With more to do after July deals, Rangers could try to trade from this group in off-season

The trade-deadline haul procured last month by Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and his crew of assistants and scouts will be finalized by either the end of the week or a few days into next week.

That’s when the two remaining players to be named from two July 31 trades will be named, putting names to all 10 players (11 when including since-released outfielder Austin Jackson) brought in through five July deals.

The Rangers have identified the players who will complete the Keone Kela and Jake Diekman trades, so they are able to assess the group and satisfy the fundamental question to any player grabbed by a rebuilding team.

Yes, Daniels said, the organization is in a better spot than it was July 1, but the work isn’t done. There’s one group of players the Rangers could make available during the off-season to add to the rebuild.

“It all helps,” Daniels said. “Everything we do, hopefully, moves the ball. I’m not sure it will change the year we think we’re going to win it all. Every move you make helps in that direction.”

Of the 10 players added, right-handers Cory Gearrin and Eddie Butler are in the majors. None of the eight prospects will be pitching for the Rangers this season, and most won’t next season either.

Left-hander Taylor Hearn, from Royse City, is the gem of the group and the mostly likely to pitch for them in 2019. Daniels said that Hearn, acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Kela, will finish out the season with Double A Frisco and will not be a September call-up.

The only other acquisition playing above A ball is righty reliever Wei-Chieh Huang, who is also at Frisco. The Rangers dipped all the way down to the Dominican Summer League to find talent (outfielder Alexander Ovellas) but most were at Low A or High A.

The trades were executed with the Rangers lacking leverage. Diekman, Jesse Chavez and Cole Hamels were pitching on expiring contracts, so trade partners had an upper hand, and Kela’s reported behavioral issues limited the pool of interested teams.

Also, relievers typically don’t produce massive returns.

“Given those parameters, to be able to add the prospects we did and two guys that are up here in the big leagues, overall I’m pleased with what we were able to accomplish,” Daniels said.

However, he said, the Rangers would like to keep adding. The hamstring injury Monday to third baseman Adrian Beltre appears to cut off one avenue, though the Rangers’ intention before the strain was to keep him through the end of the season.

Other conversations have taken place, but nothing has gained traction.

The Rangers’ next major trade likely won’t come until the off-season, and they have one area where they have a surplus — left-handed-hitting corner outfielders/designated hitters.

There are four on the current roster with only three spots to play. Shin-Soo Choo is the only veteran in the group, and he comes with the most difficult contract to move (two years.

A veteran on a rebuilding team is an endangered species.

Teams might be more interested in Nomar Mazara, Joey Gallo and Willie Calhoun, who come with contractual control and sparkling prospect pedigrees. Their flaws have been exposed to some extent in the majors, but they are also continuing to develop at ages 23, 24 and 23.

Even in a rebuild, no player is untouchable. The Rangers, despite adding 10 players last month, are still rebuilding.

“We’ve got a bunch more work to do,” Daniels said.