{"id":456187,"date":"2026-10-04T13:32:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T13:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/456187\/"},"modified":"2026-10-04T13:32:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T13:32:10","slug":"three-trade-targets-who-could-solve-the-texas-rangers-biggest-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/456187\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Trade Targets Who Could Solve the Texas Rangers\u2019 Biggest Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9t\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/rangers\/onsi\/position-texas-rangers-must-address-for-this-offseason-success\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Texas Rangers<\/a> have plenty to improve on the offensive side. But no position needs more help than center field.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9y\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/rangers\/onsi\/projecting-the-rangers-2027-starting-rotation-is-change-really-on-horizon\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/rangers\/onsi\/projecting-the-rangers-2027-starting-rotation-is-change-really-on-horizon\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Evan Carte<\/a>r remained available most of the season but batted under .200 and still could not hit left-handed pitching. As good as his glove is, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/rangers\/onsi\/this-texas-rangers-player-most-likely-to-be-traded-this-offseason\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rangers<\/a> may need to move on from him \u2014\u00a0or at least ensure they have someone that can play alongside him and be an option if he\u2019s unable to improve. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"a3\">To that end, here are three trade candidates that could either replace him or push him to be better or be replaced. <\/p>\n<p>Buy High Option: Andy Pages, Dodgers<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m426sfr4q6yhqzhbbx.jpg\" alt=\"Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages runs around the bases.\" title=\"Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages runs around the bases.\" width=\"360\" height=\"203\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"ak\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages.  Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"aq\">The Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder is coming off his first All-Star Game appearance and slashed .343\/.468\/.811\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0  with 23 home runs and 85 RBI. Unlike Carter, Pages has stayed healthy in all three of his MLB seasons. He\u2019s just about to enter his arbitration seasons so his cost can be controlled to some degree. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"av\">He\u2019s about to turn 26 years old which means he\u2019s hitting his prime. The Dodgers probably see him as their future center fielder. The Rangers would have come with a compelling package of players, some of which should be in the Majors now. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"b0\">Texas would have to see Pages as their center fielder for the next several years to make this kind of deal. It also means they\u2019re ready to move on from Carter. <\/p>\n<p>The Depth-Stealing Option: Jake McCarthy, Rockies<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m426re6q8z2vdj0gy4.jpg\" alt=\"Colorado Rockies left fielder Jake McCarthy swings his bat at a baseball during a game.\" title=\"Colorado Rockies left fielder Jake McCarthy swings his bat at a baseball during a game.\" width=\"360\" height=\"203\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"bh\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Colorado Rockies left fielder Jake McCarthy. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-10\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"bn\">The Colorado Rockies traded for McCarthy last offseason and he was a revelation, as he slashed 291\/.334\/.475 with 15 home runs and 83 RBI. He played nearly as many games in center field (68) as he did in left field (81). For the Rangers he would play in center field. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"bs\">He\u2019s attractive for a couple of reasons. First, he\u2019s still in arbitration so there\u2019s an ability to control cost. Second, the Rockies have a glut of young outfielders and needs to create room for top prospect Charlie Condon in 2027. Dealing McCarthy eases the glut. It gives the Rangers another left-handed hitter and Carter legitimate competition for his job. <\/p>\n<p>The Dice Roll: Denzel Clarke, Athletics<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m426pxp1t1keen3gnq.jpg\" alt=\"Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke runs around the bases.\" title=\"Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke runs around the bases.\" width=\"360\" height=\"203\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"c9\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke. Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"cf\">Like the Rockies, the Athletics have a glut of outfielders and must ease it in some way. A trade is the easiest way. Like Carter, Clarke comes with plenty of promise but hasn\u2019t quite figured it out yet. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-15\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"ck\">In 87 MLB games across two seasons Clarke has slashed .205\/.261\/.304 with three home runs and 14 RBI. But the former fourth-round pick has an elite glove like Carter with eight defensive runs saved in his MLB career. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-16\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"cp\">It could work as a platoon to start with. Clarke hits left-handers better and that\u2019s where Carter struggles. Carter hits right-handers better. Both won\u2019t make much money in 2027, and the Rangers could let them fight it out for the starting job by 2028. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-17\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"cu\">It comes with the least cost and the least risk for the Rangers. It also gives Carter one more chance to impress. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\" class=\"shrink-0\"\/>Add us as a preferred source on Google<a aria-label=\"Follow si.com on Google News\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=si.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" preventdefault:click=\"\" class=\"flex h-[30px] w-[30px] shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-primary font-group-large text-sm font-medium text-white transition-colors hover:bg-secondary focus:bg-secondary md:w-auto md:gap-2.5 md:px-4 md:py-[5px]\" on:click=\"q-BKH5TN-7.js#s_lDqay9E5m5g[0]\" q:id=\"d0\">Follow<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Texas Rangers have plenty to improve on the offensive side. But no position needs more help than&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":456188,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[27,29,28],"class_list":["post-456187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=456187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456187\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/456188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=456187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=456187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=456187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}