Rangers Trade Deadline Deal Wish List

This deadline the Rangers are looking to get better this year and going forward. That’s why I’ve compiled three trades that make the Rangers better now and going forward without completely draining the Farm System.

Step 1: Trade Yovani Gallardo to the Dodgers

The return on this investment is a choice of catchers, Austin Barnes or Kyle Farmer, and a choice of Relievers, Josh Ravin or Daniel Coulombe. Barnes is currently the Dodgers backup catcher while Farmer is starting everyday in AA for Tulsa. Ravin is a hard throwing righty and Coulombe is a lefty specialist that the club could use this season. Both relievers are MLB ready and pitching at AAA Oklahoma City.

Step 2: Acquire Andrew Cashner from the Padres

You just traded a Starter so now you need to replace him. Cashner is a year younger than Gallardo and is under control for two more seasons. He’s also a local kid, having played his college ball at TCU. For Cashner, the Rangers offer the Padres CF Leonys Martin, Low A 2B Travis Demeritte and their pick of one of the following pitchers from AAA Round Rock, Jared Eickhoff, Luke Jackson, or Alec Asher and AA Pitcher Jose Leclerc.

Step 3: Acquire Cole Hamels from the Phillies

This is the prize of the Trade Deadline. Cole Hamels will cost the farm if you want the Phillies to eat a large sum of money but it would be worth it. A package of C Jorge Alfaro, the Rangers #2 prospect along with #4 prospect SP Jake Thompson is a start. Add in a few players that can play in Philadelphia now like SS Hanser Alberto, OF Michael Choice and UT Ryan Rua and maybe this gets done.

Final Thoughts: Why it works

Making the deal for a catcher with the Dodgers is key because it makes trading the #1 catching prospect expendable. Austin Barnes is ready now and would be a upgrade over Robinson Chirinos going into next year. 

Giving up young arms is never easy but adding Hamels and Cashner to a rotation that would have a healthy Yu Darvish, Martin Perez, and Derek Holland is just nasty. Not to mention you still would have Nick Martinez and Chi Chi Gonzalez in AAA. The addition of Josh Hamilton, the rise of Joey Gallo, and the expected return of Jurickson Profar have left Ryan Rua without a position. 

Let me know your thoughts here or on twitter: @geoffrey_craig

Time is up for Dave Magadan

We are just over the halfway marker in the 2015 baseball season and the Rangers sit with a record of 42 wins and 44 losses. That’s actually pretty good considering they have two, yes TWO hitters with a batting average over .280.

Dave Magadan was hired by the Rangers on October 12, 2012 to replace the departed Scott Coolbaugh. Magadan came from the Boston Red Sox, where turned the Sox into a more plate-disciplined team. His philosophy is to make pitchers work for strikes and then capitalize when they make a mistake. What worked in Boston hasn’t translated to Texas. The team batting average has dropped in each of his seasons at the helm, from .262 in 2013 to .256 in 2014 to the putrid .247 this season. The entire team has struggled an the dish this year, but what’s more concerning is the negative impact he’s made on the veterans like Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, and Shin-Soo Choo.

Beltre is hitting 27 points lower than his career average of .284. Elvis is down 32 points from his career average of .269. That’s bad, but even worst of all is Choo, whom the Rangers signed to a seven year $130 million contract to become their lead-off hitter. Choo is hitting .227, that’s 51 points below his career average of .278. This team is struggling and it’s time to move on from Dave Magadan while they are still in the playoff chase. When three of your four most expensive players are having consecutive career low seasons you have to make a change. If these numbers don’t do it for you, just watch this team hit. The eyeball test tells more than ever with this team. They lack confidence and aggressiveness at the plate. It can’t get any worse, can it? Well, the could be the Mets.

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Geoffrey Craig

@geoffrey_craig