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The American League West is a two-horse race between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros.
The Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels are on the fringes, but the race for the top spot is between the Rangers and the defending World Series champions.
We are now just one week away from the August 1 trade deadline, and it should be interesting to see what takes place, especially as it pertains to the Astros and Rangers.
On MLB Network’s “High Heat,” Christopher Russo discussed the outlook of the trade deadline for both AL West rivals and what he thinks both teams should ultimately do before August 1.
What do the Astros and Rangers need to do at the Trade Deadline?#HighHeat | @MadDogUnleashed | @alannarizzo pic.twitter.com/LdoMV4otXV
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 25, 2023
Russo first commented on the Rangers and how they need pitching.
He acknowledged that acquiring Aroldis Chapman was a good move, but stated that the team needs some insurance in the later innings, particularly the seventh and eighth.
Russo then pivoted to the defending champion Astros, and stated that the team is in need of some starting pitching help.
Houston has Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier, but lost Lance McCullers Jr., Jose Urquidy, and Luis Garcia to injuries.
Javier has struggled lately, and the Astros are also without some key pieces in their lineup, most notably Yordan Alvarez.
Russo predicted that both the Astros and Rangers will be in the postseason this coming October, saying that he wouldn’t guarantee that the Rangers will finish on top, but that it will be an interesting race between the two teams as the rest of the season plays out.
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