Rangers talk: What if they don’t add anybody?

Just about three hours to the trade deadline as I type this, and there are no significant changes on the trade front for the Rangers.

Seattle traded Jarrod Washburn to the Tigers for Luke French and a Class A pitcher, which means they won’t have to face him again this year unless both teams make the playoffs.

But for the Rangers, the Halladay talks are dead, reportedly because the Rangers refuse to part with Derek Holland in order to make a trade.

I’m fine with that. However, I do think the Rangers need to add somebody. Former Ranger Doug Davis seems to be pretty appealing, although he does carry a hefty contract.

Nick Johnson seems to be headed to Florida for AAA reliever Ryan Tucker and another prospect, which is a little discouraging. I think Johnson is exactly what this offense needs right now – someone who gets on base at an awesome rate.

Victor Martinez could be traded, although it would be pretty complicated to move contracts in order to get him to come here. Still, that would be another bat that would be great to have in the lineup. Boston, though, seems to be the team most interested in the Cleveland catcher.

Davis could still be coming here if he gets through waivers in August. Davis has to be traded by August 31 in order to be eligible for playoff rosters.

Other than that, the Pirates’ Zach Duke has been talked about as a potential target, and Pittsburgh certainly has not been shy about trading away their players. But the market for Duke doesn’t seem to be very lively at the moment, and I really don’t think Duke would be that great of an improvement over Holland, especially if Holland can build off of last night’s sparkling performance.

So here’s the question: What if the Rangers don’t make a big trade today?

The answer seems simple, but can get complicated.

First, the simple part: If the Rangers don’t make a (big) trade today, they will be showing confidence in the team they have (good) and the young players they have coming up through the farm system (also good).

Here’s the complicated part: Multiple Rangers have come out and said they would like the front office to add somebody. Would the clubhouse chemistry be damaged if the Rangers did not make a trade?

Personally, I’m afraid of that scenario, but I also don’t think it’s going to be that big of a deal. Derek Holland’s start last night seemed to fire up the team quite a bit. All of the players were ecstatic that Derek was having such a great start, especially Michael Young.

If Derek Holland can give this team quality starts every time out – 6 innings and 3 runs – this team will be vastly improved. The offense is not what people (including myself) want it to be. There are far too many strikeouts in this lineup, and Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler are really struggling.

But if they turn it around, this team could go far. The offense may not be great, but it is still above average. The Rangers rank 8th in wOBA, or weighted on-base average. This stat takes into account averages across the league and, in a way, is OBP compared to the rest of the league while including park factors and other things of that nature.

Sorry to get stat-heavy on you there, but the point is that the Rangers offense hasn’t been TOTALLY bad this year. With something even resembling improvement from Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler, this offense really could be one of the best in the league. And with the pitching going the way it’s going, that could equal a