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Rangers Receive Praise From Former MLB Executive for 'Shrewd Last-Minute Acquisition'

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Texas Rangers headed into the MLB trade deadline with some clear-cut goals to accomplish.

One of the hottest teams in baseball throughout July, they went from likely seller to surefire buyers, looking to solidify their roster for the stretch run of the season with eyes toward making another deep playoff run.

Many people speculated that they would be on the lookout for some offensive help, which makes sense given the inconsistency of their lineup throughout the campaign.

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There is also a need at the back end of their bullpen, where they have struggled consistently to close out games this year. Their closer for a majority of the season, Luke Jackson, was recently released and signed by the Detroit Tigers.

The Rangers didn’t end up acquiring any offensive help, but did reinforce their pitching staff with some strong additions.

A dominant closer wasn’t acquired, but Danny Coulombe and Phil Maton will upgrade the group and provide more balance as a lefty and righty, respectively.

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However, the move that caught the attention of Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) the most was that of Merrill Kelly.

The veteran starting pitcher was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks right before the MLB trade deadline buzzer in exchange for three pitching prospects: Drake Kohl, Mitch Bratt and David Hagaman.

That certainly feels like a steep price to pay, with them ranking Nos. 5, 9 and 13 amongst the organization’s prospects, for a rental.

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But Bowden gave a superlative to Texas’s newest hurler, naming him the best starting pitcher that was traded behind Shane Bieber, who was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians by the Toronto Blue Jays.

“Merrill Kelly was the second-best starter traded. Landing Kelly was a shrewd last-minute acquisition by the Rangers,” the former MLB executive wrote.

One of the most consistent pitchers in baseball the last few years, Kelly has a 3.39 ERA since 2022 across 99 starts and 586 innings. He has struck out 554 compared to 187 walks and has excelled at limiting damage with a 1.0 HR/9 ratio.

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His FIP of 3.74 and ERA+ of 124 are both excellent numbers as well, all the while compiling a bWAR of 12.2 during that span.

Kelly showcased that consistent ability to perform in his debut with the Rangers, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing only two earned runs on four hits to go along with six strikeouts and zero walks issued.

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This article first appeared on Texas Rangers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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