ARLINGTON, Texas — The Rangers didn’t wait for the July trade market to heat up.
They jumped out on the last day of June, grabbing a seemingly rejuvenated Aroldis Chapman from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for left-hander Cole Ragans and minor league outfielder Roni Cabrera.
Chapman, 35, has been throwing his fastball with renewed vigor this year, averaging 99.8 mph with Kansas City. He has a 2.45 ERA in 29 innings with 53 strikeouts. He has allowed just one earned run on one hit in nine innings in June. He struck out 20 in that stretch.
Chapman has 35 career postseason appearances, but has not pitched in the playoffs since 2020.
Ragans, 25, has pitched in 17 games out of the Rangers’ bullpen this season and posted a 5.92 ERA. The Florida native was the Rangers first-round selection (30th overall) in the 2016 MLB draft.
Cabrera, 17, has batted .320 with one home run and 10 RBIs in 15 games with the Dominican Summer League Rangers this season. The Dominican Republic native was originally signed by Texas as a non-drafted free agent on May 19, 2022.
