Rangers Recent Surge Could Have Them Targeting These Two Positions Ahead of Deadline

It wasn’t too long ago that the Texas Rangers were viewed as a team that would be likely sellers ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

On June 6, they dropped to a season-high six games under the .500 mark, losing to the Washington Nationals 2-0.

Their offense was struggling to kick things into gear, continually wasting what were some incredible performances on the mound.

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Hovering right around the .500 mark, the Rangers were a team trending toward being sellers in part to avoid the same missteps as last year.

Despite not being in a playoff spot, Texas didn’t sell any of their veterans on expiring contracts and acquired veteran reliever Andrew Chafin ahead of the deadline.

With several key contributors on expiring contracts again this year, would Chris Young look to change his strategy?

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Thanks to their recent hot streak, the Rangers look to be a team that will seek upgrades ahead of the MLB trade deadline on July 31.

What positions could they look to improve?

David Schoenfield of ESPN has named two spots: first base and the bullpen.

“The Texas Rangers haven't gone away and could be in that O'Hearn/Naylor mix for a first baseman (and the relief market as well),” he wrote in a recent piece.

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The offense has shown signs of improvement recently, but the team could certainly use a little more thump in the order.

Joc Pederson and Jake Burger, their biggest offseason additions, have both struggled to make the kind of impact the team was hoping for.

There are certainly at-bats available at designated hitter and first base that O’Hearn and Naylor would both present massive upgrades for. Both are impending free agents, but could be costly to acquire given the dearth of impact bats available on the market.

As for bullpen help, Texas will be competing against a slew of other contenders and playoff hopefuls.

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Their decision to allow David Robertson, Kirby Yates, Jose Leclerc and Chafin depart in free agency left some people scratching their heads, especially because they didn’t bring in any relievers with extensive late-game experience.

Luke Jackson has been the closer the most this season, but it is a void Bruce Bochy has tried several players at.

Eight different players have recorded at least one save for the Rangers this season, and five relievers have multiple.

Texas has converted only 27 out of 44 save opportunities this year, making the bullpen a priority ahead of the trade deadline.

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