Texas Rangers Predicted to Land All-Star Closer at MLB Trade Deadline

 The Texas Rangers have hit a tough stretch of late and have seen themselves falling in the standings.

It was not a good ending to the month for the Rangers, who have gone from first place in the American League West at one point all the way down fourth.

With a record right around the .500 mark now, Texas is once again being hurt by injuries, but also a lack of production from their lineup.

Despite having one of the best lineups on paper in the AL, the unit is struggling quite a bit this campaign.

New additions Joc Pederson and Jake Burger haven’t panned out yet, with Burger recently being sent to the minors to reset.

Furthermore, while the lineup was supposed to be a strength of the team, it has instead been a glaring weakness.

Fortunately, the starting rotation and surprisingly the bullpen have been very good this year. However, even though the bullpen has done well, this is a unit that could use some upgrading if Texas is going to be a real contender.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Rangers needing to upgrade their bullpen if they are going to be a true title contender and mentioned St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley as a potential fit.

“Still, it's fair to think that if the Rangers want to not only win the AL West but also have a chance at their second title in three years, they'll need to make a major addition to the bullpen this summer.”

It has been a pleasant surprise that the bullpen has performed as well as they have so far this campaign. Currently, the unit is ranking in the top half of the Majors in bullpen ERA at 3.73 through 31 games.

This is quite impressive considering the talent that they lost in the offseason, with Kirby Yates, David Robertson, and Jose Leclerc all no longer on the team.

However, they have had some of the new additions step in nicely, but the closer spot still feels like a bit of a concern with Luke Jackson in the ninth. Even though he has only blown one save this year, his ERA is quite high at 6.55 with a couple of really bad performances.

Adding a closer the caliber of Helsley would give them a proven lockdown pitcher in the ninth inning.

Even though the unit overall has done well, the season is still young and that could change quickly.

Furthermore, while Texas needs its lineup to snap out of the extended funk, October's success could hinge on the bullpen.