Trio of Rangers roster moves will have fans running the gamut of emotions

The Texas Rangers have gotten back to .500 and wound up in first place in the American League West. As far as proving themselves to be contenders, the Rangers haven't been in a better position than now all season.

But that doesn't mean that Chris Young is resting on his laurels. Texas's lead executive has been busy today, making three roster moves that will have fans feeling high and feeling low all at the same time. Here's how things have shaken out.

The Rangers plug their rotation hole in the most uninspiring manner possible by signing Chris Paddack

Jack Leiter's ankle injury and subsequent surgery has opened a serious hole in the Rangers' rotation. The team has tried to plug it with openers and the callups of top prospects like Jose Corniell and Winston Santos, and though Santos has yet to pitch in the bigs, the experiment feels like a house of cards.

Rather than hit the trade market and try to find an affordable option with some upside, Young has come up with another solution -- signing Texas native Chris Paddack to a major league contract.

Texas will be the third team the right-hander will suit up for this season. He's posted a 6.96 ERA over 13 appearances (nine starts) and 53 innings between the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds. Last season, Paddack posted a 5.35 mark between stints with the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers. For his career, he owns a 4.84 mark.

If that doesn't get your motor running, we can't say that we blame you. The point of signing Paddack isn't to find a rest-of-the-season solution to the rotation, but rather to provide a bridge to Jordan Montgomery's return. If all Paddack does is eat innings and take a beating until Montgomery is ready, he'll at least have saved the bullpen from being overly taxed.

Remember the 40-man roster spot opened by the release of Blaine Crim? Well, the answer to the question of what the club would use it for now has an answer: Chris Paddack.

Rangers top prospect Cameron Cauley gets called up, set to make his big league debut

Just as we wondered aloud what it would take for Texas's No. 13 prospect Cameron Cauley to get called up, we get news that the Rangers have reached down to bring Cauley up for his major league debut.

Cauley is a dynamic athlete who can play shortstop, second base, and center field. He had been on a tear recently down in Round Rock and owns a .262/.363/.407 line with eight homers and 29 steals on the season. That versatility makes his role on this team an intriguing mystery. What is certain is that fans will love to see his speed on display. He'll be batting seventh and playing second base tonight against the Cleveland Guardians.

Rangers DFA'ing Joe Ross was necessary and brings a sigh of relief

Signing Paddack meant another move was required to call up Cauley, who was not on the 40-man roster. In order to bring the youngster up, another domino needed to fall.

What needed to be done wasn't surprising, but it was frustrating to have to suffer through the experience up to this point. The Rangers are clearing the roster spot for Cauley by DFA'ing Joe Ross.

Ross has never been much more than an uninspiring swing man, and while he didn't pitch much for the Rangers, when he was on the bump, every fan knew what was about to happen.

The 33-year-old posted a career-worst 9.26 ERA with Texas, over just eight appearances and 11 2/3 innings. His eight homers allowed in such a short period of time were a particularly horrifying development. In short, if he was called upon, you could be sure the opposition was about to pour it on.

Now he'll be seeking employment elsewhere. We wish him the best but we're not upset to see him go.

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