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The Texas Rangers were aggressive at the trade deadline, and they weren’t done even as the clock ticked toward 6 p.m. ET.
The Rangers went out and traded for starting pitcher Merrill Kelly from the Arizona Diamondbacks after being in on the starting pitching market in the final hours, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
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The Rangers have been surging up the standings, solidifying their plans to buy at the trade deadline, and buy they did. Kelly has quietly been one of the best pitchers for the Diamondbacks this season, and now he is headed for Texas.
After making the World Series just two seasons ago, the Diamondbacks have fallen back in the National League and are now selling off their expiring contracts at the trade deadline. This is not the biggest move that the Diamondbacks have made this week; that honor remains with the deal that sent Eugenio Suárez to the Seattle Mariners.
The Diamondbacks aren’t coming away empty-handed, as the Rangers are sending left-handed pitcher Kohl Drake and right-hander David Hagaman in a return package, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Kelly is a rental and the first of the higher-valued starters on the trade market this season.
The American League West has spent the trade deadline loading up for an intense race down the final stretch.
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