MLB Trade Rumors: 5 players Rangers should acquire

5. Tommy Kahnle/Anthony Swarzak, RP, White Sox

For a rebuilding team, the Chicago White Sox sure have a lot of interesting trade chips. Two that could be of particular interest to the Rangers are relievers Tommy Kahnle and Anthony Swarzak.

Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs has written about both Kahnle and Swarzak in recent weeks. The Kahnle-centered post is titled “The White Sox have had one of the best pitchers on the planet,” and lays out the case that the 27-year-old right-hander has finally shown control (an issue that plagued him with the Rockies and in the Yankees farm system) while also increasing his velocity. Kahnle has posted a 1.50 ERA and 1.48 FIP with 33 strikeouts and just four walks — and career bests with a 50.0 (!) percent strikeout rate and 6.1 percent walk rate — in 18 innings. His fastball sits at 98 miles per hour and can hit 100.

Sullivan titled his piece on Swarzak “One guy gets more chases than Andrew Miller,” and explains that the only pitcher in the majors that has forced a higher swing rate outside the strike zone (as of May 23) than the Indians relief ace is Swarzak.

Making bad pitches to hit look like good pitches to hit has translated to a career season for Swarzak in 2017. A 31-year-old right-hander with a 4.38 ERA over eight major league seasons with four MLB teams, Swarzak has a 1.27 ERA in 21.1 innings this year. He has allowed just nine hits and three walks while striking out 22 in 17 appearances.

Middle relievers can be valuable, especially for a team in the postseason race, and they don’t often cost a lot. With the right mix of prospects, the Rangers might be able to land both Kahnle and Swarzak and solidify the bullpen.