Inside The Rangers

Which Star Pitcher Should Texas Rangers Target at This Year's Trade Deadline?

The Texas Rangers are a contending team with a few trade options to target this summer.

Ryan Reynolds

Mar 11, 2025; Peoria, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Peoria Sports Complex.
Mar 11, 2025; Peoria, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Peoria Sports Complex. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The Texas Rangers are well-positioned to have a bounce back year after enduring a rash of injuries throughout 2024 following their World Series win in 2023.

The AL favorite New York Yankees have suffered a rash of injuries this spring, including the loss of ace Gerrit Cole for the entire 2025 season. Their misfortunes have opened the door for the Rangers, who now have an even better shot to return to the World Series this year.

To get there, Texas could use another major addition to their starting rotation, which is headlined by former two-time NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi.

Injuries have made deGrom a bit of a mystery box heading into 2025, so adding a reliable, high-caliber arm before the trade deadline wouldn't hurt.

There are a number of quality pitchers they could go after, but here are three who the Rangers should target.

Framber Valdez

The Houston Astros left-handed ace is a 31-year-old Cy Young contender who is the type of pitcher contending teams rarely part with. However, the Astros traded Kyle Tucker this offseason and lost long-time pillar Alex Bregman in free agency.

Given those outcomes it wouldn't be a major surprise if Houston moved Valdez while they can still get something for him, despite viewing themselves as a contender.

The problem for Texas is the Astros would likely need to win the trade to make a move with their in-state rival, so if Houston does decide to trade Valdez, chances are it will be to someone other than the Rangers.

Michael King

King was acquired by the San Diego Padres in December of 2023 as part of the Juan Soto trade with the Yankees. He was primarily a reliever in New York, but he was impressive in his first full year as a starter in 2024, finishing with a 2.95 ERA while striking out 201 batters in 173.2 innings.

His game is built on pitch movement, featuring a nasty sinker, sweeper and changeup paired with a mid-90's four seamer. His pitch arsenal, along with his transition from quality reliever to difference-making starting pitcher, is reminiscent of former Boston Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe.

King is a fascinating 29-year-old right-hander with a bright future, but he's only shown that he can be a starting pitcher at the Major League level for one year. Texas should target a more reliable starter, especially since another deGrom injury could derail their season.

Dylan Cease

Cease is the star 29-year-old Padres right-hander in a contract year.

He's made at least 32 starts in each of the last four seasons and put together an AL Cy Young-caliber campaign in 2022 with a 6.4 bWAR when he was with the Chicago White Sox.

It wouldn't be shocking if King outperformed Cease over the next half decade, but Cease is one of the most reliable high-end pitchers in the game right now.

That's what the Rangers need, so Cease should be the target of the team this summer.

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Ryan Reynolds
RYAN REYNOLDS

Ryan Reynolds has worked in sports media since 2019, where he’s primarily covered the NFL. He got his start writing for Evan Silva and Adam Levitan’s Establish the Run where Ryan became an authority on NFL awards markets. Ryan recently served as an Associate Director and content headliner for former NFL executives Joe Banner and Mike Tannenbaum at The 33rd Team. Ryan has also made multiple guest appearances on Fantasy Sports Radio on SiriusXM and VSiN. Outside of sports Ryan has a bachelor’s degree in accounting, graduating with honors from the University of Minnesota. He now has nearly a decade’s worth of experience in management. You can find Ryan on X @RyanReynoldsNFL or email him at RyanReynoldsNFL@gmail.com.

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