The Texas Rangers (30-27) have put their horrid start to the 2015 MLB season behind them and now sit only three games behind the Houston Astros (34-25) for first place in the AL West. However, general manager Jon Daniels still has some work to do on the team's roster before the trade deadline.
The starting rotation has been without Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Martin Perez for just about the entire season (they've combined for one start) and the current unit, which now consists of Yovani Gallardo, Colby Lewis, Nick Martinez, Wandy Rodriguez and Chi Chi Gonzalez, have managed to maintain the 13th-ranked ERA (4.04) in the MLB.
Despite their ability to stay afloat and keep the Rangers in contention, this staff is not one equipped for making a run down the stretch or winning a postseason series.
"This team has a chance to go places, but not without another top-of-the-rotation starter," writes Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News. "What we've learned about the American League so far is that no one's running away with it, and opportunities like this are not to be squandered. You have to know when your team has a legitimate shot and go all in."
The Rangers' offense doesn't need any reinforcement - it ranks fourth in the MLB with 263 runs scored. They lack an established ace, which is an essential piece because each time that pitcher steps on the mound he gives a club such a greater chance to win. Sherrington believes Cole Hamels or Chris Sale would fit the bill here, but they won't be cheap.
"Hamels would probably cost the Rangers a package headed by prize catching prospect Jorge Alfaro. If that's too expensive for you, know that the Phillies once wanted either Joey Gallo or Chi Chi Gonzalez to go with him. Both remain off-limits, primarily because of the impact they've made on the Rangers already this season. In order to get Hamels, it's going to hurt.
"Hamels certainly is the most publicized ace available, but there might be others. If the White Sox keep sinking, they might be tempted to sell Chris Sale.
"This is where Daniels needs to get creative and perhaps get out in front of the market, just as he did on his first World Series run."
Hamels will undoubtedly be traded before the deadline, but the odds of Sale being dealt are slim. The White Sox (26-30) are in last place in the AL Central, but sit only 6.5 games behind the first-place Kansas City Royals. Additionally, general manager Rick Hahn spent a lot of money this past offseason to build a competitive team for the next few years, and it's unlikely he parts ways with perhaps his most valuable asset. Sale, 26, is guaranteed $29.15 million through the 2017 season, but also has a $12.5 million team option for 2018 and a $13.5 million team option for 2019. That's a bargain deal for one of the best pitchers in the MLB.
So while it's interesting to think about Sale being made available, it's probably not going to happen unless the White Sox decide to undergo a drastic overhaul just months after already doing so.
Hamels looks to be the main target here. Last week we wrote about how the Rangers are perhaps the best fit for the Phillies in a trade for the left-hander. After all, the two sides nearly reached a deal in the offseason, but talks fell through after they couldn't agree on the amount of money the Phillies would cover in Hamels' contract. And don't forget, the Rangers are not on Hamels' no-trade list, so he can be sent to Texas without his permission.
However, Houston could be lurking in the shadows as they're looking to land an ace before the deadline as well.
"'The goal is a No. 1 or 2,' says a person familiar with Houston's thinking -- although GM Jeff Luhnow, the architect of the 34-21 team, amended that slightly to say the focus will be on any pitcher who could qualify to pitch games '1 through 3' in a hypothetical playoff rotation, without naming names," according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Hamels has been mentioned here as well.
The price will likely be a steep one for Hamels, but the Rangers have a ripe opportunity to contend for a division title if they continue playing the baseball they're capable of playing.
Daniels' protégé, A.J. Preller, is now known as one of the most active and gutsy general managers in baseball less than a year into his contract with the San Diego Padres. Preller learned from Daniels, so we can at least deduce that the Rangers' GM is not scared to make a big move.
