Pitching-Hungry Texas Rangers Tumble in Power Rankings

The Texas Rangers, losers of consecutive series, have needs to fill going into Tuesday's trade deadline.

The impending trade deadline continues to dominate MLB talk, with the Texas Rangers square in the middle of it all. The Rangers are expected to be “assertive” on multiple fronts prior to Tuesday’s cutoff for making deals.

Solidifying the club for its postseason push, while trying to fend off the Houston Astros (and maybe Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels), is at the forefront for Texas. The past week has put more into focus.

Ohtani coming to Arlington or anywhere else is apparently dead in the water, as the Angels are reportedly no longer listening to trade proposals for the two-way superstar. Plus, the Angels made a deal for starter Lucas Giolito – one of the pitchers the Rangers were said to be interested in.

Texas has also lost its last two series, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Astros both taking two out of three games. Houston is only 2.0 games back of the Rangers in the American League West, and there’s definitely no love lost between the Lone Star rivals after Wednesday’s bench-clearing escapades.

The Rangers are reportedly considered the “frontrunner” for New York Mets starter and former Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, which would bolster a rotation that has struggled at times in recent weeks.

The Rangers’ recent issues haven’t gone unnoticed, with a drop in the latest MLB Power Rankings from ESPN’s panel of baseball experts. Texas is down two spots to No. 5, getting leapfrogged by the Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles.

Per ESPN:

Texas should be as busy as anyone at the trade deadline, with bullpen help, a starter and perhaps another bat in its sights. It was a rough week for all Rangers pitchers, as they gave up 41 runs in a four-game span. It led to the highest ERA in baseball over a seven-day period ending Tuesday: 8.21. The Rangers had just one starter last six innings, taxing a bullpen that simply kept giving up hit after hit after hit to the Dodgers in a series loss. With Nathan Eovaldi getting a break this week, there’s a further emphasis on the need for pitching before Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Time is running out for the Rangers to make something happen on the trade front, as Chris Young burns up the phones looking for the missing piece(s) in the hopeful playoff run. Texas opens a three-game series at the San Diego Padres on Friday night.

As for the power rankings for rest of the AL West: Astros (6), Angels (17), Seattle Mariners (19) and Oakland Athletics (30).

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