The Rangers are checking on Yu Darvish’s trade value

The Rangers aren't quite ready to give up on 2017 yet, but they are also fully aware that they currently sit at 45-50 with less than two weeks before the trade deadline left on the calendar. That's why it's not a complete surprise to see Jeff Passan reporting that Texas is "gauging" potential trade packages for its ace, Yu Darvish, to see if it's worth more to them to give it one last go or to try to gain prospects for the righty prior to his free agency.

The only avenue the Rangers have for the postseason is through the wild card, as they sit 18 games back of the Astros in the AL West. They are only 4.5 back of the second wild card, however, but even there they aren’t as close as that makes it sound, as they sit behind not only the Yankees, who currently hold that spot, but another five teams as well. They're roughly as close to the bottom of the AL as they are to a wild card, and that's not a great place to be.

So the Rangers will see what Darvish might bring back, and as Passan notes, the fact they're asking that question now gives them time to see if they can improve their standing prior to the deadline or fall even further back: A move toward either extreme would likely make the decision for Texas.

The Rangers don't need to feel pressured to make a deal, either, as Darvish will be just 31 years old in 2018 and will be worth not only a qualifying offer, but is, barring an injury between now and then, going to pull in a large enough deal to likely be worth a compensation pick. Those aren't as guaranteed as they used to be, though, since the calculation now includes deal size and market considerations, so it's not quite the negotiating tactic it used to be.

Still, Texas has its own financial resources, so Darvish leaving isn't a given, and the Rangers won't be giving away the top starter on the market even if he's a rental.

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