The Rangers made their first move of the summer earlier this evening by dealing a pair of prospects to the Tigers in exchange for catcher Carson Kelly, who figures to replace Andrew Knizner in the club’s catching tandem alongside 2023 All-Star Jonah Heim. The move confirms that the reigning World Series champs won’t be full-blown sellers despite a lackluster 51-55 record that leaves them 4.5 games back of the Astros and Mariners in the AL West, but that doesn’t mean the club necessarily plans to buy exclusively in the coming days, either.
As noted by Joel Sherman of the New York Post in a report this evening, the Rangers are making right-hander Michael Lorenzen available on the trade market. The news comes after The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal suggested that Lorenzen (as well as right-hander Jon Gray) could be made available prior to the deadline earlier this week. The 32-year-old Lorenzen has pitched solidly as a back-of-the-rotation option for Texas this year with a 3.87 ERA in 18 starts, though the veteran’s 5.26 FIP and 11.9% walk rate could be worrisome to prospective buyers.
In a sellers’ market starved for pitching options, it’s easy to imagine how a pitcher like Lorenzen who has plenty of experience both as a starter and as a reliever could be an attractive trade target even in spite of worrisome peripheral numbers. Meanwhile, dealing Lorenzen would allow the Rangers to recoup some long-term value for a pending free agent who could be forced out of his current role on the team by the impending returns of Tyler Mahle, Jacob deGrom, and Cody Bradford from injury.
That doesn’t mean that Lorenzen is a lock to be moved, however, as Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today writes that the Rangers could opt to take the right-hander off the market in the aftermath of Gray exiting his start today without throwing a pitch due to a groin injury. As noted by Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News, Gray is set to undergo imaging to determine the severity of the issue. With none of Mahle, Bradford, nor deGrom likely to be ready to step into the club’s rotation just yet, a significant absence for Gray could complicate the club’s plans to deal Lorenzen by leaving them with only Nathan Eovaldi, Max Scherzer, and Andrew Heaney as active members of the starting rotation.
Wilson goes on to suggest, however, the Lorenzen isn’t the only name the club could consider shopping in the coming days. Wilson reports that first baseman Nathaniel Lowe’s “name has surfaced” as a potential trade chip for the Rangers this summer amid an excellent July that has boosted his overall season slash line to .266/.361/.390 (114 wRC+). While Lowe could certainly be a potentially valuable addition for certain teams, two of the most obvious suitors for a first baseman this deadline are the Rangers’ own division rivals in Houston and Seattle. Even in an age where intradivisional trading has become more common, its hard to imagine the Rangers helping either the Astros or Mariners improve in the short terms as they look to chase them down for the AL West title this year. Still, it’s possible the Rangers are able to find a suitor for Lowe’s services elsewhere, such as in Pittsburgh where the Pirates could look to upgrade over Rowdy Tellez at first base.
The loss of Lowe from the lineup would further weaken a beleaguered Rangers offense, but Wilson goes on to suggest that dealing Lowe could open up a spot in the club’s lineup for Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz. Diaz is currently on the restricted list due to an undisclosed personal matter, but the Rangers were connected to him earlier this week. Diaz has slashed just .272/.327/.400 (111 wRC+) this year following a slow start to the season but is just one year removed from a sixth-place finish in AL MVP voting with the Rays last season.
The 32-year-old is controllable through the 2026 season just like Lowe is, and it’s theoretically possible that the Rangers could look to upgrade first base while retaining the same amount of team control should they manage to land Diaz while shipping Lowe elsewhere. Alternatively, it’s certainly feasible that the club could retain both players and utilize one as their primary DH for the remainder of the 2024 campaign before looking to trade one this winter should the club decide to commit fully to buying this summer. Such a move would provide an undeniable boost to the Texas offense, which has gotten an MLB-worst 57 wRC+ from the DH spot in the lineup this year.
Trade Lowe I’m down if we get Yandy
Why would the Rangers do that swap??? That makes no sense!!!
I’m with you. Trading one high-OBP gap-to-gap first baseman for another does little to improve the lineup.
If you want to make a move that would actually help, add a bat to improve the Rangers’ dismal outfield situation.
Lowe is a considerably less expensive option with more years of team control. He’s not going anywhere, certainly not for the sake of making room for Diaz.
Same amount of team control!!
Getting rid of a lefty bat for a righty bat…does Texas have a glut of LHH’s somewhere? Seems odd, maybe reverse splits??
Lowes splits are pretty dead even. Where as Diazs splits are more skewed.
davidrocholl: Whereas “Where as” is not two words.
Lowes splits are pretty even. Where as Diazs splits are skewed a bit!!
The splits are pretty nominal between the two of them, though Diazs are a bit more than Lowes.
If you trade Lowe you already have Foscue, Duran,or Harris who could. Take his spot
None of those 3 are legit first baseman Yandy reigning hitting champ.
Sell
Tigers should have traded for Lorenzen back, they’ve been running 2 bullpen games a week since Olson went down and Maeda got sent to the bullpen. I liked Lorenzen when he was in Detroit last season. I like the idea of Detroit and Texas helping each other out, makes sense
Tigers have one of the worst offensive teams in the last 30 years, should be 25 games under. 500.
They do not. They haven’t been great on offense this year but that statement is inaccurate and during their last 25 games they have really picked it up now that some of their kids have started hitting.
Lowe would be fine for future years but Rowdy is hitting over 300 since mid May swing adjustment. Cutch is dh only at this point it seems. Maybe run a 3 man 2 spot rotation but not a great fit. Trade Rowdy who seems well liked. Don’t want to mess with that.
I’m trying to think of who WOULDN’T be an upgrade over Rowdy Tellez? At this point I’d say Joey Gallo and Dan Vogelbach are the only 2 I can think of.
Trade Houdini back to the Yankees
Nothing personal, but I am hoping that the Rangers fall out so that they can trade Eovaldi back to the RS.