MLB trade action is sure to heat up over the next couple weeks, but the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants didn’t do much to move the needle on Sunday.
Manny Machado. Noah Syndergaard. Josh Donaldson. Brian Dozier. J.A. Happ. Jose Abreu. Adrian Beltre. These are some of the notable names contending teams are in line to make a move for as the MLB trade deadline gets closer at the end of the month.
On Sunday, the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants gave us some July trade action, but don’t get your hopes up.
The Rangers, who are 39-51 and 20.5 games back in the AL West entering Sunday, will get outfielder Austin Jackson, reliever Cory Gearrin and pitching prospect Jason Bahr. The Giants, for their trouble, will get a dreaded and loathed “player to be named later” or cash considerations.
The Giants are in some position to make a push toward a playoff spot, at 4.5 games back in the NL West and 5.5 back in the Wild Card race going into Sunday. But they are the team giving up the tangible assets in this trade, as much as Jackson (.240/.309/.295 slash-line, 13 RBI and two stolen bases this season-165 plate appearances), Gearrin (4.20 ERA over 35 appearances) and Bahr (23 years old and never pitched above High-A) can be considered great assets.
Gearrin does have a 9.3 K/9 rate this year, and he posted a 1.99 ERA out of the Giants’ bullpen last year. So I’m sure he’ll pitch some very important, high leverage innings over the rest of this year for a Rangers team marching toward 90 to 100 losses.
As it is, the Rangers don’t plan to keep Jackson.
By shedding Jackson the Giants cleared the way for top prospect Steven Duggar, who is in Sunday’s lineup for his major league debut hitting leadoff and playing centerfield. Gearrin’s departure will open the door for pitching prospect Ray Black, who was also called up.
The Rangers will also be absorbing the remainder of Jackson’s salary.
It’s a purely financial transaction for the Giants, and the Rangers will immediately flip the most recognizable name in the deal. The action will definitely ramp up as bigger names keep getting bounced through the rumor mill, but this march toward the trade deadline is off to an incredibly dull start.