The 10 Most Influential Trades in Texas Rangers History

The Texas Rangers have made an enormous amount of trades during their history.  Some trades have been viewed with skepticism while others made significant improvements to the ballclub.

Here is my list of the 10 most influential trades in Texas Rangers history.  These are the trades that helped the Rangers the most, whether to help them win or to sell off and acquire assets that would lead to future success.

And be sure to check out some of our other top 10 lists!

#1- Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay Traded to Atlanta (2007)

You could say Mark Teixeira helped the Texas Rangers reach two World Series in 2010 and 2011

T.R. Sullivan agrees with this ranking.

On July 31, 2007, the Texas Rangers shocked the baseball world when they traded star first baseman Mark Teixeira along with left-handed reliever Ron Mahay to the Atlanta Braves.  The Rangers received backup catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and prospects Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, and Beau Jones.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia played 193 games over parts of four seasons with the Rangers. Saltalamacchia hit 18 HR, added 82 RBI, and hit .243 during his tenure with the Rangers.

Elvis Andrus was 18 and a top prospect in the Braves organization.  By 2009, at the age of 20, Andrus earned a permanent callup to Texas and played 12 seasons at SS for the Rangers.  In 1,652 games, Andrus had 1,743 hits, including 328 doubles, 50 triples, 79 home runs, 673 RBI’s, 317 SB, a .272 BA, and a .327 OBP.  Prior to the 2021 season, Andrus was part of a trade that landed current Rangers catcher Jonah Heim.

Neftali Feliz was 19 and also a top prospect in the Braves organization.  By 2009, at the age of 21, Feliz earned a permanent callup to Texas and pitched parts of seven seasons for the Rangers.  In 216 games including seven starts, Feliz pitched 261.1 innings, had a 13-10 record, 2.69 ERA, 107 saves, and 366 SO.  Prior to the 2015 trade deadline, Feliz was released by the Rangers and promptly signed by the Detroit Tigers.

Matt Harrison was 21 and a top pitching prospect in the Braves organization.  In 2008, Harrison joined the Rangers starting rotation.  Harrison pitched his entire eight year MLB career for Texas.  In 135 games including 103 starts, Harrison had a 50-35 record, 4.21 ERA, and 408 SO in 668.1 innings.  His best season occurred in 2012 when he was an all-star and had an 18-11 record.  On July 31, 2015, Harrison was part of the trade to Philadelphia for Cole Hamels.  Harrison was injured at the time and never pitched another game in MLB.

Beau Jones was the only player in the trade who never played in the majors.  Jones kicked around the Rangers MILB organization for parts of five seasons before playing in the Miami and Pittsburgh organizations in 2015 and retiring  at the age of 25.

#2- Michael Young acquired from Toronto (2000)

Michael Young’s #10 was retired by the Texas Rangers

Desperate for starting pitching, the Toronto Blue Jays traded struggling reliever Darwin Cubillan and minor league infielder Michael Young to the Texas Rangers for starting pitcher Esteban Loaiza.

After leaving Texas, Loaiza pitched for five different organizations.  For his career, Loaiza pitched 14 seasons of MLB, and compiled a 126-114 record.  Loaiza returned from baseball in 2008, eight years after his trade from Texas.

Michael Young was a September callup after his trade to Texas and played two games in 2000.  In 2001, at the age of 24, Young cracked the Rangers lineup full-time.  Young played 1,823 games over 13 seasons for the Rangers.  Young had 2,230 hits, including 415 doubles, 55 triples, 177 home runs, 984 RBI’s, 89 SB, a .301 BA, .347 OBP, and scored 1,085 runs for Texas.  Young was also a seven-time all star and holds several Rangers records.  Since 2014, Young has been a special assistant to then general manager Jon Daniels.  In 2016, Young was enshrined into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.  In 2019, Young’s #10 jersey was retired by the Rangers.

Following the trade, Cubillan pitched in 13 games out of the Rangers bullpen.  On May 8, 2001, Cubillan was traded to the Montreal Expos.

#3- Josh Hamilton acquired from Cincinnati (2007)

On December 7, 2007, the Texas Rangers traded 23-year-old starting pitcher Edinson Volquez and relief pitcher Danny Herrera to the Cincinnati Reds for troubled 27-year-old outfielder Josh Hamilton.  Hamilton had just finished a 90 game rookie season in MLB and Volquez had only started 17 games over three seasons for the Rangers.

The following season, Volquez went 17-6 and represented Cincinnati in the all-star game.  Over the next three seasons, Herrera compiled 113 relief appearances for the Reds.

Josh Hamilton became a five-time all-star for the Rangers.  In his first season, Hamilton hit 32 home runs and led the AL with 130 RBI’s.  In 2010, Hamilton led the AL with a .359 BA.  In his final season in Texas, Hamilton belted 43 HR and added 128 RBI’s.  On October 29, 2012, Josh Hamilton was granted free agency.  On April 27, 2015, the Los Angeles Angels traded Hamilton back to Texas.  In 2015, Hamilton would play his final 50 MLB games for the Rangers.  In six seasons with the Rangers, Hamilton hit 150 home runs, added 531 RBI’s, and hit for a .302 batting average.

#4- Rafael Palmeiro acquired from Chicago Cubs (1988)

On December 5, 1988, the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs pulled off a blockbuster trade that involved nine players.  Texas traded starting pitcher Paul Kilgus, infielder Curtis Wilkerson, reliever Mitch Williams, rookie pitcher Steve Wilson, and two minor leaguers for all-star outfielder Rafael Palmiero, reliever Drew Hall, and starting pitcher Jamie Moyer.

In 1989, Mitch Williams was an all-star relief pitcher for the Cubs and enjoyed eight additional years in MLB.  Wilkerson played five more seasons for three different organizations.  Kilgus pitched three seasons for three teams before retiring.  Wilson split the next five seasons pitching for the Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers before retiring.

The Rangers promptly moved Palmeiro to 1B, a position he held with the Rangers for five seasons.  In 1990, Palmeiro led the AL with 191 hits.  In 1991, Palmeiro represented Texas at the all-star game when he led the AL with 49 doubles.  In 1993, Palmeiro hit 37 HR, added 105 RBI’s, and led the AL with 124 runs scored.

After the 1993 season, Palmeiro signed with Baltimore as a free agent.  Palmeiro would return to the Rangers as a free agent in 1999 and play five more seasons with Texas.  Palmeiro returned to Baltimore for the 2004 and 2005 seasons before retiring at the age of 40.

Drew Hall and Jamie Moyer had brief careers on the Rangers pitching staff.  Hall retired after the 1990 season, after a brief stint in Montreal.  After being released by Texas after the 1990 season, Moyer pitched 20 additional seasons in MLB.  Moyer ended up winning 269 games over a 25 year MLB career.

#5- Nelson Cruz acquired from Milwaukee (2006)

Nelson Cruz was traded to Texas as part of a significant trade with Milwaukee.  The Rangers traded former all-star reliever Francisco Cordero, outfielder Kevin Mench, outfielder Laynce Nix, and a minor leaguer to the Brewers for impending free agent outfielder Carlos Lee and promising rookie outfielder Cruz.

Cordero enjoy six more seasons as a relief pitcher before retiring at age 37.  Mench played four more seasons for three organizations before retiring at age 30.  Nix played seven more seasons for four organizations before retiring at age 32.

Cruz became a two-time all-star with Texas.  In eight seasons, Cruz hit 157 HR and added 489 RBI’s for the Rangers.  On October 31, 2013, Cruz was granted free agency.

In 2021, Cruz finished his 17th season in MLB.  He has played for four more organizations and is a seven-time all-star.  In 1,882 career games, Cruz has hit 449 HR and added 1,238 RBI’s.

#6- Toby Harrah traded to Cleveland (1978)

Toby Harrah played 11 seasons in the Washington/Texas organization.  Harrah hit 124 HR, knocked in 568 runs, and added 153 SB during his Rangers career.

On December 8, 1978, Harrah was traded to Cleveland for former all-star third baseman Buddy Bell.  Bell was three years younger than Harrah and Bell had the potential to be a star for the Rangers.

Harrah played five seasons in Cleveland and one for the New York Yankees before returning to Texas at age 36 in a trade that included rookie outfielder Billy Sample.

Bell became a perennial all-star for the Rangers.  In parts of seven seasons with Texas, Bell represented Texas in the all-star game on four occasions.  In his first season in Texas, Bell led the AL in at bats.  In 958 games with the Rangers, Bell hit 87 HR and added 499 RBI’s, with a .293 BA.

#7- Buddy Bell Traded to Cincinnati  (1985)

After playing All-Star caliber 3B for Texas, the Rangers shipped Buddy Bell and minor league outfielder Duane Walker to Cincinnati for starting pitcher Jeff Russell.  Russell had just led the NL with 18 losses but, the Rangers thought Russell could help in either a starting or relief role.

Bell played four seasons in Cincinnati and one in Houston before returning to Texas as a 37-year-old free agent in 1989.

In 1985, Jeff Russell started 13 uneventful games for the Rangers.  The next season, Russell was moved to the Rangers bullpen where he became an all-star.  Russell pitched six of the next seven seasons out of the Rangers bullpen.  As an all-star in 1989, Russell led the AL with 66 games finished and 38 saves.  He also had a minuscule 1.98 ERA.

In 1992, Russell was traded with Ruben Sierra and Bobby Witt in one of the worst trades in Rangers history.  The Rangers received Jose Canseco, a players who appeared well past his prime by the age of 27.

Russell returned to the Rangers as a free agent in 1995 and pitched two more years out of the Texas bullpen before retiring at the age of 34.

#8- Fergie Jenkins Acquired from Chicago Cubs (1973)

Fergie Jenkins was traded to the Texas Rangers in 1973 as one of the greatest pitching trades in Rangers history.  Jenkins had appeared in three all-star games for the Chicago Cubs and won the NL Cy Young Award in 1971.

Texas traded utility player Vic Harris and rookie third baseman Bill Madlock to the Cubs for a 31-year-old Jenkins.  Jenkins promptly led the AL with 25 wins in 1974 and followed that up with 17 wins in 1975.

After the 1975 season, Texas traded Jenkins to Boston for rookie pitcher Steve Barr and future starting OF Juan Beniquez.

After the 1977 season, Boston traded Jenkins back to Texas.  Jenkins pitched four more seasons in Texas then, signed a free agent contract with the Cubs in 1981, pitched two more seasons in Chicago then retired from baseball at the age of 40.

#10- David Murphy Acquired from Boston (2007)

David Murphy was one of my favorite Texas Rangers players.  He didn’t do anything special, he was just a really solid baseball player.

On July 31,  2007, relief pitcher Eric Gagne and cash were traded to Boston for 25-year old outfielder David Murphy, 25-year old starting pitcher Kason Gabbard, and a minor leaguer.

Gagne was the centerpiece of the trade.  He was a former three-time all-star reliever for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The Red Sox were hoping that Gagne could replicate what he did with LA.  Gagne pitched poorly in 20 relief appearances for Boston.  At the end of the season, Gagne was granted free agency then signed and pitched one more season in Milwaukee before leaving MLB for good after the 2008 season.

Gabbard started 20 games for the Rangers before his career was disabled and he retired from MLB at age 26.

David Murphy played parts of seven seasons with Texas.  In 826 games, Murphy collected 733 hits, 159 doubles, 85 HR, 362 RBI’s, 52 SB, hit for a .275 AVG, and a .337 OBP.

On October 31, 2013, Murphy was granted free agency.  He signed a free agent deal with Cleveland, played parts of two seasons in Cleveland and one partial season for the Los Angeles Angels before playing his last MLB game at age 33.