one more option never hurts. The Rangers added LHP Jesse Biddle off waivers and it remains to be seen how that works out although his 2.426 WHIP isn’t promising. If Texas could protect their rotation with a solid 4-man relief core, they would have the ability to make a run at the playoffs and potentially during the postseason because of the sheer might of their offense.