For the 2025 Major League Baseball season, expectations were sky-high for the Texas Rangers. Before the first pitch was thrown, many analysts and fans alike believed the team boasted possibly the deepest and most fearsome batting lineup in the entire sport. With star power from the top to the bottom of the order, conventional wisdom held that the Rangers would effortlessly carry this offensive dominance through the year.
But as the season progressed, something unexpected occurred. The narrative many had written early on flipped. Instead of offense leading the charge, pitching became the savior. It’s that unexpected twist—pitching sustaining a squad built for big bats—that has defined Texas’s year thus far. This pivot in strengths, along with injury woes and trade rumors, is the story of a promising team struggling to find its identity.
1. Preseason Outlook: The Mighty Astros of Texas?
1.1 The Hype About the Rangers’ Offense
Coming into 2025, the Rangers’ projected batting order was a sight to behold. From leadoff hitters to cleanup power, their lineup read like a highlight reel. Each player possessed the talent to deliver game-changing moments—home runs, on-base consistency, extra-base hits—that could, in theory, overwhelm any pitcher. To many, the offensive firepower promised run production on a monthly, even daily, basis.
It wasn’t just the individual prowess that excited observers—it was the depth. Many teams build around one or two superstars and hope the rest can hold their own. But Texas appeared to have legitimate threats in every spot. The idea: face this array of hitters at your own risk. The entire batting championship seemed to rest in Arlington.
1.2 A Recurring Caveat: Pitching Concerns
Amid all the optimism, however, came whispered caveats about Texas’s pitching. The Rangers, after all, have long been associated with lineup-heavy sabotage—big bats up front, shaky arms behind. Critics were skeptical that the starting rotation and bullpen could shoulder a championship run. After all, even the most potent offense can be ground to dust if it doesn’t consistently get six quality innings from its starters or if it routinely explodes in the late frames.
So while enthusiasm focused on the offense, the collective memory of pitching struggles hung over the team like a dark cloud. That discrepancy—an embarrassment of riches with bats versus a dearth of talent on the bump—seemed ready to be the narrative’s subtitle.
2. Season Developments: A Surprising Twist
2.1 When the Arms Outshine the Bats
As games turned into weeks, a trend began to emerge: Texas’s pitching staff had ignited. Almost immediately, their starting rotation delivered performance that defied preseason skepticism. Game after game, they did the unexpected—they gave the offense a real chance to win.
Whether via strikeout duels, shutout innings, or efficient pitch counts, the staff anchored Texas’s competitiveness. The growth and consistency across the rotation became a storyline in itself.
One of the most remarkable aspects? The lack of key contributors due to injury. Tell that story another way: Texas’s rotation kept them afloat even as injuries drained it.
2.2 Battling Through an Injury Plague
In 2025, the Rangers endured pitching-health issues that would have flattened many teams:
Cody Bradford and Jon Gray: Both were shut down for the season early on. These two anchors left significant voids, and recovery wasn’t quick, keeping them off the mound all year.
Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter, Nathan Eovaldi, and Tyler Mahle: All spent stretches on the injured list, sidelining Texas during critical portions of the season.
Despite these setbacks, the rotation didn’t just tread water. They excelled. Whether it was a lesser-known name stepping into the rotation or key strikeouts in high-leverage moments, Texas’s staff refused to fold. They threw strikes, battled through innings, and held opponents in check. It was the diametric opposite of preseason thinking.
3. The Offense Fails to Deliver
3.1 The Ugly Scoring Stats
Meanwhile, offense—a strength forged in expectation—had stamped their return ticket. Not collectively, but in missed opportunity. As of play on June 20, 2025, the Rangers were averaging just 3.60 runs per game—a figure that ranks among the five worst in all of baseball. Only the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Pittsburgh Pirates scored fewer.
That’s a dramatic regression from the preseason hype. In a lineup rumored to be unstoppable, they were regularly being shut down. Game after game lacked runs, lacked clutch hits, lacked spark.
3.2 Sitting on the Outside Looking In
By mid-June, Texas found itself in a familiar yet frustrating position: on the periphery of the postseason race. They weren’t quite out of it, but they weren’t comfortably in, either.
Fans and front-office alike were asking: With pitching performing, could a resurgent offense push them over the top? Or would this stall be the ceiling they’d hit?
Given this sputtering run production, internal discussions began. No rumors of a sell-off—Texas seemed intent on contending. But to contend under their own terms, they needed help.
4. All Eyes on July: Will Texas Buy or Sell?
4.1 To Trade or Not to Trade?
Approaching the July 31 “trade deadline,” teams generally fall into two categories:
Sellers: Letting talent go for prospects when it’s clear the season’s downhill.
Buyers: Acquiring pieces to bolster a playoff charge.
Texas, at this point in June, leaned toward the latter approach. Despite being somewhat adrift, they saw enough in their pitching and locker room to believe a dash toward October was viable—if only the bats woke up.
That meant chasing active impact players—particularly offensive-minded ones who could reverse the run-scoring slide. And that brings us to a specific trade idea conjectured by Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required).
4.2 The Ozuna-to-Rangers Proposal
In a detailed trade projection, Bowden toed a clear line: a major boost to offense came via Marcell Ozuna—a sought-after designated hitter dubbed a premier option by July if Atlanta chose to sell.
Ozuna’s 2025 so far: 11 home runs, 39 RBIs, and an emerging eye at the plate—on pace for a career-high in walks, with 52 already.
2024 recap: 39 homers and 104 RBIs—dubbed one of the most feared left-handed bats in baseball.
Bowden’s vision: The Rangers acquire Ozuna by trading prospect LHP Kohl Drake to the Braves. In return, Texas gets a middle-of-order bat capable of right-handed power—a shored-up complement to existing lefty hitters.
This hypothetical deal ticks several boxes:
Immediate run-production.
Strengthening a lineup lacking a consistent scoring presence.
Addressing the one area—offense—that’s holding them back.
If Atlanta faltered and decided to sell, especially underperformance or trade winds, Ozuna could become available—and coveted.
5. Context: Texas’s Present Designated Hitter Situation
5.1 Joc Pederson’s Meager Returns
Part of why Ozuna makes sense: Texas currently invested in Joc Pederson as their daytime DH. Signed in free agency to fill that exact role, Pederson has not lived up to his contract’s anticipation.
His results have lacked the hallmark power and run creation expected when he was signed. He’s been serviceable, but not dominantly so, leaving a vacuum DH that can’t be ignored.
5.2 Pederson’s Injury & Its Ripples
To add insult to disappointment, Pederson suffered a fractured hand, sending him to the injured list and sidelining him for a minimum six weeks. His timeline projected a return somewhere around mid-July at the earliest—possibly later if complications arise.
In his absence, Texas is eager—or perhaps pressured—to fill that DH void, either with internal options, platoon hits, or via trade. This amplifies the potential value of adding somebody like Ozuna.
6. Taking It All In: Should Texas Pull the Trigger?
6.1 The Case for Acquisition
Instant boost: Ozuna brings dramatic power, clutch hits, a strong on-base presence. He’s a middle-order staple in winning lineups.
Handedness complement: With his right-handed swing, he balances the lefty-heavy RH/LH mix, pairing well with players like Pederson, who bats from the left.
Playoff reinforcer: If Texas truly believes they can make the postseason, the additional slugging would catalyze offensive consistency.
6.2 The Cost Factor
Losing a prospect: Trading Kohl Drake sacrifices a future left-handed arm. Yet, in a “win-now” or “win-right-now” mindset, that cost might be worth the payoff.
Roster logjam: Even once Pederson returns, where do both DHs find time? The answer could lie in sending one to the bench or shifting roles.
Fit and clubhouse: Every trade needs chemistry. Integration of a new bat can be unpredictable—yet Ozuna is veteran, and clubhouse synergy is likely manageable.
7. Wider Implications
7.1 Are They Buyers or Sellers?
Texas’s fielding of this question reveals an aggressive posture: With a functioning pitching arm and ample time before playoffs, they appear more inclined to buy rather than sell.
But it’s a tightrope: playoffs aren’t guaranteed. The return on an Ozuna trade could sway back — if offense stagnates or pitching falters again.
7.2 The Trade Deadline as a Pivot Point
Historically, July trades have sparked surges—for better or worse. Texas’s front office must weigh:
Short-term gain: A push with Ozuna could take them deeper.
Long-term costs: Losing Drake and possibly future assets with minimal gain.
Risk and reward. That’s baseball’s trade reality, especially in midsummer.
8. Looking Ahead: July & Beyond
Internal suspense: Will minor-league reinforcements emerge? Are there hidden gems waiting in Triple-A?
Free agent availability: Outside-existing-team trades, could Texas pursue international or domestic options?
Momentum: Even without the deal, a hot streak can change trajectory. Conversely, slump or injuries elsewhere could force defensive trade equity.
9. Summary: Season So Far & What’s to Come
1. Preseason stage: Offense dominant. But pitching labeled as a risk.
2. Reality check: The bats lagged; the arms excelled.
3. Midseason: Average run scoring (3.60 RPG), bottom-quintile league ranking.
4. Injury impact: Pederson and rotation’s top-3 starters sidelined—creating urgency.
5. Trade rumors: Ozuna emerges as perfect DH reinforcement.
6. Deadline decision: Texas likely a buyer—seeking offense.
7. Future direction: The next month will define 2025 for Texas.
8. The Final Word
What looked like a run-away replica of elite offense (2010s Rangers style) transformed into a pitching-led battleground. Texas’s arms have stubbornly carried them. But baseball’s final word goes to runs on the board. Until the bats respond—internally or by acquisition—this Rangers team hangs in baseball’s balance.
If they land a bat like Marcell Ozuna, the scales could tip. If not? The same old story: excitement unwinds into winter means and contemplation. And fans will remember not just the surprises of 2025, but those dusty leaves of possibility turning into a pennant push—or fade.
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