Wednesday newsletter time: Rangers go hitless in Seattle, but still have some All-Star moments

(AP photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Five Rangers started Tuesday night for the American League All-Star team, the most for any team since the 1956 Cincinnati Reds.

In the second inning, all six of their All-Stars were on the field. That tied the all-time record for most players playing from one team playing at the same time, matching the 1939 Yankees.

The AL team didn’t win, losing 3-2 as the National League snapped a nine-game losing streak, and the Rangers were a collective 0 for 9 at the plate. But Nathan Eovaldi tossed a scoreless second inning, Jonah Heim threw out a runner, and Adolis Garcia battled the sun to make two leaping catches at the right-field wall to give the AL a chance.

Now, after a cross-country flight, a couple commercial shoots, media day, the Home Run Derby, and a long run from the outfield to home plate in pregame introductions, the six Rangers All-Stars can finally get a little rest.

The Rangers will have a workout Thursday, though the All-Stars won’t be required to attend. It wouldn’t be a surprise if workaholics Marcus Semien and Josh Jung showed up. Corey Seager can roll out of bed and get a hit, so he might just do that.

The season resumes Friday at Globe Life Field. That’s when the heavy lifting begins for the Rangers, who lead the AL West by two games over the Astros.

Draft concludes

The Rangers selected 10 players Tuesday in rounds 11-20 of the MLB Draft to up their total to 18.

Not all 18 are going to sign. The Rangers took a couple fliers on players with commitments to quality colleges, including 16th-rounder Jake Brown (LSU) and 20th-rounder Laif Palmer (Oregon State).

The Rangers have some wiggle room, depending on how things shake out with the first eight picks. The slot value for first-rounder Wyatt Langford is $7,698,000, and the Rangers have only $9,925,300 in their bonus pool for top-10 picks. The Rangers didn’t have second- and third-round selections.

The maximum a player selected after the 10th round can receive is $150,000. However, a team that still has money left after signing top-10 picks can offer more than $150,000.

With NIL money soaring, even for college baseball players, the Rangers might have to scrounge up more money than in the past to secure players committed to major programs.

Trade season opens

Front offices across baseball have spent the past month digging into the draft, and they still have work to do the next two weeks to get players signed by the July 25 deadline. However, they can start dedicating more of their time to the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Rumors were popping from Seattle, with the White Sox willing to unload some of their veteran rental starting pitchers. The future of Shohei Ohtani with the perennially disappointing Angels was a bigger storyline.

The Rangers should talk to the White Sox about Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito, though not for what Chicago likely wants. The Rangers should also try to pry loose Dylan Cease, and they have the prospects to get him.

For as great as Ohtani is, the Rangers need to pass. There are no guarantees that he would re-sign with them as he chases a record deal in free agency, and the Rangers would hate to see several top prospects become stars for a division rival.

The guess here is there will be much more trade talk in the coming days and weeks at Rangers Today, where full access starts at $5.99 a month.

Doggy video!

Good advice when it’s a million degrees outside. Enjoy.

Got to stay hydrated 🐶 pic.twitter.com/H5VSNpJZUu

— Wow Animals (@Wow__Animals) July 11, 2023

Jeff Wilson, jeff@rangerstoday.com