I get it. You wanted a bat. You expected a bat. And when general manager Jon Daniels didn't go and get a bat, you weren't happy about it.
But just because the Rangers didn't get a bat doesn't make the trade deadline a failure. First, this team is better thanks to the acquisition of Matt Garza, who has pitched well in his two Texas starts. I disagree with the notion that Garza had to be the first step and that if the Rangers didn't acquire a bat, it was a pointless deal.
Garza strengthens this team. His presence in the rotation should, in the long run, take a little pressure off the offense. Do they have to score as many runs for Garza as they would have for Nick Tepesch or Justin Grimm, for instance? But this lack of offensive firepower, those three exciting games against the Angels not withstanding, had Daniels searching far and wide to get a bat with some impact in Arlington. One problem: That impact bat wasn't available at even a moderate price.
Want proof of that? Look at the names that didn't go anywhere. We heard whispers of Alex Rios, Hunter Pence, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and even Michael Young. Which GM swooped in with the right offer to grab one of those bats? Nobody. The Pirates could have used a hitter. They weren't willing to pay the price. The Red Sox certainly could have used Young. The right deal wasn't there.
With way more buyers than sellers, the sellers decided they could hike the price with limited inventory out there. That's fine. But if the inventory doesn't come close to the asking price, you just can't buy it. Daniels had to save his prospects for another time, perhaps this offseason. Imagine if he'd dealt a Luis Sardinas or Luke Jackson, two prospects you may not know, but two that would likely come up in discussions for someone like a Giancarlo Stanton and a David Price. Sure, everyone knows Jurickson Profar. But Profar alone doesn't get you either one of those two players. And if they're made available this offseason -- and you never know, they could be -- the Rangers are in better position than most teams to make a big run at them.
Besides, one bat wasn't going to cure an offense that was struggling and could be without Nelson Cruz, assuming that suspension comes down in the next few days and he doesn't appeal it. So the Rangers did the only thing they could -- they reluctantly stood pat. Come August, maybe there's something out there.
But don't say the Rangers failed at the deadline because they didn't overpay for a bat that wasn't of high impact. Blame part of it on the offseason, if you want. That's at least fair. But with no true impact bat available, cashing in your chips on a mid-level hitter would have been the bigger failure.