Rangers devastating sweep by last place Angels brings trade deadline plans into full focus

The Texas Rangers left the bases loaded four times on their way to getting swept by a pathetic Angels team this weekend and a 3-6 road trip against three of the worse teams in Major League Baseball and now sit four games below .500 in a wide-open American League West.

There are plenty of shoulders on which to heap the blame; some are new, while others are stale carryovers from the highly unentertaining 2025 iteration of the club.

Even as the division remains up for grabs with no one playing particularly well, it feels like it is time to sell off some of the team's highest-priced players and invest in a fresh future before the trade deadline on August 3.

The problematic issues with the Rangers haven't changed

Through 52 games, the Rangers have been slightly better at scoring runs and hitting with runners in scoring position than last year, but they certainly are a far cry from an offensive juggernaut. At 200, they have scored more runs than only two other teams in the league, and the team's .325 batting average is still in the bottom half of the league.

But we knew that this team wasn't going to hit much before the season started. And before you say, "But the injuries!" Not buying it. It is the same story every year and the same key contributors who aren't available.

Corey Seager hasn't played more than 123 games since the 2022 season while the 24-year-old Wyatt Langford is back on the IL with a nagging injury for the fourth time in less than three years. It is fair to say that he is already an injury-prone player.

Rangers have some new deficiencies in 2026

Along with the lackluster bats and extended IL stints, this year's Rangers have added some new issues that have fans gnashing their teeth.

Last season, the starting rotation was the best in the league, and the only reason the team bought at the deadline and stayed in the hunt as long as they did. Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter were keeping games close. This year, some new problems have cropped up.

Eovaldi and deGrom should be considered perennial Cy Young candidates but thus far, they have both had a mixed bag of results on the hill. Eovaldi has been up-and-down at 5-5 and despite a respectable 3.86 ERA, he's not the dominant hurler he was last year before an injury ended his season.

And deGrom, for all the wizardry that he displayed last season, the two-time Cy Young winner has suddenly become a mortal pitcher with a batting practice fastball that he can't keep in the ballpark. He will also be 38 in June with major injury concerns.

Jack Leiter has regressed from last season's stellar second half and the inconsistencies from his first couple years in the big leagues are materializing again.

If that wasn't enough, throw in a subpar defensive squad that won the team Gold Glove last year and it doesn't paint a pretty picture.

Big-name Rangers that ownership should make available at the deadline

There are two extremely expensive players that owner Ray Davis and President of Baseball Operations Chris Young should be taking offers on immediately.

Corey Seager is in year five of a 10-year $325 million contract, of which he is still owed $155 million. I guess we'll never know if and when he will be available and if he will break out of a career-worst slump that has his average down to .179 with a .638 OPS.

Someone like the deep-pocketed New York Yankees would offer a king's ransom for the all-star shortstop. They've already been rumored to be enamored with the two-time World Series MVP. Make him available and demand Cody Bellinger and their three top prospects in return.

Despite sustaining massive injuries to their starting staff, the Atlanta Braves are thriving and atop the NL East. They would be over the moon to add a guy like deGrom in pursuit of another championship. He is still owed $65 million with a club option for $20 million in 2028. That would be getting off cheap.

Sell high on Josh Jung and get the max return you can get on him as he is on a hot stretch right now and will never be more valuable. Even if you just traded them to free up cap space, it would give the organization the resources to pursue a new direction.

Fans might have to endure more tough seasons as the Rangers adjust course, but it will be easier to take in the long run. Right now, the franchise is in post-championship purgatory that could stretch out several years if they aren't addressed. Bring in some new blood and financial freedom toward a path of building a true contender again.

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