The Deadline Gamble That Didn’t Pay Off

At the 2025 trade deadline, the Rangers clearly decided they needed to win now — and they put serious chips on the table to try doing just that. Rather than selling off assets, Texas went all-in to augment its rotation and bullpen, sending a haul of pitching prospects — including Kohl Drake, Mitch Bratt and David Hagaman — to the Diamondbacks for veteran starter Merrill Kelly plus adding relievers like Danny Coulombe and Phil Maton.

The hope was that Kelly would bolster a rotation already featuring Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and others and push the Rangers into the postseason — but they didn’t get there. Kelly delivered a serviceable but unspectacular stretch (roughly 3-3 with a 4.23 ERA), and Coulombe’s performance cratered after the trade, leaving some fans and analysts wondering whether the return was worth the cost.

Instead of turning that last chance into a playoff run, Texas limped to an 81–81 finish, missing the postseason yet again and raising questions about the deadline strategy.

Why It Feels Like a Failure

1) Prospects Lost Without Payoff

The trio of arms sent to Arizona for the most prized rental on the trading block were among the top pitching prospects in the club’s system — young players who could have been foundational rotation or bullpen pieces in the future. Now they’re elsewhere, while the Rangers are left scrambling for depth behind their aging, top-tier arms.

2) Missed Playoffs = Missed Value

The gamble was misguidedly predicated on a sliver of hope for reaching October. Without that, the Rangers gave up future assets – that would be extremely useful in their current situation – for 10 starts from Kelly, who underperformed and has since returned to Arizona this offseason. That’s a tough pill for a fanbase that expected better from a team built to win now.

Now: A Payroll Bind and Open Needs

Because of how the deadline played out and how the roster was constructed, Texas headed into the offseason with real constraints. Their projected payroll sits high — around $190M+ once arbitration and young players are factored in — yet they still have major needs.

Big Holes

🔹 Starting Pitching Depth – With prospects traded away and older arms on the books, the Rangers lack quality depth behind their rotation’s aging top tier.
🔹 Bullpen Closer / Late-Inning Help – Even with a historically good middle relief corps, Texas had too many blown save opportunities and lacks a proven late-inning ace. They also lack the depth to avoid being predictable late in games.
🔹 Offensive Consistency & Power – The lineup struggled at times in 2025, and acquiring difference-making hitters needs to remain a priority.

All of that leaves the front office in a tight spot: the budget isn’t crushing the tax, but flexibility is limited and the team still needs to add impact arms and bats if they want to contend next year.

Bottom Line

The Rangers bet big at the 2025 trade deadline, giving up promising pitching depth for veterans in hopes of a playoff charge that never materialized. Now, with roster holes at starting pitching, bullpen, and offense — and payroll already stretched — Texas faces a tricky offseason as pitchers and catchers loom less than 40 days away. The deadline will go down as one of the more questionable moves for the future success of the young core in place, unless the front office can fix the holes it helped create by opening the checkbook again in a time of need.