Rangers Improving Upon Team's Strength Earns Great MLB Trade Deadline Grade

Heading into the 2025 MLB trade deadline, the expectation was that the Texas Rangers would be looking to add some bats to their lineup.

Their offense has been woefully underwhelming throughout the season, which was a major reason the team was in the tough position it was before catching fire in July.

Upgrading the lineup made a lot of sense, given how well the pitching staff has been performing thus far and keeping the team afloat.

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Alas, that wasn’t the direction the Rangers opted to go in ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Instead of making offensive upgrades, the team decided to fortify things on the mound, upgrading both the starting rotation and bullpen.

Relief pitchers were definitely near the top of the team’s wish list, so it isn’t too surprising they added some arms there.

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Despite not adding a bat, Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) was impressed by how Chris Young operated, giving Texas a “B+” grade for their work ahead of the deadline.

“The Rangers managed to improve one of the best pitching staffs in baseball — they lead the majors in team ERA — in both key areas…They also could have used another right-handed hitter for the bench. But all in all, they had a solid deadline,” the former MLB executive wrote.

For the starting rotation, Texas acquired Merrill Kelly from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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An incredibly consistent performer over the last few years, he will slot in perfectly behind Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom with Tyler Mahle sidelined.

Bruce Bochy has to feel a lot better about how things could line up in a playoff series, having Kelly in the mix and not having to rely solely on rookies Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter, who have had their ups and downs.

In the bullpen, the Rangers found some needed balance with LHP Danny Coulombe and RHP Phil Maton.

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

Not quite the late-inning, higher-leverage arms the team was seeking, but both players are excellent in their roles and will elevate this already productive group.

Ultimately, the price for the top-end relievers who were on the move, such as Mason Miller, Jhoan Duran and David Bednar, who are all under team control beyond 2025, was too rich for Texas to match.

Some fans will be disappointed the team didn’t add a right-handed bat, but there weren’t many hitters on the move, with the focus around the league being on pitching.

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