Texas Rangers

The American League West-leading Texas Rangers reportedly want to bolster their starting rotation and bullpen and can possibly do just that in one trade.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the latest and offered the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers as potential trade partners:

Sources: Rangers are looking at available starters and relievers, with the possibility of filling both needs in a single trade.

The White Sox (Lynn, Kelly) and Tigers (Lorenzen, Foley) are examples of teams that could furnish a 2-player package. @MLBNetwork @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 27, 2023

The 60-43 Rangers sport the American League's top offense thanks to a No. 1 ranking in runs scored and OPS. There's room for improvement on the pitching staff, however, with the team's 4.19 ERA ranking eighth in the AL.

Season-ending injuries to the rotation (Jacob deGrom, Jake Odorizzi) naturally heightened the need for more starting pitching.

The Rangers already made one notable move this season by adding ex-Kansas City Royals left-handed relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman via trade.

Those connected to the Rangers via rumors or speculation recently include Detroit Tigers left-handed starter Eduardo Rodriguez, White Sox right-handed starter Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly and Chicago Cubs starting right-hander Marcus Stroman.

Ultimately, expect Texas to be active again prior to the Aug. 1 deadline.

The Rangers have developed into one of MLB's most pleasant surprises, and the pennant race looks wide open on the surface with no dominant team in the league. The time is now for Texas to make a move in hopes of earning its first-ever World Series title.

The MLB trade deadline is one week away, and multiple teams are reportedly holding out hope that they will be able to land Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Los Angeles Dodgers "covet" Ohtani, while the Texas Rangers consider him to be "their white whale."

Passan noted that the thought of Angels owner Arte Moreno trading Ohtani to the crosstown Dodgers "is entirely far-fetched." However, the Dodgers have a need for "a rental arm to join Julio Urias and an on-the-mend Clayton Kershaw in their October rotation." Passan also pointed to recent history that has seen the Dodgers make splash moves at the trade deadline, which could indicate that they're planning for another one this year.

"Los Angeles, with its recent Machado/Darvish/Turner/Scherzer deadline mic drops, has proven rather adept at keeping its best prospects in big deals, so perhaps the Dodgers have something up their sleeve," Passan stated.

The Rangers, meanwhile, "have one of the deepest farm systems in baseball." After missing the playoffs for the last six straight seasons, Texas currently leads the AL West with a 59-42 record and is believed to have "the most prolific offense in baseball." Adding a star like Ohtani could put the team over the top as World Series contenders.

Despite the rampant interest in the 29-year-old phenom, the Angels are reportedly not close to a decision. According to MLB.com's Jon Morosi, the team's internal discussions about whether to be buyers or sellers at the Aug. 1 deadline "remain ongoing." Morosi added that a decision on moving Ohtani likely won't come until after this week's series against the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays.

If the Angels don't trade Ohtani, they run the risk of losing him for nothing in free agency after this season.

Texas Rangers star shortstop Corey Seager was placed on the 10-day injury list Saturday with a right thumb sprain, according to an announcement by the organization.

Seager, 29, was removed from the team's Friday night loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers after sliding hard into second base and tweaking his hand in the eighth inning.

Following the game, manager Bruce Bochy gave an update announcing the sprain and that Seager's x-ray had come back negative.

"I'd put him at day-to-day right now," Bochy said at the time. "Obviously you hate to see that, so hopefully he comes in feeling better tomorrow."

Texas called up catcher Sam Huff from Triple-A Round Rock as the corresponding move.

Fresh off his second consecutive All-Star Game appearance, Seager's injury comes at a pivotal point in the Rangers' season as they are just three games ahead of the Houston Astros in the division standings.

He is in the middle of arguably the best season of his career, though it has been a bit injury-riddled. Seager is hitting a career-high .350 with a .413 on-base percentage and .631 slugging percentage.

The four-time All-Star also has 15 homers and 58 RBI in just 66 games.

Seager missed over a month earlier in this season after suffering a hamstring injury in April but has been one of Texas' best offensive weapons since his return to the lineup.

Even with the loss of star pitcher Jacob DeGrom to Tommy John surgery, the Rangers have had a strong season up to this point, leading the AL West since the beginning of the year.

At 58-40, they have the third-best record in the American League.

Andrew McCutchen could be headed to the Lone Star State this season, but the move is reliant on a shift in approach from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported that the Texas Rangers have shown interest in McCutchen, but the Pirates are not currently interested in selling.

Confirming: The Rangers have broached the possibility of acquiring Andrew McCutchen, but the Pirates are not prepared to move yet.

The deal would have particular interest to Texas if at least one pitcher is part of the deal, as well.@MLBNetwork @MLBNetworkRadio

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) June 26, 2023

The five-time All-Star reunited with the Pirates, with whom he spent the first nine seasons of his career and won the 2013 NL MVP, this past offseason. He's had a slight career renaissance this season, batting .271 with nine home runs and 24 RBI in 66 games.

The Pirates got off to a hot start this season but have faltered recently and now sit at fourth in the NL Central at 35-42. The Texas Rangers currently lead the AL West at 47-30 and are looking to make their first playoff appearance since 2016.

Pittsburgh, despite being seven games below .500, is not out of the race for the NL Central. The Pirates are just five-and-a-half games behind the division-leading Cincinnati Reds, and a recent 1-9 skid is a huge contributor to the poor record.

The Pirates extended manager Derek Shelton earlier in the season and recently called up 2021 No. 1 pick Henry Davis. These moves indicate that the organization believes it could make a run to end a playoff drought that dates back to 2015, and losing the No. 2 hitter on the team in terms of average is not yet on the table.

The 36-year old signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the team before the season, so any move would be a rental.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was unhappy with a call in the eighth inning of Tuesday's 7-6 loss to the Chicago White Sox that led to his team giving up the go-ahead run.

Elvis Andrus was initially called out at home when trying to score on a single by Zach Remillard, but the umpires overturned the call on replay review after determining Rangers catcher Jonah Heim was blocking his path to the plate.

Heim's setup at the plate. The explanation the Rangers received was that Heim's setup was illegal. Here is Heim while the play is developing. pic.twitter.com/7ob6hnp7Kb

— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) June 21, 2023

Speaking to Lesley McCaslin of Bally Sports Southwest after the game, Bochy said he was "dumbfounded" by "absolutely one of the worst calls I've ever seen" determined by replay.

"For that call to be made... I'm dumbfounded. It's absolutely one of the worst calls I've ever seen and it was done by replay, I just don't get it."

Bruce Bochy shares his thoughts of the call and the explanation in the 8th.
@Rangers | #StraightUpTX | 📺: BSSW pic.twitter.com/HWpg9X1yFs

— FanDuel Sports Network Southwest (@FanDuelSN_SW) June 21, 2023

Per ESPN's Jesse Rogers, the explanation from the umpires and review team was that Heim's initial setup was illegal:

The reasoning, FWIW: "The catcher’s initial positioning was illegal and his subsequent actions while not in possession of the ball hindered and impeded the runner’s path to home plate." https://t.co/wLfI5sGE8R

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) June 21, 2023

MLB has had rules in place about catchers blocking home plate since 2014 in an attempt to eliminate "egregious" collisions at home plate.

The official rule states catchers are not permitted to block the runner's path to the plate unless he is in possession of the ball, but "blocking the path of the runner in a legitimate attempt to receive a throw is not considered a violation."

Based on Heim's setup, it doesn't appear Andrus would have been blocked from scoring. Even after catching the throw from Jankowski, he left a path open to the plate that would have allowed Andrus to get around.

Thoughts... 🤨
@Rangers | #StraightUpTX | 📺: BSSW pic.twitter.com/kpUJhx7Vdn

— FanDuel Sports Network Southwest (@FanDuelSN_SW) June 21, 2023

The Rangers took a 6-4 lead in the top of the eighth when Corey Seager's double scored two runs. Andrus' two-run single in the bottom of the frame tied the score.

Bochy was ejected from the game for arguing the overturned call. It's the second time in four days he's been tossed from a game. He was one of three Rangers thrown out of Friday's 5-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays for arguing a called third strike on Marcus Semien.

The Rangers and White Sox will play the rubber match of their three-game series on Wednesday at 8:10 p.m. ET.

The Texas Rangers had a nightmare come true on Tuesday and the ramifications of it still loom large a day later.

Suffice to say, it's a big deal when a first-place team like the Rangers loses a pitcher like Jacob deGrom, he of the $185 million contract and two Cy Young Awards, to Tommy John surgery.

And in this case, it will be the ace right-hander's second time having the surgery.

Texas ace Jacob deGrom will have season-ending Tommy John surgery, cutting short his first season after the oft-injured right-hander signed a $185 million, five-year contract with the Rangers. https://t.co/WnJ77L4jJR pic.twitter.com/2LPjnB2K6o

— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) June 6, 2023

"Anytime you get told you're not gonna be able to be out there for a little while, it's tough," the 34-year-old told reporters. "I went through this before and know what it takes to get back, so that's the goal."

With deGrom due to be sidelined for the rest of 2023 and a large chunk of 2024, there are at least five major questions hanging in the air.

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What Does This Mean for the Rangers?

Though there's no way to spin Tuesday's news as being good for the Rangers, it's not unreasonable to think they can actually withstand deGrom's absence.

After all, they haven't skipped a beat since he last pitched on April 28:

• With deGrom: 15-11, 3.62 ERA
• Without deGrom: 25-9, 3.63 ERA

Setting aside their league-best offense, this is naturally a testament to the Rangers' pitching depth outside of deGrom. Their rotation especially has been terrific to the tune of a 3.19 ERA.

There are nonetheless still some outstanding durability question marks hanging over Texas' rotation. Dane Dunning is the only current member who's younger than 30, and he's likewise a Tommy John survivor alongside Martín Pérez, Andrew Heaney and Nathan Eovaldi, who's had the procedure twice.

So, while the Rangers don't need to rush anything, deGrom's injury would figure to make them that much more willing to shop for starting pitching ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

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What Does This Mean for the AL West?

As hot as the Rangers have been, their lead in the American League West only stands at a modest 4.5 games.

With the Los Angeles Angels (32-30) and Seattle Mariners (30-30) also still lingering in the background, the defending World Series champion Houston Astros have prevented the Rangers from opening up a big lead by winning 19 of their last 26 games. In FanGraphs' estimation, they remain the favorites to claim the AL West title.

And whereas the Rangers' eventual search for outside help is strictly theoretical for now, Houston general manager Dana Brown has already stated his intent to be aggressive.

If it comes down to prospects, the Rangers will have the edge over the Astros in a bidding war for starting pitching. Yet, payroll flexibility could be a different story.

The Astros are about $15 million shy of the $233 million luxury tax threshold, compared to about $10 million for the Rangers.

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What Does This Mean for Jacob deGrom?

As for deGrom himself, he still has four years left on his contract and he intends to be back before Year 2 is over.

deGrom through tears: "This stinks. It's not ideal. But at least we know what it is now. I want to get it fixed and will set a goal to be back before the end of next year.:"

He will undergo surgery next week

— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) June 6, 2023

As deGrom pointed out, he's already come back from Tommy John surgery once.

And if not to his own, he can look to Eovaldi's and Justin Verlander's stories for inspiration. The former's best years have come since he had his second Tommy John surgery in 2016, while the latter enjoyed maybe the best Tommy John comeback ever as a 39-year-old last year.

Speaking realistically, though, the circumstances don't align.

Eovaldi was still only 26 when he had his second surgery, while the one Verlander had in 2020 was his first. As deGrom is almost 13 years removed from his first surgery as a 22-year-old in 2010, Jon Roegele's Tommy John database doesn't exactly spit out relevant comps for what he's up against.

There's little reason to think deGrom won't pitch again, period. Whether the triple-digit heat, nasty slider and pinpoint command that made him such a dominant force over the last six years will still be there is a much tougher question to answer.

If they're not, he'll be hard-pressed to add anything substantial to a Hall of Fame resume that was formerly trending wonderfully but now looks insufficient. The Jaffe WAR Score System, for example, doesn't even rate him as a top-100 pitcher of all time.

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Is This the Pitch Timer's Fault?

Another seemingly fair question is whether deGrom's downfall is somehow owed to the pitch timer. After all, it's no secret that its debut has coincided with a rush of pitching injuries.

It is, however, never a good idea to jump to conclusions. And especially not this one.

DeGrom was a fast worker even before the pitch timer came to MLB, which is to say nothing of how the best predictor of future injuries is past injuries. Even before Tuesday, he had had more than his fair share of those in recent years:

Jacob deGrom’s injury history, 2021-2023

5/4/21 Side
6/11/21 Elbow
6/16/21 Shoulder
7/15/21 Forearm
4/7/22 Shoulder
4/16/23 Wrist
4/28/23 Elbow
6/6/23 Tommy John

Since the start of 2021, he has made just 32 starts in 886 days. pic.twitter.com/g86JNf8gUN

— Will (@MLBMetrics) June 6, 2023

So, while nobody can say for certain that the pitch timer didn't have a hand in deGrom's latest injury scare, to assign sole blame misses the mark.

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What Does This Mean for Big-Money Pitchers?

In addition to deGrom, Verlander (2 years, $86.7 million), Carlos Rodón (6 years, $162 million), Taijuan Walker (4 years, $72 million) and Jameson Taillon (4 years, $68 million) have also gotten off to rough starts after signing big deals in free agency this past winter.

Expand the scope even further, and it's hard not to notice that other big-money pitchers who have fallen on hard times since signing in recent years include Stephen Strasburg (7 years, $245 million), Chris Sale (5 years, $145 million), Patrick Corbin (6 years, $140 million), Robbie Ray (5 years, $115 million) and even Max Scherzer (3 years, $130 million).

Pitchers simply have many ways of breaking down. And as such, especially rich deals for pitchers have always been risky. There's nonetheless a creeping sense that things are getting worse, and that it may just be a matter of time before the big pitcher contract goes extinct.

Yet this is what they call catastrophizing.

As easy as it is to dwell on the failures, success stories such as Scherzer's first big contract with the Washington Nationals, both of Zack Greinke's nine-figure free-agent deals and the ongoing pacts involving Gerrit Cole, Kevin Gausman and Zack Wheeler prove that scoring on a big-money pitcher isn't altogether impossible and that it can be worth it when it happens.

Further, there's a sense within baseball that the aging curve might actually be changing in favor of older players. That was indeed quite evident with older pitchers just last year, as those aged 34 and older enjoyed their highest fWAR output in a decade.

In other words, what's happening with deGrom and other similarly expensive pitchers might not be the beginning of the end of an era so much as a rough patch.

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Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

Jacob deGrom is done for the season.

The Texas Rangers ace will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his injured elbow, general manager Chris Young told reporters Tuesday.

"We have gone backwards. The MRI revealed damage that was significant," Young said, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. "I'm glad we have clarity. Everyone being in the dark was not good. Now we have a course of action and we will attack it."

Grant first reported the news, noting DeGrom is expected to be sidelined until the middle of 2024.

"This stinks. It's not ideal. But at least we know what it is now," deGrom told reporters Tuesday of the diagnosis. "I want to get it fixed and will set a goal to be back before the end of next year."

The news is a tough blow for the Rangers, which sit first in the American League West with a 39-20 record and 3.5 games ahead of the second-place Houston Astros.

DeGrom hasn't pitched since being pulled from an April 28 start against the New York Yankees after 3.2 innings with what was described as "forearm tightness." The Rangers placed him on the 15-day injured list on April 29 with elbow inflammation after an MRI revealed no structural damage.

The 34-year-old began throwing bullpen sessions roughly two weeks after being placed on the IL, the most recent of which came last Wednesday, before he returned home to Florida for the birth of his third child.

When deGrom returned to the Rangers on Monday, the team announced that he had been transferred to the 60-day injured list.

"These things aren't linear in terms of recovery," Young said Monday, per MLB.com's Kennedi Landry. "You test it, you deal with an element of soreness or discomfort and you determine how much that impacts the next steps. With arms, they're just hard because of this, that is not perfectly linear in terms of the recovery. I think that there have been good days and bad, as with most recoveries."

DeGrom's follow-up MRI on Tuesday revealed the partial tear of the UCL in his elbow. The franchise will now be tasked with navigating the remainder of the 2023 campaign without him.

Texas signed deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal in free agency this winter after the veteran opted out of his contract with the New York Mets. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal highlighted in May that a major challenge was the pitcher's previous health issues:

"Insuring his five-year, $185 million contract would have been prohibitively expensive, according to sources who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The premiums might drop if he stays healthy for an extended period, but the way deGrom's option year is structured, it gives the Rangers a measure of insurance on the back end."

In six starts this season, deGrom went 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA, 0.758 WHIP and 45 strikeouts in 30.1 innings. He averaged about five innings per start.

When healthy, deGrom is arguably the best pitcher in baseball, having won two National League Cy Young awards and an ERA title during his nine-year career with the Mets.

However, deGrom hasn't been fully healthy since he made 32 starts during the 2019 campaign. He has missed a significant amount of time over the last four seasons due to various ailments, including forearm tightness and a shoulder injury that sidelined him for 13 months.

This will mark deGrom's second Tommy Johny surgery. He also underwent the procedure in 2011, three years before he made his major-league debut.

Given deGrom's injury history, his contract with the Rangers will almost certainly be put under the microscope as the club attempts to return to prominence after missing the postseason in each of the last six seasons.

With deGrom sidelined, Nathan Eovaldi, Martín Pérez, Jon Gray and Andrew Heaney will be tasked with holding down the fort on the mound.

Jacob deGrom hasn't pitched since an April 28 start against the New York Yankees due to elbow inflammation, but the Texas Rangers ace believes he's ready to return to the mound after an extended absence.

"For sure, feel like I've turned a corner," deGrom said Friday after tossing a 25-pitch bullpen session, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "Everything felt good. Definitely headed in the right direction. I'm ready to go back out there."

DeGrom's comments come after Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters on May 9 that the right-hander would be sidelined for two-to-three more weeks.

The Rangers placed deGrom on the 15-day injured list on April 29 after he exited the April 28 start against the Yankees after 3.2 innings with what was described as "forearm tightness." A post-game MRI revealed inflammation in the elbow.

Texas signed deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal in free agency this winter after he opted out of his contract with the New York Mets. In six starts, he is 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA, 0.758 WHIP and 45 strikeouts in 30.1 innings.

When healthy, deGrom is arguably the best pitcher in baseball. During his nine-year career with the Mets, he won two National League Cy Young awards, an ERA title and four All-Star selections.

That said, the 34-year-old has struggled to stay healthy over the latter stages of his career. In addition to dealing with minor elbow ailments, he spent 13 months on the shelf between 2021 and 2022 due to forearm tightness and a shoulder injury.

With deGrom out of the lineup, the Rangers have relied on Andrew Heaney, Jon Gray, Martín Pérez and Nathan Eovaldi to lead the rotation.

Texas entered Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies first in the American League West with a 26-17 record, two games above the second-place Houston Astros.

Texas Rangers prospect Kumar Rocker will undergo Tommy John surgery for a torn ligament in the right elbow on his pitching arm, per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com.

The timing is particularly difficult, as Rangers general manager Chris Young said the 23-year-old was about to be promoted, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

"We got a glimpse of how good he is, and it confirmed everything we thought," Young said.

The general manager added more context to the situation:

Chris Young says this was an “acute” injury suffered on the mound, completely different from anything Rangers had seen in exams. Young recognized there was risk with pick; there is risk with all pitching https://t.co/TsuJxOIB3D

— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) May 16, 2023

Rocker is the No. 100 overall prospect in the league and the No. 6 prospect for the Rangers, per MLB.com's rankings. Despite his potential, health concerns have been a major storyline around his attempt to reach the sport's highest stage.

In August 2021, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported the New York Mets elected not to sign the Vanderbilt product even after selecting him with the No. 10 overall pick in the draft. New York chose to pass on the opportunity to add him to the roster after reviewing his medical information.

It was only able to do so because Rocker did not participate in an MLB-sponsored program that shared pitchers' medical information ahead of the draft. The Mets received the No. 11 overall pick in the following year's draft as compensation for the situation, ultimately selecting catcher Kevin Parada.

Rocker returned to the draft in 2022, and the Rangers selected him with the No. 3 pick in a move that was generally considered a surprise.

The right-hander also underwent shoulder surgery in September 2021. Agent Scott Boras said it was "a minor scope," per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan, but it was still another health situation.

Rocker made six minor league starts for the Rangers organization prior to the latest injury, posting a 3.86 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 42 strikeouts in 28 innings.

Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom is expected to be sidelined for two-to-three more weeks due to elbow inflammation, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters Thursday.

When asked about what the tentative plan for deGrom is moving forward, Bochy replied:

"After they take a look at it, I can answer a lot better. It feels better with each day, but you've got to go through some tests and evaluate. Once that happens, we can start to ramp up his pitching and hopefully get him on a mound. It's hard to say, but it's going to take a little time, maybe two or three weeks."

DeGrom was pulled from an April 17 start against the Kansas City Royals after four innings with wrist soreness.

The 34-year-old then tossed six innings in a start against the Oakland Athletics on April 23 before being pulled from an April 28 start against the New York Yankees after 3.2 innings with what was described as "forearm tightness."

An MRI later revealed that deGrom did not have any structural damage. However, it did display some inflammation.

The Rangers placed deGrom on the 15-day injured list on April 29. He is eligible to return on Sunday against the A's, but Bochy said the lefthander won't increase his throwing routine until after the team's road trip to Seattle, which begins June 2, and a meeting with doctors.

Texas signed deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal in free agency this winter after he opted out of his deal with the New York Mets. In six starts this season, he is 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA, 0.758 WHIP and 45 strikeouts in 30.1 innings.

When healthy, deGrom is arguably the best pitcher in MLB, racking up two Cy Young awards, four All-Star selections and an ERA title over his 10-year career.

However, deGrom has missed a significant amount of time over the last several seasons due to injury, including a 13-month absence due to forearm tightness and a shoulder ailment, which contributed to New York's decision to not re-sign him in free agency.

With deGrom sidelined this season, the Rangers have turned to Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, Jon Gray and Martín Pérez to hold down the rotation.

Texas currently sits first in the AL West with a 22-14 record, three games above the second-place Los Angeles Angels.