Former MLB GM identifies the wrong Rangers trade target but highlights the right trade chips

The Athletic's Jim Bowden came out with a list of five trades he'd like to see before the trade deadline and featured the Texas Rangers landing a commonly suggested target in Luis Arraez. Bowden isn't the first to connect the dots between Arraez and the Rangers, with MLB Network's Jon Morosi and ESPN's Jeff Passan having banged the drum for Arraez to land in Arlington.

The thing is, Arraez is a riskier target than many believe. Contact is a huge part of the three-time batting champ's game, but this year the gap between his actual production and what his underlying metrics say about his performance has never been greater. That doesn't even account for the huge positive outlier that his defensive performance has been under the watchful eye of former Rangers manager Ron Washington out in San Francisco.

What Texas really needs in order to upgrade the offense would be a proven run producer with pop, especially from the right-handed batter's box, and preferably with the ability to play the outfield. One can argue that is still a secondary need, with a right-handed high-leverage reliever and a starting pitcher both being far more pressing.

But what's interesting is the prospects Bowden suggests the Rangers ship out in exchange for Arraez. He posits that shortstop Yolfran Castillo and left-handed starter Dalton Pence could be what's needed to land Arraez.

Rangers prospects Yolfran Castillo and Dalton Pence are ideal trade chips to dangle at the trade deadline

Castillo was named as a top riser by Baseball America earlier in the year, thanks to his offensive development. Down in Hickory, he's hit .285/.394/.409 with four homers and 41 steals. That comes with a career-best .124 ISO and more walks than strikeouts. Power is never going to be a big part of his game, but the speed and on-base developments are encouraging.

With that said, he's still unproven at the higher levels of the minors, and any offensive regression will make it harder to see him as a potential starting-caliber player in the future. More importantly, his biggest asset is his slick fielding skills at shortstop, but with Corey Seager under contract long-term and top prospect Sebastian Walcott playing the same position, the pathway for Castillo is murky.

He seems like a prime sell-high candidate, and the Rangers would be wise to cash in on his hot season to fill a key need.

As for Pence, the southpaw has had a stellar year, starting at Hub City and spending the majority of his season at Frisco. Overall, he's made 15 appearances (14 starts), throwing 75 innings with a .252 ERA, 27.6% strikeout rate, and 8.1% walk rate.

He's the Rangers' No. 12 overall prospect and projects as a back-end starter, which has value. The thing is that Texas added three high-potential hurlers in its first four picks, lessening the blow that trading away Pence would be.

You've got to give something to get something, and while we don't think Arraez is a worthy target, we agree that Castillo and Pence should both be dangled by the Rangers as they search for upgrades. The team has better prospects in both cases, and they're both riding high on career-best years, so capitalizing before these non-blue-chip youngsters can fall off makes a lot of sense.

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