Jeff Passan links Rangers to 2 former division rivals but this one would be a nightmare

ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel listed the Texas Rangers among the "best fits" for outfield trade deadline candidates Taylor Ward and Mickey Moniak. Rangers fans should be happy if president of baseball operations, Chris Young, acquires one of them. However, the other carries much greater risk.

Ward's power numbers are considerably down this year, as the outfielder entered Wednesday with a .335 slugging percentage. For comparison, Ward has a career slugging percentage of .428. He has hit just five homers this year and hit 36 in 2025.

Regardless, Ward, whom the Baltimore Orioles acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in the offseason, is still having a solid year, slashing .251/.379/.351 (115 wRC+) as of Wednesday morning. Given his elite walk rate (16.5%), the Rangers should be interested in the outfielder. His career power numbers suggest he will start collecting more extra-base hits.

While the Rangers should consider adding Ward, they shouldn't be nearly as interested in acquiring Moniak, who has played for the Colorado Rockies over the past two seasons after stints with the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Angels.

Rangers should attempt to trade for Taylor Ward but avoid acquiring Mickey Moniak

First, let's give credit where credit is due. Moniak is having a spectacular season in 58 games entering Wednesday, slashing .282/.335/.600 (137 wRC+) with 15 home runs and 37 RBI. Every team would love to have that type of production in their lineup.

However, diving a bit deeper into Moniak's season reveals there's reason to believe he wouldn't be able to match that production with another team.

At Coors Field, the Rockies' home field park that is famous for being the most hitter-friendly stadium in MLB, Moniak has slashed an outstanding .314/.359/.720 (160 wRC+) with 12 home runs, eight doubles, two triples, and 24 RBI over 33 games entering Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Moniak has been a below-average hitter on the road, hitting just .234/.298/.416 (95 wRC+) with three home runs, three doubles, one triple, and 13 RBI over 25 games. Not to mention, he has a 21.1% strikeout rate at home and an awful 31.0% strikeout rate on the road.

Moniak, a left-handed hitter, is also a liability at the plate against left-handers, hitting .216/.256/.378 (60 wRC+) over 39 plate appearances against southpaws this season as of Wednesday morning. The Rangers don't really need another left-handed bat with drastic splits, as regular starters Joc Pederson and Evan Carter already struggle to hit left-handers.

The Rangers, who rank 25th in runs scored (743) in MLB after Tuesday's slate of games, should seek offensive reinforcements at the trade deadline if they're still in contention. Ward could be a difference-maker, while acquiring Moniak could be a massive mistake.

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