Texas Rangers Play Way Into Being 'Buyers' in Aroldis Chapman Trade

Trading for Aroldis Chapman wasn't just something the Texas Rangers needed, it was a reward for what they've done so far.

Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas — Why trade for Aroldis Chapman now as opposed to a month from now when the trade deadline comes up on Aug. 1?

For Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young, opportunity knocked. He said the deal with the Kansas City Royals came together quickly on Friday.

But, just as important, the Rangers forced his hand with an incredible first half that has the club in the American League West lead halfway through the season.

That made it clear to Young that the Rangers “were going to be buyers” at the trade deadline.

“That’s a little bit different than the last couple of years,” Young said with a bit of a chuckle.

The Rangers had six straight losing seasons entering 2023 and their unofficial mantra in the offseason was “we’re tired of losing.” That’s why Young hired Bruce Bochy as manager, and signed pitchers Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney to bolster the rotation.

This sort of move is the payoff to that offseason investment.

“I think this (trade) really speaks to where the club is,” Young said. “The guys have played tremendous baseball. They put us in a great position. Here we are at the end of June and we’re in first place and have played so well. I think it’s our job as an organization to give our fans and our players every chance to win.”

More succinctly, the Rangers played their way into a deal to acquire a seven-time All-Star closer in exchange for two players that likely were not part of the Rangers’ plans past this season.

Cole Ragans, a former first-round pick, was a starter the last two months of 2022 and started this season as a long reliever, only to be sent down to Triple-A Round Rock in May. Outfielder Roni Cabrera was signed as a 16-year-old last summer and was playing for the Rangers in the Dominican Summer League.

Kansas City assigned both Ragans and Cabrera to minor-league affiliates.

The Royals wanted to re-stock their minor-league system and the Rangers wanted help now. Everyone won.

The Rangers get a bonus in making the deal now, as Young was quick to point out.

“By acting early we get an extra month of Aroldis Chapman,” Young said. “I think that’s a great thing for our team. He’s got playoff experience, an electric arm and he’s going to make our team better. He’s going to make our bullpen better.”

The Rangers’ bullpen entered the Houston Astros series with the fourth-highest ERA in the American League (4.37) and the second-fewest strikeouts (247). Chapman should help the Rangers in both areas, as he has the second-highest swing-and-miss rate in baseball (43.4) and a 2.45 ERA in 2023.

The Rangers hope to see Chapman in Arlington on Saturday for the second game against Houston. First pitch at Globe Life Field is scheduled for 3:05 p.m.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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