Texas Rangers: Top 5 Major League Trade Chips in 2022

It’s no secret that the Texas Rangers are willing to wheel and deal to land players. We’ve seen them go for it in years where perhaps they should’ve held back and, in recent years, send veteran players packing for prospect returns.

But while we commonly associate trades involving the swapping of minor league players, let’s not forget that the Rangers have assets at the big league level who could provide a return in the right deal.

With Texas having been so active prior to the lockout, combined with their propensity for making trades, it wouldn’t surprise me to see one go down before the 2022 season commences.

Here are five Texas Rangers players who have the most trade value at the moment.

Top five Texas Rangers trade chips in 2022

5. Glenn Otto

Otto was one of the prospects the Rangers got in the Joey Gallo trade with the Yankees last summer, and he came up firing in his MLB debut against the Astros.

Unfortunately, that euphoria was short-lived, as he would finish the season with a 9.26 ERA in six big league starts.

But while that 9.26 ERA looks hideous on the surface, lying beneath it was a much more respectable 3.17 FIP. So, there was a lot of bad luck going against Otto in 2021.

Otto’s stuff looked downright nasty at times, and if he can harness that stuff on a more consistent basis, he has the looks of a really solid big league pitcher. That alone should get him on other teams’ radars in trade talks.

Top five Texas Rangers trade chips in 2022

4. A.J. Alexy

Acquired in the Yu Darvish trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2017, A.J. Alexy made his Texas Rangers debut in 2021.

That debut, along with Willie Calhoun’s veteran status, meant that the Rangers were able to turn Darvish, a rental for the Dodgers, into two MLB players out of three acquired in the deal. Not bad at all!

Alexy fared much better than Glenn Otto did in 2021, with a 4.70 ERA in five games (four started), although his WHIP of 1.30 was high and his FIP of 6.30 certainly doesn’t provide much optimism.

Despite those numbers, though, Alexy has a ton of promise. He’s been ranked as a top 30 Rangers prospect for a few seasons and has the stuff to be successful as a starter. But with Jack Leiter, Cole Winn and others on the way, along with other depth at the big league level, Alexy finds himself potentially expendable.

Top five Texas Rangers trade chips in 2022

2. Adolis Garcia

It was a season to remember for Adolis “El Bombi” Garcia in 2021.

A true diamond in the rough, Garcia put up a Rookie of the Year-caliber campaign last season with 31 home runs and a .740 OPS. And that’s without mentioning his elite outfield defense.

Garcia was a spark plug and a bright spot on an otherwise forgettable 2021 Texas Rangers team. But what he accomplished in 2021 probably isn’t sustainable, especially if you look at his high whiff rate compared with his low walk rate.

The power in his game, along with his defense, both seem legitimate. But will he be able to overcome strikeout tendencies at the plate long term? The odds aren’t great.

At 28, though, Garcia is theoretically in his prime. That alone could make him a valuable trade chip. Another team could find the error in his ways in terms of plate approach and really nab themselves a good player.

The major drawback of trading El Bombi, of course, would be that the Rangers need outfield help badly. By trading away Garcia, an already weak group would become… even weaker.

Luckily, there are some pretty sweet free agent alternatives this off-season…

Top five Texas Rangers trade chips in 2022

1. Isiah Kiner-Falefa

It’s not because we want him to be traded, it’s just a matter of fact. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the best big league asset the Texas Rangers have not named Corey Seager or Marcus Semien.

That’s a compliment in every way, because IKF is homegrown and has turned into an elite defender in addition to being a steady hitter. Most of all, he’s become versatile, and that right there is the pudding.

Kiner-Falefa’s versatility would be easily coveted by any team, particularly as versatile players are becoming integral in today’s game. Stick him at shortstop, third base, outfield or even second base. Heck, he’ll even be your emergency catcher! Wherever you put him, he’s likely to succeed.

On the Rangers, IKF is a swiss army knife, seeing as he has no regular path to playing time other than third base until Josh Jung is ready to go. And that carries immense value by itself in the case of inevitable injury.

But if the right deal is offered by another team (and it would have to be good given what that team would be acquiring), there’s no question Kiner-Falefa would make for an appealing trade chip.