Breaking Down Excellent Grade Rangers Received for Merrill Kelly Trade

As the trade deadline has come and gone, the Texas Rangers were a fairly active team.

Thanks to a hot stretch of late, the Rangers are now squarely in the playoff hunt with an eye on making the postseason. Last year, the team disappointed, missing out on making the playoffs after winning the World Series the previous campaign.

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While injuries have slowed them down a bit in the first half, they are playing much better now.

Coming into the deadline, the team figured to be seeking some help for their lineup and their bullpen.

Texas has had a lot of issues offensively this season, with some of their big acquisitions from the winter not living up to expectations. This looked to be the area that they were going to address, but they instead pivoted in a different direction.

Their starting rotation didn’t seem to be an area that was going to be addressed, but now they have one of the top trios in the game.

More News: Rangers Add Merrill Kelly To Starting Rotation in Trade With Diamondbacks

Tyler Kepner of The Athletic (subscription required) recently gave the Rangers an excellent grade of an ‘A’ for their acquisition of Merrill Kelly from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“Two years ago, Kelly dealt the Rangers their only World Series loss by spinning a gem in Arlington in Game 2. They learned then that a team with Kelly as its No. 2 starter can go far, and now they’ll find out for themselves.”

Despite having one of the best rotations in the league led by two stars in Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, Texas elected to build on a strength with the addition of Kelly.

The 36-year-old veteran has had an amazing season with the Diamondbacks, totaling a 9-6 record and 3.22 ERA. As mentioned, the Rangers have seen what Kelly is capable of first-hand in the World Series, and they will be hoping that he can help bring them back there this year.

As expected, the cost for such a talented pitcher wasn’t cheap. Texas gave up three pitching prospects for him, but he can be a difference-maker.

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While Texas certainly improved at the trade deadline, so too did the other contenders in the American League West. The Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros both made significant upgrades to their teams, and this is going to be a fun race down the stretch.

With an amazing trio in the rotation, the Rangers are in a strong position to compete. Overall, despite it being pricy, Texas earned the excellent grade with the strong acquisition.

For more Rangers news, head over to Rangers On SI.