3 Positions Rangers Need to Upgrade at Trade Deadline

With the Rangers nearly completing the first 70 games, it is no secret that the team is off to a disappointing start. They are three games under .500 with a 32-35 record. Although the Rangers are off to an underwhelming start to the season, the team still has plenty of time to rejuvenate their season, make a run for the playoffs, and even possibly contend for the World Series for the second year in a row.

One way the Rangers can reemerge in contention for the AL is to make trades to upgrade their roster before the trade deadline. The Rangers have been dealing with a plethora of injuries since the start of the season, and all of the injuries the team has been dealing with have caused the roster to become shallower than it was when the season first began. Due to the lack of depth on the roster, the Rangers front office should look for ways to upgrade multiple positions before the trade deadline so that the team can remain competitive throughout the second half of the season.

Below, we will list three positions the Rangers front office should consider upgrading in the next few weeks.

Catcher 

At the moment, the Rangers only have two catchers on their depth chart, and both have been struggling greatly on the offensive end throughout the first half of this season.

While Jonah Heim remains the Ranger's everyday catcher, he has been struggling to get on base, currently carrying a .279 on-base percentage, significantly lower than in his past two seasons. Along with Heim struggling offensively, his backup, Andrew Knizner is struggling greatly offensively, batting well below the Mendoza line with a .143 batting average through 21 games.

With both Heim and Knizner struggling offensively and the rest of the Rangers roster underperforming offensively, the Rangers could benefit significantly from an additional bat in the lineup who could also play the catcher position.

Travis d'Arnauld could be a solid option for the Rangers to go after to boost the lineup. Arnauld is currently batting .245 with five homers for the Braves and is currently in his last season with the club.

If the Braves are willing to trade Arnauld, he could be a great fit in Texas and hopefully help rejuvenate the Rangers' disappointing lineup.

Relief Pitcher

Similar to last season, the Rangers' bullpen is arguably the weakest part of the team. While the bullpen has been showing signs of improvement over the past few weeks, injuries have taken a toll, with several relief pitchers dealing with nagging injuries so far this season.

If the Rangers could add an additional arm or two to the bullpen, it could significantly improve the team and solidify a dismantling bullpen, hopefully quickly.

There are likely several relief pitchers on the market for which the Rangers should consider making a run. Veteran pitcher Kenley Jansen is an ideal pitcher for the Rangers to make a run for. He has a solid season in Boston, holding a 2.91 ERA and securing 10 saves.

Even if the Rangers can't land Jansen, several relief pitchers are on the market who can help boost the Rangers' bullpen and hopefully help the team get back into contention.

Starting Pitcher

The Rangers have been hit hard by the injury bug this season, and the starting pitchers were no exception. Almost every pitcher in the Rangers rotation has dealt with some kind of injury so far this season, and several pitchers remain sidelined due to injuries they have been dealing with throughout this season or even before the start of this season.

Although the pitching staff has been dealing with many injuries, the rotation has performed fairly well under the circumstances. The rotation currently averages a  3.97 ERA, which puts them in the middle of the American League.

The Rangers' rotation has remained decent despite all of the injuries they have been through, but an additional arm to the rotation can't hurt. It could potentially even boost the Rangers rotation before the team begins the second half of the season.

There are several pitchers on the market who the Rangers should consider targeting here in the next few weeks before the trade deadline. One pitcher in particular who the Rangers should consider going after is Max Fried.

Fried has quickly earned the reputation of one of the most efficient pitchers in the league. He has a 68-29 record throughout his career and a 3.05 ERA. Fried has spent his entire career with the Braves and is currently in the final season of his contract with the club.

While it is doubtful that the Braves would be willing to trade Fried, they could potentially be convinced to sell due to their disappointing start of the season. If the Rangers can create a package lucrative enough for Atlanta to ship off Fried, he would be a great addition to the Rangers and potentially bring the team back into contention and help the team get above .500.

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This article was originally published on sportdfw.com as 3 Positions Rangers Need to Upgrade at Trade Deadline.