Why the Texas Rangers Should Trade for a 30-Year-Old Former National League Cy Young Winner
With the August MLB trade deadline looming, the Texas Rangers are positioning themselves for another deep postseason run. The current starting rotation, anchored by Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, alongside MacKenzie Gore and Cal Quantrill, has kept the club in the thick of the American League playoff race. However, it’s been one heck of a season so far for Skip Schumaker’s squad, and with only an one and a half game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the American League West, relying on young arms like Kumar Rocker, who’s had a season to forget, quite frankly, to shoulder an even bigger workload now that young ace Jack Leiter is out for the foreseeable future, is a risk in itself. Former 2023 World Series Champion Jordan Montgomery is in his second stint with the Rangers, and even though his return is going to be sooner rather than later, the bullpen has been put to the test day in and day out. They’ve had to rely on inexperienced arms, like Peyton Gray and Carter Baumler, this season, but Jacob Latz and Tyler Alexander have done a great job in keeping things close. In this instance, the front office needs an arm that can stabilize the situation in the bullpen. That stabilizer is Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara.
The Marlins had a solid start to the season, but recently, they’ve fallen into a skid, losing their last 12 games, and are now under .500 in a rather difficult and competitive National League East. Miami has proven from times before that they’re willing to pivot if the return is positive, so if they do decide to shop Alcántara, the Rangers would have to be first in line. ‘Sandman’ remains one of the most resilient workhorses in baseball. Through late July, he’s already pitched 143.2 innings across 22 starts, posting an impressive 10-6 record with a 4.01 ERA, complemented by 110 strikeouts. Beyond the metrics, Alcántara provides a much-needed trait that the Rangers desperately need: durability. He’s an inning eater who consistently pitches deep into games, something that Texas’ starters haven’t been able to do much this year. If added to the squad, he’d provide immediate relief for the bullpen.
Come October, a playoff rotation featuring deGrom, ‘Evo’, and the ‘Sandman’ would strike fear into the opposing team and make it a nightmare for any player. In the short Wild Card series, pitching dictates the narrative, and having three battle-tested arms completely changes expectations and calculus for Texas. Now, it’s exciting to think about such a possibility, but prying the former Cy Young winner won’t be an easy feat, as it’ll require a substantial prospect package. Alcántara is locked up through the rest of the season with Miami and has a club option for next season, so his tenure with the Rangers will be more than just a rental. To get the deal done, Texas will have to dig into its farm system and young talent pool. The Marlins are always looking for immediate, dynamic infielders. The first names that come to mind are Cam Cauley and Justin Foscue. Another route is to take a high-risk, high-reward player at shortstop, Corey Seager, with rumors circulating that the former two-time World Series Champion could be a trade target. With Seager back on the injured list, frustration is starting to come over the Rangers’ fans, desperately wanting to get back to the glory days of 2023. Giving up developmental talent is never easy, but adding premium talent that can change the course of the rest of the season like Alcantara elevates the Rangers from a playoff contender to an undisputed heavyweight of the American League. It’s time for the front office to pull the trigger.
