Rangers Acquire Merrill Kelly in Blockbuster Deadline Deal

In a big time and for some a shocking move, the Rangers acquire sure handed Starter Merrill Kelly to seemingly solidify their already top end rotation and will likely resort in one of Kumar Rocker or Jack Leiter into the bullpen or potentially even open up the talks of a 6 man rotation to save the arms of Degrom, Eovaldi and even Kelly. 

Along with the trade in a corresponding move, INF has been DFA’d in order to make room on the 40 man roster.

Kelly will ultimately be a rental unless he is resigned in the offseason but brings a 3.22 ERA to the table and has been dealing over his last 15 games started with an 2.87 ERA. Kelly will provide postseason experience in the clubhouse as Ranger fans should remember him well from Kelly blanking the Rangers in 7 great innings, except for a Mitch Garver solo shot in Game 2 of 2023 World Series. This is also an addition to the bullpen if you truly think about as explained before with the need to move one of the Rangers young guns to the bullpen. Adding a Rocker to the bullpen could be a truly viable option and could turn Rocker into a premier bullpen piece heading into the postseason race. All this is purely speculation though as Rocker will take the mound tonight vs Seattle and we have not heard from Chris Young or Rangers Skipper Bruce Bochy. 

Now for the return, the Rangers send No. 5, 9, and 13 prospects Kohl Drake, Mitch Bratt and David Hagaman. Three Top 15 Organization pitching prospects is a very hefty haul for a 36-year-old RHP who will be a free agent and shows signs that the offense will compliment the pitching unlike it has for most of the 2025 season. 

Kohl Drake bursted into the scene last year and between adding on muscle mass and honing in on his pitches to excel at weak contact and getting outs has shot through the Rangers system and recently got the promotion to Triple-A where had an 5.19 ERA having struggled in his first 4 appearances but had a 2.44 in 12 Appearances for AA in Frisco. He was a joy to speak to and cover during his tenure in the Rangers Organization.

The next prospect No. 9 Mitch Bratt was especially another talent similar to Drake being a lefty that didn’t have blow it by you stuff and was forced to more so be a pitcher to get guys out rather than a flame throwing Hurler. The 22-year-old lefty struggled in his call up last year but did work in the offseason and had put together a great year in Frisco tossing 90.2 Innings and having a 3.18 ERA to go along with it in his 18 Games pitched. Bratt along with Drake could very well be in a Major league uniform before the end of the 2026 season if they both keep up their great work.

The third prospect David Hagaman came into 2025 after being drafted in 2024 in the 4th round and recovering from internal brace surgery has pitched in 8 relief appearances with a 2.82 ERA in appearances for both Single-A Hickory and Rookie ball. Hagaman’s path to the Majors may be a longer one than Drake and Bratt but was still a top 5 round talent in the system slowly building his arm back up in hopes of moving up into the system. 

This trade will take a few years to see the trickle effects, everything from how the Rangers perform and if they make the postseason how deep they can go, along with how the Careers of all three prospects send off pan out in the end. overall the Rangers stood firm on the belief that they are good enough to make another 2023 like run and stood as buyers at the 2025 Trade Deadline. Only time will tell if Chris Young and company made the right call and right moves. 

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