Here’s what the Rangers did in the final hours, minutes before trade deadline
A lot of talking took place the past two weeks, but the right buyer never came along.
The Texas Rangers did not trade any of their players thought to be available ahead of the 3 p.m. trade deadline Wednesday after failing to get the value they were seeking.
All-Star left-hander Mike Minor, the pitcher thought to be most readily available, was to start Wednesday night as scheduled against the Seattle Mariners. Others who weren’t traded include right-hander Lance Lynn, utility man Danny Santana and outfielders Hunter Pence and Nomar Mazara.
All but Pence are under control for next season.
“We explored a lot of different things,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “Some we came close on. Others never made it off the white board, so to speak. There was definitely more activity the past two days. There were a couple things that came close late today that I thought might line up, but ultimately it didn’t come to fruition.”
Minor was long rumored as one of the top available pitchers on the market, and teams started calling in earnest around lunchtime. Daniels said that the Rangers had an offer for Pence in the final minutes before the deadline.
Pence was an All-Star this season after signing a minor-league deal for spring training. He is a free agent after the season, but the Rangers might be interested in keeping the 36-year-old Arlington native.
The team continues to covet his professionalism and energy.
The Rangers signed Minor in December 2017 to a three-year deal worth $28 million after he returned from two years’ worth of shoulder injuries as an effective reliever with the Kansas City Royals.
Minor was allowed to start for the Rangers, though they kept a tight leash on him as he started for the first time since 2014. He ended up leading the team in starts and innings pitched despite the reduced workload.
The reins were removed this season, and Minor logged two complete games for the Rangers. Minor went 8-4 with a 2.54 ERA in the first half to earn his first selection to the All-Star Game, though he did not pitch.
The 31-year-old entered his 22nd start of the season at 8-6 with a 3.00 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 135 innings.
No team could match how much the Rangers value Minor, who is under contract for 2019 and is a candidate for a contract extension. Daniels said he tried to be as transparent with Minor and agent B.B. Abbott as possible.
“We’ve acknowledged that it was a possibility but not something that we’re going to force,” Daniels said. “He’s been on of the best pitchers in the American League. We value him at a really high level, and for what we perceived as below that value we weren’t going to do something. However it plays out, we still feel like there are a lot of options there.”
Santana is arbitration-eligible for two more seasons after this one, the best of his career. Mazara also has two years of club control, and the Rangers are hoping his six-game hitting streak is a sign that he can produce the best season of his career.
Lynn, among the MLB leaders in wins (13), will start Friday.
This story was originally published July 31, 2019 at 3:08 PM.
