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Rangers tied to a couple of veteran power hitters in latest trade rumors

If Chris Young wants to buy before the deadline, keep an eye on these two sluggers.
ByJeff Speicher|
Arizona Diamondbacks v Toronto Blue Jays
Arizona Diamondbacks v Toronto Blue Jays | Mark Blinch/GettyImages

The Texas Rangers are making things tough on President of Baseball Operations Chris Young, as their inconsistent play lately makes it difficult to determine whether the club will be buying or selling as we hit the midway point of the season.

With a 38-41 record and having dropped two games in a row to last-place teams, it is unclear which direction the organization will take. However, if they do make a move, two sluggers have been linked to the Rangers as of late.

Josh Naylor and Marcell Ozuna have been mentioned as potential targets for the Rangers

Mark Feinsand with MLB.com believes that the Rangers are one of the best fits for Arizona Diamondbacks' first baseman Josh Naylor and the Atlanta Braves' DH Marcell Ozuna.

Ozuna, a powerful right-handed hitter, has been linked to the Rangers for quite a while now but Naylor is a new name that could be an intriguing option.

Naylor, who is hitting for average and power, finds himself on the 40-38 Diamondbacks, eight games back of the Dodgers in the NL West and three games out of the NL's final wild card spot.

Both sluggers are having similar seasons that could help the Rangers moving forward

In 2025, Naylor is hitting .303 with nine home runs and 51 RBIs. He is slugging at an impressive .467 with an OPS of .825, which would be a massive upgrade over Jake Burger, who is currently on the 10-day IL with a strained oblique.

Marcell Ozuna is also an option the Rangers are looking at to inject some more pop into the streaky offense, hitting .251 with 11 long balls and 40 RBIs with an .794 OPS.

At 28 years old, Naylor is the younger of the two and is currently on a one-year, $10.9 million deal with Arizona. Ozuna, 34, is in the final year of a four-year, $65 million deal with Atlanta.

Both players are stout, weighing well over 200 pounds, but Naylor is the more agile of the two having stolen 10 bases this year and the better hands at first base.

The final two games of the current road trip in Baltimore and then the four-game set back at Globe Life Park against the rival Seattle Mariners will be key to determine if Young and the Rangers will be inquiring about Naylor and/or Ozuna.