Will Rangers ‘Buy’ at Trade Deadline?

The Texas Rangers entered Sunday just four games out of the final AL Wild Card berth

The Texas Rangers entered Sunday’s game with the New York Mets four games out of the final Wild Card spot in the American League. With the trade deadline about a month away, are the Rangers thinking about buying or selling?

One ESPN reporter tweeted Saturday that the Rangers are in "buy" mode heading into the deadline.

The Rangers have some payroll flexibility moving forward, so they are looking to buy before the trade deadline -- and improve for next season, as well as '22. More inclined to focus on non-rentals. Texas is four games behind in the AL wildcard race.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 2, 2022

The context of the report is interesting. The Rangers are looking to improve both this season and beyond and have a focus on "non-rental." That would mean an interest in players that can help the Rangers and either have remaining years on their contracts or younger players whose rights can still be controlled by the club before they’re eligible for free agency.

This would make sense, given the current Texas make-up. The team features few untouchables — second baseman Marcus Semien, shortstop Corey Seager and outfielder Adolis García come to mind. The Rangers also have a large group of young players starting to come around and contribute significantly, such as catcher Jonah Heim and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. Plus, the Rangers are only beginning to tap into their top 10-ranked farm system.

Based on this report, any trade the Rangers make at the deadline would be designed to help now, and in the future, and generally not disturb the balance of what the Rangers are building internally.

The Rangers could also become a more attractive trade destination by the end of the month, if MLB.com is right. The site predicted that Rangers have a good chance to get into a playoff spot by the end of July.

This year’s trade deadline is Aug. 2.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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