Rangers a Great Fit for Braves Star Slugger Debuting on MLB Trade Deadline Big Board

The Texas Rangers are in a tough spot with just a few weeks until the 2025 MLB trade deadline.

Based on their run differential of +33, they have the look of a team that should be holding a wild card spot in the American League, challenging the Houston Astros for the top spot in the AL West.

Instead, they have a record of 45-48, trailing the Astros by 10 games and sitting 3.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final wild card spot in the AL, with four teams currently between them: the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins.

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It will be interesting to see what direction the front office opts to take the team in ahead of the deadline.

If they are sellers, there are plenty of players on the roster who will drum up interest on the trade market around the league.

Starting pitchers Tyle Mahle and Patrick Corbin and several relievers, including Chris Martin, Hoby Milner and Luke Jackson, should receive calls from contenders around the league as all are on expiring deals.

Right fielder Adolis Garcia could draw interest from teams looking to add a right-handed power hitter to the mix that still provides value defensively.

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If Texas opts to buy, it will be on the lookout for some offensive upgrades.

Designated hitter seems like a logical place to start, given the struggles of Joc Pederson and the fact that he is going to be sidelined because of injury for multiple more weeks.

That is part of the reason why the Rangers have been listed as one of the top fits for Atlanta Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna in the MLB trade deadline Big Board 2.0 shared by The Athletic.

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“Is Atlanta finally ready to call it quits on 2025? Another losing streak and two more pitcher injuries have its playoff odds in single digits. As an impending free agent who slugged 79 homers the last two years, Ozuna makes sense as the first piece to go,” they wrote.

2025 has been a down year overall for the right-handed slugger, who was an All-Star last year when he hit 39 home runs with 31 doubles and 104 RBI. He has seen a significant drop in his power numbers with a .390 slugging percentage compared to .546 last year.

But, that would still represent a sizable upgrade over what Texas has received from the designated hitter spot in their lineup this season.

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The Rangers third to last in home runs, last in hits, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging.

Ozuna hasn’t been as prolific as in years past, but still has a .757 OPS, which is 255 points higher than Texas's designated hitters collectively.

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