It really is no secret that the Texas Rangers need change and a drastic one at that. Heading into their off-day on July 26th, the Rangers limped home to Arlington having just lost 12 straight contests. Their latest sweep was handed to them by their Lone Star state rival, the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Those three losses led to a laundry list of questions that was twice the size of their other laundry list of questions. Here is a look at the latest Rangers deadline rumors.
Then There Were Three
For the past several weeks, there have been three players on the Rangers’ roster that have really gained momentum in trade talks. That would be Joey Gallo, Kyle Gibson, and Ian Kennedy. Out of these three, Gallo’s name seemed to be the topic of the phone calls that the Rangers have been getting this year. Early on, there was discussion that the 27-year old outfielder would be dealt to the New York Yankees. Although this line of thought went on for quite a while, nothing came of it. It appeared to be speculation more than anything else. Gallo is still a Ranger, and he seems content. With 24 home runs before the trade deadline, he has plenty of reason to be happy. It will be very interesting not only to see if he gets moved at the deadline but also where and for whom.
Valuable Arms
Another guy who has been caught in the web of the Rangers’ deadline rumors has been right-hander Kyle Gibson. The 33-year old starter has had a very nice year. With an overall record of 6-3 and an earned run average of 2.87, Gibson has definitely earned his paycheck. Another thing, he has earned is trade speculation.
It is not yet known if Gibson will be traded for sure, but the thought here is that a lot of teams could use his arm in their rotation. With 94 strikeouts over 113 innings, it shouldn’t be a surprise that his name is at least mentioned. At one point, he had a sparkling 6-0 record, but he hasn’t gotten very much run support over his last few outings. It can’t be easy having your name thrown about in these Rangers trade deadline rumors, but it is part of the game. We’ll see what happens.
Closer Chatter
Considering that righty Ian Kennedy was a long shot for the closer’s role in spring training, it really is encouraging when you look at the season that he is having. He was basically forced into the job after fellow righty Jose Leclerc had Tommy John surgery. So far in 2021, Kennedy has saved 15 games. Those 15 games translate into 31 1/3 innings. During his effort this year, he has piled up 33 strikeouts, and he has an earned run average of 2.59. Much like Gibson, there are a lot of teams that could benefit from Kennedy’s right arm. Another thing he has in common with both Gallo and Gibson is that he is in the middle of all of these Texas Rangers deadline rumors. We’ll see what happens as July 30th sits right around the corner.
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