Rangers get lower grade than expected on deadline deals

The Rangers were busy adding to an already stout pitching staff as the Trade Deadline came to a close on July 31. But the additions were not enough to earn anything better than middling grades from several major media outlets.

Adding frontline starter Merrill Kelly in exchange for some minor leaguers, including promising young pitcher Kohl Drake, was a coup for POBO Chris Young, but it was likely their inability to fill other sizable holes in the lineup that lowered their overall marks to "B-" on ESPN.com and "B" on CBSSports.com.

The Rangers bolstered a staff that is already the best in baseball

The positive news is that the Rangers now have a pitching staff that appears ready for a serious run at the playoffs.

Getting Kelly from the Arizona Diamondbacks, along with his 9-6 record, 3.22 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 121 Ks in 128.2 innings, is the highlight, and he will fit right in alongside Cy Young candidates like Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi

The organization also added to an overachieving relief group with right-hander Phil Maton from the in-state rival Houston Astros and lefty Danny Coulombe from the Minnesota Twins. Manager Bruce Bochy will have many more options in the mid-late innings moving forward

The Rangers still have a glaring hole in their lineup

The obvious reason why the Rangers received average marks is because they failed to address the hole in their lineup at 1B and DH.

There's no getting around it: Joc Pederson has been an unmitigated disaster in the middle of the Ranger lineup as both a first baseman and DH. After returning from an extended IL stay with a broken hand, he has done more of what he did before he got hurt, which is not getting hits and striking out.

Adding Rowdy Tellez several weeks ago was not the answer, and many were hoping that the Rangers would address that hole in the lineup via a deadline deal, but they didn't.

The team has gotten back into the playoff discussion by being much better offensively, but not getting in on either Josh Naylor or Eugenio Suarez and watching them go to Seattle, the team they are battling for a wild card spot, was disappointing.