Even after acquiring Lucas Harrell on Wednesday, the Texas Rangers still seem keen to add a big arm to their rotation, as the club is "pretty deep" in trade talks with the Philadelphia Phillies regarding right-hander Vince Velasquez, a source told CSNPhilly's Jim Salisbury on Friday.
With the non-waiver trade deadline looming, however, and few appealing options available to "rent," the asking price for Velasquez will be steep, especially considering the Phillies are reportedly seeking a top prospect in exchange for veteran right-hander Jeremy Hellickson. (The Rangers are interested in Hellickson as well but the 29-year-old remains their secondary target.)
Velasquez, acquired by the Phillies this winter, was saddled with the loss Friday against the Atlanta Braves, but the 24-year-old still managed to impress with several Rangers scouts looking on, allowing just two runs on seven hits while fanning five over six innings in a 2-1 defeat at Turner Field. Through 18 starts in 2016, Velasquez owns a 3.32 ERA with a 26.7 percent strikeout rate, the 12th-highest mark among starters with at least 90 innings pitched.
The Rangers, who boast a four-game lead atop the American League West, could use him. Though they had managed the fifth-lowest ERA (4.19) in the league heading into Friday's game against Kansas City, the Rangers' starting corps was last in the AL in walk rate (8.8 percent) and third-worst in hard contact frequency (33.2 percent), with Martin Perez (7.53 ERA) and A.J. Griffin (5.63 ERA) scuffling hard over the last month.