July 25, 2025 • 11 mins
The MLB Trade Deadline is fast approaching, and the Texas Rangers are in serious need of bullpen help—specifically a lockdown closer. We dive into some top trade targets who could fill that role and help the Rangers make a strong postseason push. Could Raisel Iglesias, Kyle Finnegan or Emmanuel Clase be the answer?
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mitt Mobile.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Now.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
I was looking for fun ways to tell you that
Mint's offer of unlimited premium wireless for fifteen dollars a
month is back. So I thought it would be fun
if we made fifteen dollars bills. But it turns out
that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for
the commercial. Give it a try at mintmobile dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Slash switch up from teman and forty five dollars for
three months plan equivalent to fifteen dollars per month required
new customer offer for first three months only speeds low
aafter thirty five big bytes of network's busy taxes and
feesextra Cement mobile dot com.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
What makes us love our county so fiercely despite all
the summers of hurt? What lifts us back up year
after year after year. What stirs such passion in our
hearts and brings us out in our thousands. It's something intangible,
deep in our veins. It's our county, it's our people,
(00:52):
it's in our blood.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
AIB the toughest pride.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Sponsors of the All Islands in your football Championship.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So the trade deadline is less than a week away.
It's time for the Rangers to figure out what they're
going to do. Actually they've already figured it out, they
just got to do it. John Radigan here, Abby Jones there,
it's the DLLs Rangers podcast crew er at least part
of us. Jeff Wilson getting a little much need to
(01:20):
vacation right now. We've got the Queen Kat over there
taking care of this thing, and we're glad to have
you and talk with you on this day that we
don't have a show, but we do have thoughts. And
the Rangers, Abby, don't have a heck of a lot
of money because they still want to stay under that
two hundred and forty one million dollar luxury tax threshold,
(01:42):
but they do have needs, and so they have to
identify what's the most important need. And the most important
need right now is bullpen help, specifically a.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Closer correct and I think people want to focus on
the high end market value. The SHOT's been blowing up
with a lot of great names in baseball, but I
think we need to have realistic expectations on what the
Rangers are looking to do, maybe some players that they're
looking to target, and here at DLS, we want you
to be the most educated sports fan so that when
(02:13):
these trades do happen, you kind of already know the
lay of the land and who the guys are. So
let's run through a little list.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Sure, let's do it.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
Do we want to start with David Bednar.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, and let us say off the top that Felix
Bautista has been on this list of possible candidates, and
earlier in the week he hits the injured list. So
word I heard out of Baltimore was that he wasn't
really a trade, like somebody was going to have to
blow Baltimore away to lure him out of the Orioles organization.
(02:48):
So he's a guy with two years control left and
a low contract, you know, so anyway, but it's assured
now with him on the injured list, he won't be traded.
So yeah, we start then with Bednar.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
And this picture for the Pirates.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah, this is a guy that's been on the Rangers
radar for a long time. They thought about him in
the offseason and he he didn't have a good year
last year, but this year he's gotten back to being
who he can be. He's had a really good year,
ran off a stretch there, I think eighteen games in
a row where he didn't allow any runs. He's a
perfect thirteen and thirteen in save opportunities this year, and
(03:27):
so you know this is a guy they would definitely
be interested in. He's affordable, but again it's just a
matter of what is the prospect price for a guy
like David Bednar. He becomes arbitration eligible in twenty twenty six,
so you've got a year of control left with him.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
Yeah, he's got a two four ERA on the season.
Rad's talked about that odd campaign the year before. He
was demoted to Triple A in twenty twenty four after
a five plus RA. Since then, things have turned around
to the Dodgers are looking for those high end bullpen arms.
Yankees are interested too. He's kind of a top the
list of these arms. He's one of the best relief
(04:07):
pitchers available. But he's around a five million dollar mark.
That's currently what the Pirates are paying him. And then
again with the club control, you know, something to take
into account there. But I think bang for your buck.
Betnar's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Oh, there's no question he'd be right at the top
of the list. There's no question about that. At the
very top of the list would be a manual class set.
So it's just for fun, but that's not going to happen.
This is not going to happen. You talk about a
team that wants the mother load of the Guardians would
want the mother load for a manual class say, And
the reality is, as well as they've been playing, they've
(04:45):
gotten themselves back into this wild card race. As well
as they've been playing, I don't know that they're going
to be interested in trading him anyway. He is a stud.
He is unbelievable. He is so efficient and so effective
and has such nasty stuff. I really don't think they're
even going to trade him. And and the Rangers would
(05:05):
not have enough equity in the minor leagues to get him.
Speaker 5 (05:09):
Correct. Yeah, a one eight career e er, Yes, that's disgusting.
And then forty four innings pitch forty four strikeouts this season.
All right, So Rangers aren't really candidate for him if
he did go anywhere, because I really think he stays
with the Guardians. But if he did go anywhere, where,
do you think he'd go?
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Usual suspects Yankees and Dodgers and you know, I mean
the Dodgers seem to be really hot to get a closer,
even though they signed two in the off season.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
Well, you know, that's injuries.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Injuries, I'm getting I get it.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
That's the rich get richer, and that's.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
The danger of signing pitchers. It's a very it's a
dicey proposition.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
All right, let's go to Pete Fairbanks. You're big on
this guy, right handed pitcher from the Rays. He's a
late inning wepping with swing and miss stuff. Are interested
now he has dealt with injuries, but he's made a
ton of adjustments. He's raised his armslaught sharp in his pitch,
mix a little bit. He's got that ninety seven mile
an hour fastball. Add some cut to it, slider for
more depth.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
You know, the reason I think the Rangers will get
him is he can look out of eye with see
y big tall fellow, and so he can look see
why right boys? Uh huh yeah, no, it's and look,
I don't think the Rangers will get him because I
don't think the Rays will trade him. The Rays too
are in this race, and so I'm not sure that
(06:31):
they will. Now that said, if anybody would, the Rays would,
because they they just do such a great job with
player development and sort of reloading right, and they know
that if they trade him they can get a few
of those pieces that will ultimately become great young players
for them, the likes of which they'll trade before they
get old and reach their prime, because that's the way
(06:53):
things work when you have an ownership group like that.
Although I think they just officially sold, so maybe things
will change a little bit there. But anyway, I love Fairbanks.
He's out of this list. He's got by far the
best velo, throws over ninety seven miles an hour on
the average, and he's a former Ranger. He's drafted in
twenty fifteen, that horrible draft where the Rangers let off
(07:16):
with Dylan Tate and the ninth rounder. Fairbanks probably is
the most decorated of everybody in that draft. So it
would be a cool reunion. It's more likely than the
class at reunion. But I don't think that one is
going to happen either. Yeah, the next guy is a possibility.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
Kyle Finn again, right handed pitcher from the Nationals now
We tossed his name around the off season for two
ERA this year. This is the first time in his
career that it's been over a four nineteen saves on
the season. He was just an All Star in twenty
twenty four, so he's capable of it. He does not
strike a lot of guys out under twenty percent this year,
(07:59):
but also he doesn't walk too many. Eight point seven,
gets a lot of grounders, usually stays off the barrel.
So he also throws the ninety seven mile an hour
on his fastball, but throughout the year it's you know,
higher er inflated a little bit, hasn't been able to
click as much, but he does have that ninety seven.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
That is an option, yeah, I think, And the reality
with him is, you know, he's on a bigger contract,
but I think he's owed between five and six million
for what the rest of the season would be. I
think though, that there is some deferred money in there
and some things the Rangers could do to maybe get
that down to their more palatable range of two million.
(08:39):
So that's definitely he's definitely a possibility and a guy
they've already shown interest in. It's pretty interesting to think
though that he and Robert Garcia were teammates last year
in Washington, and the reality is, if there's a rub
on Robert who we've basically loved from the left side.
But if there's a knock on him, it's that he
(09:00):
doesn't strike guys out right. He's not that big power
strikeout guy. And now we're talking about Kyle Finnegan, who
kind of fits in the same category, although from the
other side. So a definite possibility for the Rangers.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
All right, let's talk about the eleven year veteran from Atlanta,
Rossell Iglesias. This guy's proven veteran postseason experience. His twenty
twenty five numbers are not exactly where he wants them
to be a four to three er. He's also the
most obvious trade on the Braves Ross he is.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And the reality is, I believe that it's one of
those two rental guys, which would be Finnigan or Iglesias,
that become the most attractive to the Rangers. And the
reason I think that is I think and Iglesias actually
has big money. I say big, you know, five and
a half million ish left this year on his contract.
(09:54):
I think he's on a sixteen million dollar deal, so
there's some money left to pay him. The Rangers would
have to be creative and figure out a way to
move money around to stay under that threshold. But the
reason I think these two guys would be candidates and
prime candidates for the Rangers is when you're getting a
rental player, you know there's no guarantee he's signing again
(10:18):
after this season, so you don't have and the other
team knows that too, so they don't ask for as
much nor do you have to give as much in return.
As far as prospects go, I don't think the Rangers
they're definitely not going to trade any of the biggest
names in their farm system, so it's got to be
guys who would require less. So Iglesias good option, Finnegan
(10:42):
good option.
Speaker 5 (10:42):
Iglesias is that sixteen million dollars contract?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
It is sixteen Yeah, okay, so there you go.
Speaker 5 (10:47):
All right, let's take it too. Oh you want to
talk about Johann Duran.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Quickly, but I don't think the Twins are going to
trade him.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Love him.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
He would be a great option, but I don't think
the Twins are going to trade him, so it's tough.
They got to find somebody. I think they will look
for those two rental players as great possibilities. We'll see
all week long. One o'clock the LS Rangers podcast.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Ryan Reynolds here for Midmobile. With the price of just
about everything going up, we thought we'd bring our prices down.
So to help us, we brought in a reverse auctioneer,
which is apparently a thing.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Midmobile unlimited premium wireless. How did you get thirty thirty
Bit to get thirty bit to get twenty twenty twenty
bit to get twenty twenty may get fifteen fifteen, fifteen
fifteen just fifteen bucks a.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Month, So give it a try at midmobile dot com.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Slash switch from teen at fortyive dollars for three months
plane quivalent to fifteen dollars per month required. New customer
offer for firs three months only speeds LYA wapter thirty
Fifigo byes at Networks busy taximfesextra Seemen Mobile dot Com
Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mitt Mobile.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Now.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
I was looking for fun ways to tell you that
Mint's offer of unlimited premium wireless for fifteen dollars a
month is back. So I thought it would be fun
if we made fifteen dollars bills. But it turns out
that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for
the commercial. Give it a try at mintmobile dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Slash switch up from teman and forty five dollars for
three months plan equivalent to fifteen dollars per month required
new customer offer for first three months only speeds low
aafter thirty five big bytes of network's busy taxes and
feesextra Cement mobile dot com.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
What makes us love our county so fiercely despite all
the summers of hurt? What lifts us back up year
after year after year. What stirs such passion in our
hearts and brings us out in our thousands. It's something intangible,
deep in our veins. It's our county, it's our people,
(00:52):
it's in our blood.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
AIB the toughest pride.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Sponsors of the All Islands in your football Championship.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So the trade deadline is less than a week away.
It's time for the Rangers to figure out what they're
going to do. Actually they've already figured it out, they
just got to do it. John Radigan here, Abby Jones there,
it's the DLLs Rangers podcast crew er at least part
of us. Jeff Wilson getting a little much need to
(01:20):
vacation right now. We've got the Queen Kat over there
taking care of this thing, and we're glad to have
you and talk with you on this day that we
don't have a show, but we do have thoughts. And
the Rangers, Abby, don't have a heck of a lot
of money because they still want to stay under that
two hundred and forty one million dollar luxury tax threshold,
(01:42):
but they do have needs, and so they have to
identify what's the most important need. And the most important
need right now is bullpen help, specifically a.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Closer correct and I think people want to focus on
the high end market value. The SHOT's been blowing up
with a lot of great names in baseball, but I
think we need to have realistic expectations on what the
Rangers are looking to do, maybe some players that they're
looking to target, and here at DLS, we want you
to be the most educated sports fan so that when
(02:13):
these trades do happen, you kind of already know the
lay of the land and who the guys are. So
let's run through a little list.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Sure, let's do it.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
Do we want to start with David Bednar.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, and let us say off the top that Felix
Bautista has been on this list of possible candidates, and
earlier in the week he hits the injured list. So
word I heard out of Baltimore was that he wasn't
really a trade, like somebody was going to have to
blow Baltimore away to lure him out of the Orioles organization.
(02:48):
So he's a guy with two years control left and
a low contract, you know, so anyway, but it's assured
now with him on the injured list, he won't be traded.
So yeah, we start then with Bednar.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
And this picture for the Pirates.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah, this is a guy that's been on the Rangers
radar for a long time. They thought about him in
the offseason and he he didn't have a good year
last year, but this year he's gotten back to being
who he can be. He's had a really good year,
ran off a stretch there, I think eighteen games in
a row where he didn't allow any runs. He's a
perfect thirteen and thirteen in save opportunities this year, and
(03:27):
so you know this is a guy they would definitely
be interested in. He's affordable, but again it's just a
matter of what is the prospect price for a guy
like David Bednar. He becomes arbitration eligible in twenty twenty six,
so you've got a year of control left with him.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
Yeah, he's got a two four ERA on the season.
Rad's talked about that odd campaign the year before. He
was demoted to Triple A in twenty twenty four after
a five plus RA. Since then, things have turned around
to the Dodgers are looking for those high end bullpen arms.
Yankees are interested too. He's kind of a top the
list of these arms. He's one of the best relief
(04:07):
pitchers available. But he's around a five million dollar mark.
That's currently what the Pirates are paying him. And then
again with the club control, you know, something to take
into account there. But I think bang for your buck.
Betnar's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Oh, there's no question he'd be right at the top
of the list. There's no question about that. At the
very top of the list would be a manual class set.
So it's just for fun, but that's not going to happen.
This is not going to happen. You talk about a
team that wants the mother load of the Guardians would
want the mother load for a manual class say, And
the reality is, as well as they've been playing, they've
(04:45):
gotten themselves back into this wild card race. As well
as they've been playing, I don't know that they're going
to be interested in trading him anyway. He is a stud.
He is unbelievable. He is so efficient and so effective
and has such nasty stuff. I really don't think they're
even going to trade him. And and the Rangers would
(05:05):
not have enough equity in the minor leagues to get him.
Speaker 5 (05:09):
Correct. Yeah, a one eight career e er, Yes, that's disgusting.
And then forty four innings pitch forty four strikeouts this season.
All right, So Rangers aren't really candidate for him if
he did go anywhere, because I really think he stays
with the Guardians. But if he did go anywhere, where,
do you think he'd go?
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Usual suspects Yankees and Dodgers and you know, I mean
the Dodgers seem to be really hot to get a closer,
even though they signed two in the off season.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
Well, you know, that's injuries.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Injuries, I'm getting I get it.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
That's the rich get richer, and that's.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
The danger of signing pitchers. It's a very it's a
dicey proposition.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
All right, let's go to Pete Fairbanks. You're big on
this guy, right handed pitcher from the Rays. He's a
late inning wepping with swing and miss stuff. Are interested
now he has dealt with injuries, but he's made a
ton of adjustments. He's raised his armslaught sharp in his pitch,
mix a little bit. He's got that ninety seven mile
an hour fastball. Add some cut to it, slider for
more depth.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
You know, the reason I think the Rangers will get
him is he can look out of eye with see
y big tall fellow, and so he can look see
why right boys? Uh huh yeah, no, it's and look,
I don't think the Rangers will get him because I
don't think the Rays will trade him. The Rays too
are in this race, and so I'm not sure that
(06:31):
they will. Now that said, if anybody would, the Rays would,
because they they just do such a great job with
player development and sort of reloading right, and they know
that if they trade him they can get a few
of those pieces that will ultimately become great young players
for them, the likes of which they'll trade before they
get old and reach their prime, because that's the way
(06:53):
things work when you have an ownership group like that.
Although I think they just officially sold, so maybe things
will change a little bit there. But anyway, I love Fairbanks.
He's out of this list. He's got by far the
best velo, throws over ninety seven miles an hour on
the average, and he's a former Ranger. He's drafted in
twenty fifteen, that horrible draft where the Rangers let off
(07:16):
with Dylan Tate and the ninth rounder. Fairbanks probably is
the most decorated of everybody in that draft. So it
would be a cool reunion. It's more likely than the
class at reunion. But I don't think that one is
going to happen either. Yeah, the next guy is a possibility.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
Kyle Finn again, right handed pitcher from the Nationals now
We tossed his name around the off season for two
ERA this year. This is the first time in his
career that it's been over a four nineteen saves on
the season. He was just an All Star in twenty
twenty four, so he's capable of it. He does not
strike a lot of guys out under twenty percent this year,
(07:59):
but also he doesn't walk too many. Eight point seven,
gets a lot of grounders, usually stays off the barrel.
So he also throws the ninety seven mile an hour
on his fastball, but throughout the year it's you know,
higher er inflated a little bit, hasn't been able to
click as much, but he does have that ninety seven.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
That is an option, yeah, I think, And the reality
with him is, you know, he's on a bigger contract,
but I think he's owed between five and six million
for what the rest of the season would be. I
think though, that there is some deferred money in there
and some things the Rangers could do to maybe get
that down to their more palatable range of two million.
(08:39):
So that's definitely he's definitely a possibility and a guy
they've already shown interest in. It's pretty interesting to think
though that he and Robert Garcia were teammates last year
in Washington, and the reality is, if there's a rub
on Robert who we've basically loved from the left side.
But if there's a knock on him, it's that he
(09:00):
doesn't strike guys out right. He's not that big power
strikeout guy. And now we're talking about Kyle Finnegan, who
kind of fits in the same category, although from the
other side. So a definite possibility for the Rangers.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
All right, let's talk about the eleven year veteran from Atlanta,
Rossell Iglesias. This guy's proven veteran postseason experience. His twenty
twenty five numbers are not exactly where he wants them
to be a four to three er. He's also the
most obvious trade on the Braves Ross he is.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And the reality is, I believe that it's one of
those two rental guys, which would be Finnigan or Iglesias,
that become the most attractive to the Rangers. And the
reason I think that is I think and Iglesias actually
has big money. I say big, you know, five and
a half million ish left this year on his contract.
(09:54):
I think he's on a sixteen million dollar deal, so
there's some money left to pay him. The Rangers would
have to be creative and figure out a way to
move money around to stay under that threshold. But the
reason I think these two guys would be candidates and
prime candidates for the Rangers is when you're getting a
rental player, you know there's no guarantee he's signing again
(10:18):
after this season, so you don't have and the other
team knows that too, so they don't ask for as
much nor do you have to give as much in return.
As far as prospects go, I don't think the Rangers
they're definitely not going to trade any of the biggest
names in their farm system, so it's got to be
guys who would require less. So Iglesias good option, Finnegan
(10:42):
good option.
Speaker 5 (10:42):
Iglesias is that sixteen million dollars contract?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
It is sixteen Yeah, okay, so there you go.
Speaker 5 (10:47):
All right, let's take it too. Oh you want to
talk about Johann Duran.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Quickly, but I don't think the Twins are going to
trade him.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Love him.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
He would be a great option, but I don't think
the Twins are going to trade him, so it's tough.
They got to find somebody. I think they will look
for those two rental players as great possibilities. We'll see
all week long. One o'clock the LS Rangers podcast.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Ryan Reynolds here for Midmobile. With the price of just
about everything going up, we thought we'd bring our prices down.
So to help us, we brought in a reverse auctioneer,
which is apparently a thing.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Midmobile unlimited premium wireless. How did you get thirty thirty
Bit to get thirty bit to get twenty twenty twenty
bit to get twenty twenty may get fifteen fifteen, fifteen
fifteen just fifteen bucks a.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Month, So give it a try at midmobile dot com.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Slash switch from teen at fortyive dollars for three months
plane quivalent to fifteen dollars per month required. New customer
offer for firs three months only speeds LYA wapter thirty
Fifigo byes at Networks busy taximfesextra Seemen Mobile dot Com
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