The Texas Rangers are in search of bullpen help as the July 31 trade deadline draws near. It’s now become a question of how much they can stomach to surrender in any potential deals.
The Rangers have been linked to both Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed closer David Bednar and St. Louis Cardinals right-handed closer Ryan Helsley with two days to go until Thursday’s trade deadline.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first reported that the Rangers had contacted the Pirates about Bednar and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand listed them as a Helsley suitor.
The Dallas Morning News writer Evan Grant wrote earlier this month that the Rangers “have liked the 30-year-old for a while, but couldn’t justify trading for him last year both because of their uncertainty in the playoff race and Bednar’s poor performance. But he’s come back with a vengeance of late …”
Rangers
Both veteran relievers check boxes for a Rangers team that will consider all available trade candidates that fit their needs. Bednar, 30, has bounced back from a dismal 2024 campaign with a 2.37 ERA and 17 saves this season. Helsley, a 30-year-old two-time All-Star, led baseball with 47 saves last season and has a 3.00 ERA in 36 innings this year.
Related:5 potential relief pitching targets for the Rangers at the trade deadline
The Rangers can add around $5 million in salary before they reach the $241 million tax threshold. Helsley is due roughly $2.7 million for the rest of this season and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Bednar is owed less, with roughly $1.9 million left on his deal this year, and has another year of team control before he’ll become eligible for free agency after next season.
The package that any interested teams may be required to offer for Helsley and Bednar is a different story. Both were already considered two of the top relief pitchers available before Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase (who was placed on paid leave Monday as part of a gambling probe) and Baltimore Orioles closer Felix Bautista (who was placed on the injured list last week with a shoulder injury) were effectively removed from deadline discussions. That may spike a market where prices were already considered high.
According to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bednar’s asking price has included “at the minimum” an organization’s top-five prospect. The Rangers top five prospects according to MLB Pipeline, for reference, are shortstop Sebastian Walcott, catcher Malcolm Moore, right-handed pitcher Alejandro Rosario, right-handed pitcher Winston Santos and left-handed pitcher Kohl Drake.
The Rangers have shifted into a more aggressive buyer’s position after a near-perfect homestand lifted to within striking distance of the American League Wild Card race and to within four games of the first-place Houston Astros in the AL West. They will now need to determine how much they’re willing to mortgage to support that chase.