It wasn’t long ago that the Rangers looked as if they were likely to buy at the July 31 trade deadline, but the club’s now plummeting down the standings. Losers of seven straight, the Rangers sit 50-49 and six games back of a wild-card spot. The club could sell before the deadline as a result, with Mike Minor, Hunter Pence and Danny Santana representing a few of its players who have drawn reported interest of late. Add right-handed relievers Jose Leclerc and Chris Martin to the group, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
Between Leclerc and Martin, the former clearly boasts more trade value. Leclerc’s a season removed from performing like one of the game’s very best relievers, and he’s controllable for the foreseeable future at team-friendly prices. After Leclerc’s dominant 2018, the Rangers locked him up to a four-year, $14.75MM guarantee with club options for $6MM (2023) and $6.25MM (’24).
Although the 25-year-old Leclerc hasn’t been the force he was last season, he has largely moved past a dismal opening to 2019. Leclerc owned an ERA upward of 7.00 through April, causing the Rangers to remove him as their closer, but that number is now a more palatable 4.20. The hard-throwing Leclerc’s 3.44 FIP is far better, while his 13.6 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 comprise an above-average K/BB ratio (3.09).
Martin – another high-velocity option – has been effective this season, but the 33-year-old is down to his last couple months of team control. He’s making $2.25MM to close out the two-year, $4MM contract he signed with the Rangers in 2018 after pitching in Japan over the previous two seasons.
Martin walked just over a batter per nine innings last year in his stateside return, but the figure has shrunk to a tiny .73 this season. He’s also striking out 9.97, helping Martin to the majors’ leading K/BB ratio (13.67) among qualified relievers. Martin has also posted an attractive ERA (3.16), though FIP (4.06) isn’t nearly as bullish. It’s also worth noting home runs have become an extreme problem for Martin, who has yielded 1.95 per nine after averaging a bit more than one over the same span in 2018. Oddly enough, Martin’s newfound HR troubles have come despite a massive groundball increase. He has induced them 49 percent of the time in 2019 after doing so at a 40.5 percent clip last season.
Nice ERA.
Well good thing teams are smart enough to not judge players based on their current ERA
Lol.
It was a 420 joke, brother.
Had wanted Leclerc since last year maybe a Minor & him package wonder what that would cost ????
Ron Washington
No deal.
I know. I love that guy. If it doesn’t manage again he has a job for life in ATL. IF defense is so much better with him around.
Yelp i say trade off Leclerc and Ordor and Marza and Elvis and Cabrera. Get all you can for these knotheads. Plus throw Dsinels in on the mix to somebody could use another butt kisser loser.
Nobody’s trading for Odor. And I think the Rangers would be better off keeping Mazara. But go ahead and trade the others.
I know. Another bad Daniels contract in Odor…..
how is elvis a knothead
I would like the Braves to acquire Minor, Leclerc. I can see them giving up Drew waters, and kolby Allard as the top headlines prospects going to Texas… and I like the idea of Pence and Santana both going to Tampa, they wouldn’t bet a huge prospect for either player by themselves but combined maybe a prospect that will turn into a top 100 prospect like a Ian Gibaut.
I’d also like to trade Mazara as well, but with him being replacement lvl right it’ll be hard to find a good prospect to get with him, maybe the Mets? They always seems to have issues with the outfield. Maybe they can get a player like Anthony Kay or David Peterson if the Mets overpay to get him, I see a prospect like Jorden Humphreys and someone else for him if Mets play their cards right
ATL needs a sure-fire closer, not another controllable arm with a sky-high limit and control problems. We have enough of those already.
I would love a return of Waters, Allard +.
If the braves really went all in and tried to trade for Minor Leclerc and Santana theyd probably be giving up some good stuff on the way back. But they are so loaded i can see them getting away with it without seeing the them deplete their top of the farm either.
Texas would want pitching, theyre actually logjammed in the OF a bit and have some decent OF prospects already. But i think one of Wright/Anderson, Allard, and one more like Muller would be enough to land all 3.
I know that sounds steep but its 1.5 of Minor, 4 of Leclerc, and 3 of Santana (Assuming he plays well enough to keep a roster spot) Thats alot of cost controlled production so its gonna take a bit to make it happen.
Minor, Leclerc, and Santana will all be traded separately, if at all. The return would be better. I could see Chris Martin tacked on to a Mike Minor trade though.
It seems like you’d get a whole bunch of lotto tickets rather than a couple/few guys you really think will have a high ceiling if you were to trade them individually.
Santana, Leclerc, and Minor all still have term left on their contracts. Texas doesn’t have to trade any of them. They already will be asking a lot for Minor on his own. Leclerc would be selling low, so I highly doubt he’s traded. Santana may have more value to the Rangers than others. He doesn’t have to be traded though. Ask for quality. If they don’t get it, keep him. Texas isn’t going to take lotto tickets for either Leclerc or Santana, and throwing them in with Minor wouldn’t drastically change the prospect quality.
Dodger sent scout to see them pitch
If you trade for Martin it “could be paradise” for your team…
Why would you trade Leclerc if you were the Rangers and take a chance on a prospect unless somebody is giving you a sure fire prospect? And who would trade a sure fire prospect for Leclerc? You don’t trade away a player that can contribute that you have control over for 5 more years after this one.
I dont think they would give him away. If people are asking, tell them the price and let them hang up. No harm in letting people ask and discuss. If Leclerc manages to get a good offer or someone is willing to go big on a package of Leclerc with another guy then we should listen.
Im still hoping the braves or padres call to try and get everyone they can from us. Both farms have a ton pitching and both could be buying aggressively.
Do NOT trade Leclerc.