Rangers missed trade opportunity could have helped them reset quickly

The Texas Rangers had a run to remember last October when they reached the postseason as a Wild Card team and went on to win their first World Series title.

However, this October is set to be far less climactic than the last, as they are well out of postseason contention. They have been in such a position since the midway point of the 2024 season.

They had an opportunity to get a quick reset at the trade deadline by dealing away some of their pending free agents, but they chose to hold onto them.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report noted that this would have been a wise decision to make at the trade deadline.

"Texas is nearly $12 million above the competitive balance tax threshold and headed for a second consecutive season with a relatively small luxury tax payment. But the Rangers could have easily avoided that and reset their 'tax offender clock' by simply unloading their impending free agents," Miller wrote. "Trading away Andrew Heaney, Max Scherzer, Kirby Yates and Jose Leclerc would have saved them right around $12 million, not to mention the prospect haul they could have gotten by making those arms available on what was a lackluster trade block."

The Rangers ultimately chose to make moves in both directions at the trade deadline, buying and selling. However, they would have been in a good position to get a quick reset if they made some of their arms available.

Even Nathan Eovaldi is somebody that they could have floated around as a trade piece. They could have potentially capitalized on his value in what truly was a weaker trade block.

Not many big names were available, which would have made it easy for Texas to get a solid haul of prospects and set themselves up well for 2025 and beyond.

Instead, they chose not to give up on the 2024 season despite their trajectory, ultimately costing themselves that chance to capitalize on the value of some of their soon-to-be free agents.

Now, the best they can hope for if they want to get below the luxury tax threshold is a compensation draft pick for the free agents if they ultimately choose to depart. They could also keep them around too.

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