Texas Rangers to Be 'Assertive' at Trade Deadline

The Texas Rangers have clear needs at the trade deadline and per a report, several MLB general managers expect them to go get talent.

The Texas Rangers are expected to be "among the most assertive teams at the deadline," per a report from ESPN.

The report quoted three general managers that expected the Rangers to be among the most active teams in the market, with the trade deadline coming at 5 p.m. CT on Aug. 1. 

The report also re-stated previous reporting that the Rangers have interest in Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. The report noted that other teams interested in Ohtani are the Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Per ESPN: 

The Rangers have one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, and while Ohtani is their white whale, a top-end starter and a bullpen player or two would fit alongside the most prolific offense in baseball.

The Rangers have already made one trade this season. They acquired pitcher Aroldis Chapman from the Kansas City Royals for pitcher Cole Ragans and minor-league outfielder Roni Cabrera.

The Rangers farm system is considered among the best in baseball, with Double-A outfielder Evan Carter at the top of the list. Pitcher Owen White, who is No. 2, is with the Rangers but did not pitch Tuesday in the 4-3 loss at the Houston Astros. 

Earlier this week, Rangers general manager Chris Young spoke to 105.3 The Fan that the team "deserves the right to win a championship."

"That's the way the front office is operating," Young said. "We want to do it in a responsible manner, but we also recognize that where we've been the past six years, this has been a lot of fun."

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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