Grading Rangers insider's 5 potential team trade targets if the club operates as buyers

When it comes to what the Texas Rangers do at the 2026 trade deadline, it's becoming more and more likely that they emerge as buyers in an attempt to contend in both the division and wild card races. However, just because a team is a buyer rather than a seller doesn't mean that they're pushing their chips into the center of the table.

We've heard varying viewpoints from the national insiders about what the Rangers should do. Jim Bowden has made the case for Texas to be uncommonly aggressive, while Ken Rosenthal has urged Chris Young to show some restraint. These pundits have a great sense of the landscape of the league as a whole, but they don't always have the pulse of what the thinking is inside a particular organization.

For that, we can turn to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, whose "Rangers Stock Report" column last Friday featured a whole host of trade candidates for Young to consider. While the players listed are targets that Grant believes the Rangers should be eyeing, his opinion is informed by what he's learned from people inside the organization.

Grant breaks down the Rangers' needs -- a right-handed-hitting outfielder, a right-handed high-leverage arm, a lefty reliever, a player in a category all his own, and a potential reunion from Texas's past. In some cases, Grant gives some alternate options in addition to the primary, but for the sake of this exercise, we're just going to focus on the top target he lists.

Grading Evan Grant's list of potential Rangers trade deadline targets

Right-handed-hitting outfielder - Harrison Bader

One thing that becomes immediately clear when looking at Grant's list is that the Rangers aren't going to be shopping at the top of the market despite buying at the deadline. The cold-hard truth is they can't afford to chase stars given the state of the farm system that was just downgraded from No. 24 to No. 27 by Baseball America.

So, when it comes to a righty outfield bat, don't think Byron Buxton, but instead set your sights lower. Much lower. In Grant's opinion, that means looking at San Francisco Giants outfielder Harrison Bader. The idea of Bader is better than the actual product. On paper, he's an above-average defensive center fielder with speed on the bases and some pop in his bat. In practice, he's an aging player who isn't as dynamic as he once was, is injury-prone, and is a below-average offensive player.

The 32-year-old put together a career year last season, batting .277/.347/.449 with 17 dingers, but the underlying metrics painted a different story. Bader posted a .220 xBA, a .374 xSLG, and a .297 xwOBA, while nearly every offensive indicator, such as his 12th percentile 87.2 miles per hour average exit velocity, ranked in the bottom quartile among big league hitters.

This year, he's battled a hamstring issue and is currently on the IL with plantar fasciitis. Those maladies have limited him to 30 games and a .170/.198/.358 line. If acquired, the Rangers would be on the hook for the remainder of his $7.5 million salary this year and a $13 million price tag for 2027.

Grade: D

Right-handed leverage reliever - Garrett Whitlock

The need to add in the bullpen was clear even before Jakob Junis went on the IL, but now, it's even more pressing that Texas finds another arm that can handle high-leverage situations. Enter Boston Red Sox setup man, Garrett Whitlock.

The 30-year-old is in the midst of another stellar season, posting a 2.40 ERA and 2.75 FIP over 31 appearances and 30 innings. Most importantly, he would add another dimension to the bullpen. Rangers' relievers rank 25th in baseball in strikeout rate, coming in at 20.2%. Whitlock solves that issue and provides a different look, owning a 29.1% K-rate that's backed up with a minuscule 5.1% walk rate. A high-strikeout arm with experience pitching in pressure-packed situations that also doesn't walk anyone? Yes, please!

The only "downside" to Whitlock is that he'll be expensive both in terms of prospects and dollars. His contract expires at the end of this season, but carries club options of $8.25 million for 2027 and $10.5 million for 2028. That's not egregious, but it's about market value. Texas could effectively use him as a rental or trade for him and keep him in the fold for two more years.

Grade: A-

He belongs in his own category - Luis Arraez

Here's one where the national writers and Grant agree. It seems that everyone thinks the Rangers should target San Francisco Giants' second baseman, Luis Arraez. We've seen Jeff Passan suggest him as a solution for Texas, and MLB Network's Jon Morosi has also named Arlington as a prime landing spot for the three-time batting champ.

Arraez is one of the most unique hitters in the game as he's virtually devoid of power, but never strikes out or walks, while dunking singles all over the field. He's been an atrocious defender in the past, but with former Rangers skipper Ron Washington working with the Giants infield, he's been a plus defender at second base this season.

The thing is, the discrepancy between Arraez's actual numbers, .324/.360/.457, and what the underlying metrics say has never been wider. There's also the fact that the Rangers have, though not to the extent that Arraez is at his best, guys who put the ball in play. What they really need, especially with Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford sidelined, is a bona fide run producer.

Finally, second base hasn't been much of an issue for the Rangers. They have Nicky Lopez, Justin Foscue, Ezequiel Duran, and now also Cameron Cauley, who can log time there. Arraez has his merits, but the fit is questionable.

Grade: C-

Left-handed reliever - Daniel Lynch IV

The Rangers don't necessarily lack lefties in the pen, but there's still reason to pursue another southpaw. Jacob Latz can't be a matchup guy if he's handling the ninth (and often the eighth) inning. Tyler Alexander has been great, but part of his value has been his versatility.

Robby Ahlstrom has been up and down. Jalen Beeks is done for the year and wasn't always reliable when healthy. Robert Garcia is still a long way from making his way back to action. So, Grant is right, adding another lefty is important.

His selection of Daniel Lynch IV is a good one, too. The Kansas City Royals left-hander has posted a 2.41 ERA and 3.23 FIP over 37 1/3 innings. He's death on lefties, allowing just a .138/.200/.185 line against them, and he's also very effective against righties, giving up a .211/.296/.380 mark, meaning he's more than just a lefty specialist. He isn't great in high-leverage situations, but as a matchup guy in the middle innings, he looks pretty nice. Coming with team control through 2028 is a nifty bonus, too.

Grade: B+

Rangers reunion candidate - Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Grant caveats the idea of reuniting with Isiah Kiner-Falefa by saying he should be considered if the Rangers believe that Seager's back will make him unreliable for the rest of the season. That's an understandable sentiment, but are we really at that point?

IKF has done a nice job for the Boston Red Sox this year, slashing .277/.344/.361, which is good for what would be a career-high 97 wRC+. The problem here is, who is he an upgrade over exactly? The most similar comp is Nicky Lopez, who has been incredible for Texas. Ezequiel Duran would be above IKF in the pecking order, too. Justin Foscue holds a different role as the lefty-masher. And, as it stands now, Josh Smith is the one likely getting sent down to Round Rock when (if?) Seager comes off the IL. Finally, there's Cameron Cauley, but he's also the only right-handed hitter with serious outfield chops on the roster.

Standing where we are today, it's hard to see where you could place IKF on the Rangers' roster without an injury first changing that calculus. Grant notes that the Red Sox might be willing to virtually give Kiner-Falefa away to get out of his salary, but if that's the case, they might simply DFA him if they can't work out a deadline deal for him. It doesn't make a ton of sense to trade for an asset when that asset might become freely available a couple of weeks later.

Grade: C+

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