If the Rangers signaled their deadline strategy on Saturday with the acquisition of Max Scherzer, they reiterated it on Sunday, underscoring the point with yet another splashy deal. The message should be obvious: The Rangers are here to win. They feel this is their moment, and if their window of contention looked anything less than wide-open before, they’ve just pushed it open even wider.
The Rangers made a deal with the Cardinals on Sunday for some additional pitching. They’ll receive lefty starter Jordan Montgomery and righty reliever Chris Stratton in exchange for a prospect package of pitchers, Tekoah Roby and John King, and infielder Thomas Saggese. Like the Scherzer deal, this trade sees them paying a fairly high cost in prospects. But it seems like exactly the time for them to do that. The Rangers are in first place. Their farm system is deep. If they want to improve their chances of ending this season with not just a playoff run, but a trip to the World Series, this is how to do it.
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