MLB trade deadline: Rangers acquire pitcher Merrill Kelly from Diamondbacks, who continue sell-off
- - MLB trade deadline: Rangers acquire pitcher Merrill Kelly from Diamondbacks, who continue sell-off
Ian CasselberryAugust 1, 2025 at 6:38 AM
The Arizona Diamondbacks' sell-off continued Thursday with starting pitcher Merrill Kelly being traded to the Texas Rangers, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported.
Kelly, who turns 37 on Oct. 14, provides another reliable arm for the Rangers' veteran starting rotation, joining Jacob deGrom, Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi. He has been the D-backs' most consistent starter this season, compiling a 3.22 ERA over 22 starts with 121 strikeouts in 128 2/3 innings.
The Rangers' starting pitchers have the best ERA in MLB at 3.16, led by deGrom (10-3, 2.55 ERA) throwing like the ace who won NL Rookie of the Year and two Cy Young Awards with the New York Mets. Corbin (3.78 ERA) has experienced a career resurgence after struggling the past five seasons with the Washington Nationals. And Eovaldi (9-3, 1.49 ERA) has been one of the best starters in baseball the past six seasons.
Texas (57-52) is a postseason contender, tied with the Seattle Mariners for second in the AL West, five games behind the Houston Astros. The Rangers and Mariners are also tied for the AL's third wild-card playoff berth, 2.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians and three ahead of the Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays.
In exchange for Kelly, who can be a free agent after the season, the D-backs will receive Triple-A left-hander Kohl Drake, Double-A arm Mitch Bratt and Single-A pitcher David Hagaman. Drake, 25, was ranked as the Rangers' No. 5 prospect by MLB.com, while Bratt, 22, was No. 9 and Hagaman, 22, was No. 13.
Kelly was a late bloomer as an MLB pitcher, an eighth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010 after he was drafted the previous two years by the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians but didn't sign. He played nine years in the minors before making his major-league debut with the D-backs in 2019.
In his seven-year MLB career, Kelly has a 3.74 ERA and 62-50 record, averaging 8.2 strikeouts and 2.7 walks per nine innings. He's two seasons removed from his best year in 2023, when he registered a 3.29 ERA and 12-8 record in 30 starts, adding 187 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings.
Kelly was the fourth regular to be dealt from Arizona leading up to the MLB trade deadline. First baseman Josh Naylor began the D-backs' trade season by going to the Seattle Mariners last week. That was followed by outfielder Randal Grichuk being traded to the Kansas City Royals and third baseman Eugenio Suárez also going to Seattle on Wednesday night.
Source: “AOL AOL Sports”
