3 Rangers Already at Risk of Being Traded By the Deadline
By Jack Gurley
Jack Leiter
This opinion may be somewhat controversial, but I do believe that Jack Leiter's time with the Rangers should be nearing an end for several reasons.
Leiter, who was picked second overall by the Rangers back in 2021, has been unable to figure out how to pitch to big-league or minor-league batters. The Rangers have exhausted their options on best developing Leiter into a solid starting pitcher in the MLB.
He had a disappointing stint in Double-A last season, finishing with a 5.07 ERA and a 2-6 record. Although he has shown improvements since then, it hasn't been anything promising or consistent enough to prove that he has what it takes to be a solid big-league pitcher.
Leiter did make his Texas debut against the Detroit Tigers this past month, and even though he showed flashes of being ready to be in the league permanently, his debut was a disappointment overall. He finished his start with an abysmal 17.18 ERA after allowing seven runs through four innings to an underperforming Tigers lineup.
Although Leiter still has the potential to be a future All-Star, the risks of keeping Leiter under contract currently outweigh the rewards. The Rangers already have several pitchers working their way up the minors who have shown much more promise than Leiter has shown, including Brock Porter and Kumar Rocker, who are currently both ranked ahead of Leiter in Texas' prospect system.
Due to the uncertainty of Leiter's ability to become a solid starting pitcher, Chris Young should seriously consider trading him, especially when he is still worth a good amount in return. Leiter could be traded away and become a dominant pitcher somewhere else, similar to Cole Ragans.
Still, that is better than the potential scenario of Leiter never panning out and the Rangers being stuck paying out his contract because nobody wants him.