Texas Rangers Expected to Put 5 Notable Pitchers on Trade Block

The defending champion Texas Rangers find themselves sitting give games under .500, and seven games back of a Wild Card spot, with several other teams ahead of them. "Barring a dramatic turnaround", as noted by baseball insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today, "rival GMs expect" that the Rangers will be sellers at this month's trade deadline.

And there will be some notable names to pick from for contenders, specifically with five pitchers who have made their marks in the majors over the years.

Max Scherzer

The three-time Cy Young winner just returned from the injured list in a recovery from a variety of issues that cost him the entire first half of the season. But now that he's back, the soon-to-be 40-year-old doesn't look like he's missed a beat.

Scherzer has pitched to a 2.70 ERA with a 0.84 WHIP in three starts. The only bit of a red flag is that his strikeouts are down considerably, from a career mark of 10.7 K/9 to just 5.7 K/9. But as long as he's holding opposing batters to a .186 average, he will be tough to beat. He does, however, own a no-trade clause. So where, or if, he goes, will be up to him.

Michael Lorenzen

The 32-year-old authored a no-hitter last season and made the All-Star team. He's been pitching well for Texas since signing late this spring, with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP.

Andrew Heaney

The left-hander really hasn't been pitching that badly, with a 3.80 ERA with a 92:24 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 90 innings. It's just that the Rangers have not produced for him, and he leads the American League in losses with nine, for whatever that's worth. But coming off a couple of decent seasons in a row, the southpaw could have an impact for a team in need of starting pitching.

David Robertson

In the bullpen, the Rangers have two lock-down arms to deal, with Robertson having an excellent season with a 3.11 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP, while striking out a career-high 13.6 batters per nine innings. He will be highly sought-after on the trade market, despite his age (39).

Kirby Yates

In 2019, Yates was an All-Star and the league-leader in saves with 41 with the San Diego Padres. Tommy John surgery derailed his career after that, and he missed almost two full seasons. But he is back with a vengeance at the age of 37, with a ridiculous 0.86 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 13 saves and 12.4 K/9. Like Robertson, there will be a mad scramble of teams trying to acquire Yates.