The Texas Rangers put themselves in position Wednesday to trade for a talented arm.
They worked a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who selected Carter Baumler in the Rule 5 Draft and then traded him to the Rangers.
The right-handed pitcher was one of the most talented arms available in the proceedings.
For the Rangers to keep Baumler long term, he'll have to remain on the Rangers' roster for the entirety of the 2026 MLB season.
MORE: These 4 legends played in NFL, MLB, NHL as grandfathers before Philip Rivers
It's Rangers beat writer Evan Grant who has reported that this deal is happening.
Baumler is 23 and has dealt with shoulder injuries.
He pitched in 39 innings across three levels for the Baltimore Orioles' organization in 2025, putting up a 2.04 ERA.
Grant reports that Baumler had his fastball up to 98 miles per hour in 2025.
MORE: Mets have lost so much more than just Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz
Given his innings load, the Rangers will have to be super careful with him in 2026. They'll have to somehow find a use for him out of the MLB bullpen, likely in a low-leverage and low-usage role.
It's something that can be pulled off if the rest of the roster stays relatively healthy, but if other players start getting injured, it could make things more difficult for the Rangers and their use of Baumler.
This is a long-term play, and if the Rangers can navigate it in the short-term, it can be worth it.
More MLB news:
- Dodgers' payroll is even more loaded with Edwin Diaz
- It's a good day to remember Bob Feller's brilliance and his time in the U.S. Navy
- How Aroldis Chapman is able to pitch for Great Britain in the WBC
- What the Kyle Schwarber signing means for the Pittsburgh Pirates
- Poetic paragraph reveals Cody Bellinger's free agent landing spots
- A chicken sandwich at the Winter Meetings costs way more than you could imagine