Carson Kelly was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Tigers for minor league catcher Liam Hicks and right-handed pitcher Tyler Owens.
Kelly, 30, is hitting.240 with seven home runs, four doubles, a triple, and 29 RBI in 60 games for Detroit in 2024. In 52 starts, he has thrown out 17 of 59 base runners, ranking fourth in the American League. The right-handed batter (and thrower) is hitting.250 versus left-handed pitchers,.238 against right-handers.
The MLB trade deadline is 4 p.m. Tuesday. The Rangers were swept by the last-place Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend and will begin a three-game series at St. Louis on Monday. The Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners are 4.5 games ahead of the Rangers in the American League West.
Kelly was a second-round draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012 out of Westview High School in Portland, Oregon. He made his Major League Baseball debut in 2016 and has batted.224 with 52 home runs, two triples, 66 doubles, and 199 RBI in portions of nine seasons, including 2016-18 with the Cardinals, 2019-23 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Tigers in 2023 and 2024. Kelly’s 10.1% walk rate since 2019 ranks eighth among qualified MLB catchers.
The Rangers acquired Owens, a 23-year-old right-hander from Double-A Frisco, in a January trade with the Atlanta Braves for outfielder J.P. MartÃnez. Owens has 2-0 record with eight saves and a 2.80 ERA in 26 bullpen appearances for the Riders.
Hicks, 25, is slashing.In 80 games with Frisco, he batted 260/.364/.353/.717 and had four home runs and 33 RBI. The Rangers selected him in the ninth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft.
Jonah Heim, an All-Star and Gold Glover in 2023, is hitting.In 91 games in 2024, he has 231 hits, nine home runs, nine doubles, and 42 RBI. His backup, Andrew Knizner, is up to bat.In 37 games, he hit 137, including a home run, a double, and nine RBI.
Sam Huff is batting.This season, Triple-A Round Rock has 249 hits, nine home runs, 21 doubles, and 51 RBI in 71 games.
