The Texas Rangers have been serious players at the MLB trade deadline since Jon Daniels became the club's general manager, and this year will be no different. Let's take a look at a possible Rangers target for the July 31 deadline.
Target: Ricky Nolasco, RHP, Miami Marlins
Nolasco is an interesting case who's kind of flown under the radar this year to have a solid season through the first half. ESPN's Jayson Stark said that Nolasco's market has basically come down to three teams: the Dodgers, Rockies and Rangers.
This season, the veteran righty leads the league with 18 starts, proving he's durable, and is 5-8 with a 3.85 ERA with a 7.2 K/9 ratio. Looking at his game log, he resembles what we all love about Derek Holland, at times, and what Holland is starting to grow out of — inconsistency.
The only thing here the Rangers have to guard against is that Nolasco might not be a significant upgrade over anyone in the top 3-4 in the rotation — not like Matt Garza, for instance, who would probably slide into the No. 2 spot and make Holland a very effective No. 3 starter. He's a lower-level rental than Garza, though, so he could be worth looking at if the Rangers want to make a move for a starting pitcher.