Texas Rangers have acquired Merril Kelly in a trade with Diamondbacks

• Rangers have acquired Kelly to bolster their rotation
• Diamondbacks sent Kelly through trade due to poor results
• Kelly was the only pitcher to defeat the Rangers in the 2023 finals

Texas Rangers have acquired right-handed pitcher Merril Kelly from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday to strengthen their starting rotation ahead of the trade deadline. Kelly, who is a veteran with playoff experience, became the only pitcher to defeat the Rangers in the World Series 2023.

As part of the agreement, Diamondbacks received three pitchers from the minor leagues: left-hander Koha Drake and Mitch Bratt, as well as righty David Hagan. Kelly, who is 36 years old, has spent all of his seven seasons in MLB with the Diamondbacks, holding a record of 9-6 with an ERA of 3.22 and 121 strikeouts over 128.2 innings this season.

Diamondbacks, who started the season with hopes for the playoffs, now have a record of 51-58. General manager Mike Hazen noted that the loss of Kelly is a significant blow to the team, considering his importance to the organization.

Following the last nine games, in which the Diamondbacks played all, the chances for the playoffs have decreased to 1.6%. This comes after the decision regarding Kelly, who became part of the overall strategy of the team for future seasons.

Rangers, in turn, hope that Kelly will solidify their starting rotation, which already has in its lineup such veterans as Jake Odorizzi and Nathan Eovaldi.

Tags: Sport/Baseball