The Rangers made their first transfer of the summer time earlier this night by dealing a pair of prospects to the Tigers in change for catcher Carson Kelly, who figures to interchange Andrew Knizner within the membership’s catching tandem alongside 2023 All-Star Jonah Heim. The transfer confirms that the reigning World Sequence champs received’t be full-blown sellers regardless of a lackluster 51-55 file that leaves them 4.5 video games again of the Astros and Mariners within the AL West, however that doesn’t imply the membership essentially plans to purchase completely within the coming days, both.
As famous by Joel Sherman of the New York Submit in a report this night, the Rangers are making right-hander Michael Lorenzen out there on the commerce market. The information comes after The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal instructed that Lorenzen (in addition to right-hander Jon Grey) may very well be made out there previous to the deadline earlier this week. The 32-year-old Lorenzen has pitched solidly as a back-of-the-rotation choice for Texas this 12 months with a 3.87 ERA in 18 begins, although the veteran’s 5.26 FIP and 11.9% stroll charge may very well be worrisome to potential consumers.
In a sellers’ market starved for pitching choices, it’s straightforward to think about how a pitcher like Lorenzen who has loads of expertise each as a starter and as a reliever may very well be a gorgeous commerce goal even regardless of worrisome peripheral numbers. In the meantime, dealing Lorenzen would enable the Rangers to recoup some long-term worth for a pending free agent who may very well be pressured out of his present function on the staff by the upcoming returns of Tyler Mahle, Jacob deGrom, and Cody Bradford from damage.
That doesn’t imply that Lorenzen is a lock to be moved, nevertheless, as Jeff Wilson of Rangers At the moment writes that the Rangers might choose to take the right-hander off the market within the aftermath of Grey exiting his begin right now with out throwing a pitch on account of a groin damage. As famous by Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning Information, Grey is about to bear imaging to find out the severity of the problem. With none of Mahle, Bradford, nor deGrom more likely to be able to step into the membership’s rotation simply but, a big absence for Grey might complicate the membership’s plans to deal Lorenzen by leaving them with solely Nathan Eovaldi, Max Scherzer, and Andrew Heaney as lively members of the beginning rotation.
Wilson goes on to recommend, nevertheless, the Lorenzen isn’t the one identify the membership might contemplate purchasing within the coming days. Wilson experiences that first baseman Nathaniel Lowe’s “identify has surfaced” as a possible commerce chip for the Rangers this summer time amid a superb July that has boosted his total season slash line to .266/.361/.390 (114 wRC+). Whereas Lowe might actually be a probably priceless addition for sure groups, two of the obvious suitors for a primary baseman this deadline are the Rangers’ personal division rivals in Houston and Seattle. Even in an age the place intradivisional buying and selling has change into extra frequent, its onerous to think about the Rangers serving to both the Astros or Mariners enhance within the quick phrases as they give the impression of being to chase them down for the AL West title this 12 months. Nonetheless, it’s attainable the Rangers are capable of finding a suitor for Lowe’s providers elsewhere, equivalent to in Pittsburgh the place the Pirates might look to improve over Rowdy Tellez at first base.
The lack of Lowe from the lineup would additional weaken a beleaguered Rangers offense, however Wilson goes on to recommend that dealing Lowe might open up a spot within the membership’s lineup for Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz. Diaz is presently on the restricted listing on account of an undisclosed private matter, however the Rangers have been related to him earlier this week. Diaz has slashed simply .272/.327/.400 (111 wRC+) this 12 months following a sluggish begin to the season however is only one 12 months faraway from a sixth-place end in AL MVP voting with the Rays final season.
The 32-year-old is controllable by way of the 2026 season similar to Lowe is, and it’s theoretically attainable that the Rangers might look to improve first base whereas retaining the identical quantity of staff management ought to they handle to land Diaz whereas transport Lowe elsewhere. Alternatively, it’s actually possible that the membership might retain each gamers and make the most of one as their major DH for the rest of the 2024 marketing campaign earlier than seeking to commerce one this winter ought to the membership determine to commit totally to purchasing this summer time. Such a transfer would supply an plain increase to the Texas offense, which has gotten an MLB-worst 57 wRC+ from the DH spot within the lineup this 12 months.
