Rangers could trade former playoff hero

A former Texas Rangers playoff hero could be on the move ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote Thursday that the Rangers could be open to trading outfielder Adolis Garcia before the July 31 deadline. Garcia still has one year of club control remaining, but his offensive numbers have dropped from their peak and he could make as much as $10.5 million in arbitration next year.

Garcia is hitting just .232 this season with 10 home runs. He plays solid defense, but the Rangers would like more consistent offensive output than that. This would be the second consecutive season Garcia posts an OPS under .700, as he hit a modest .224 with 25 home runs last year.

Garcia exploded onto the national scene with a huge ALCS in 2023 as the Rangers won the World Series. He has not quite reached the same heights since then, though he remains capable of authoring dramatic moments. He turns 33 next March, so the Rangers have to wonder if they have already seen his best.

Texas entered play Thursday with a 43-44 record but has fallen 9.5 games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West. If they cannot turn things around soon, they may have no choice but to sell.