MLB Trade Rumors: Texas Rangers Looking into A’s Reliever Andrew Bailey?

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The Texas Rangers look poised for another World Series run. The lineup, as usual, is top notch. They can put up runs on any pitching staff in their sleep. Despite the pitching rotation doing its job, this team could still use an arm to bolster the bullpen to step up star closer Neftali Feliz.

If there was ever a year to be in need of a reliever, this is it. It seems every contender wants to bolster its bullpen and it seems every ‘seller’ at the deadline has at least one reliever they want to move.

Oakland A’s appear to have called it a season as they look forward to the premier of the movie Moneyball more than the next game. The A’s, as usual, are already out of it and are willing to move most of their players. Just about everybody in the bullpen is expected to be available at the July 31 deadline.

The top arm in the A’s bullpen is Andrew Bailey, who has been one of the many closers in Oakland over the past few seasons.

“According to a report by FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal, teams have been calling Oakland about closer Andrew Bailey. According to two sources, the Rangers are among those teams and the A's have at least started looking more in-depth at the Rangers farm system. According to Rosenthal, the A's feeling is they'd have to be 'overwhelmed' in order to move Bailey. In the parlance of the trade deadline market, that essentially means he's available,” according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.

Aside from San Diego’s Heath Bell, Bailey may be the best closer on the open market. At the very least, he would have the most potential with his dominating skill set.

The 27-year-old righty has a .95 WHIP and 2.25 ERA, but just nine saves on the season. Regardless of this year’s numbers, he has 189 career strike outs, 60 saves, 1.76 ERA and .89 WHIP. These are phenomenal numbers that any team would love to boast in their bullpen.

He would be the perfect setup man for Feliz going forward. Yes, it would take some near-Major League-ready prospects, but he can sure up the bullpen for a Championship run.

Texas has been getting incredible production out of its pitching staff. If they can blanket opposing sluggers in the final three innings with Bailey and Feliz then this team might be unstoppable moving forward towards another World Series appearance.

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