Rumors: Texas Rangers likely to deal Mike Minor before trade deadline

The Texas Rangers are reportedly “increasingly likely” to move left-handed pitcher Mike Minor prior to the 2019 MLB Trade Deadline.

As the Texas Rangers continue to slide in the AL Wild Card race, the sense that Texas would opt to sell a bit at the trade deadline seemed more and more likely. That sense was reinforced Wednesday morning when Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweeted out that “Mike Minor is increasingly likely to be trade” prior to the July 31st deadline.

Morosi notes that the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies are among the teams with some definite interest among others. This comes just 2 days after Jeff Passan of ESPN noted in his piece on deadline rumors that “at the top of multiple teams’ trade-target wish lists” referencing multiple team executives.

The Rangers have tried to hold their cards close to their chest when asked about their deadline plans. They’ve hung around the AL Wild Card race the entire season much to the surprise of the fan base but are struggling of late. Despite still holding a record 5 games over the .500 mark, they’ve now slipped 4 games back of Oakland for that 2nd spot and the holes in the roster are growing more evident.

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For a club that had a competive timeline coinciding with their move to a new ballpark in 2020 and beyond, the decision to offload a controllable starter like Minor isn’t a small one. Still, Texas features one of the bottom farm systems in the Majors and could use some serious work at the top levels of their organization.

Minor, who is in the midst of a career year and earned an All-Star nod is sure to command a large return package in any potential deal. Minor’s 2.73 ERA through 19 starts is one of the best marks in the bigs and his 5.9 WAR according to Baseball Reference leads MLB pitchers. The advanced stats on Minor, such as a 3.82 FIP, show that perhaps he hasn’t been as dominant as his ERA shows, but his 1.164 WHIP is still elite. Additionally, Minor is under contract through next season for under $10 million which adds a new level of value to potential buyer.

The Rangers aren’t going to be forced to sell Minor this summer because of his extra year of control, but for one of the hottest arms on the market, a potential bidding war among contenders could drive the price to a point where Texas can’t say no. If the Rangers can add a couple of Top 100 prospects, don’t be surprised to see Minor on his way out.