One Rangers name is bizarrely still rumored to be trade bait

The Texas Rangers are almost certainly going to be buyers by the deadline. Whether the team looks for offense or pitching, Chris Young will be adding pieces instead of subtracting them. But could Adolis Garcia still somehow be on the move? ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan still think there is a chance.

It doesn't seem totally out of the question to see Garcia get dealt by the deadline. He's in the middle of yet another disappointing offensive season, having fallen off hard from his 2023 breakout season. Slashing just .227/.273/.389/.662 and 14 home runs, he was benched earlier this year in a last-ditch effort to get him to turn it around. While he's been decent, there hasn't been a drastic change in his production.

Would the Texas Rangers really trade away an offensive starter like Adolis Garcia?

The Texas Rangers are right up against the Luxury Tax Limit. They've gone over two years in a row and are in line to get punished hard if they do it a third time. Suppose the team brings in a couple of relievers. In that case, it's not totally out of the realm of possibility that they might find a taker for Garcia to offset some of the payroll that might be coming in.

"Garcia averaged 30 homers in 2021-24, but he has fallen off since his 2023 career year," they wrote. "It's worth noting that per xwOBA, he has been the 13th-most unlucky hitter in the big leagues this year. He also has another year of team control, so some teams could see a buy-low opportunity."

The article has the Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants as possible fits. Of course, there's actually zero chance the Rangers would deal Garcia to the Mariners and ESPN only gives him a 25% chance to get dealt.

That still feels weirdly high. However, if there was a player on the active roster that could get dealt by the Texas Rangers for one reason or another, Adolis Garcia would be the guy.