MLB: Which teams should try to trade for Kyle Schwarber?

1. Texas Rangers

The Rangers need to make a big splash this winter to make sure their first season in Globe Life Field is a success. They won 78 games last season and showed signs of coming out of their rebuild. The Rangers got as high as four games over .500 in early August before coming back down to earth over the final two months of the year.

Over the years, the Rangers have been known for their explosive offenses, but they were just sixth in the AL in runs last year, eighth in home runs and eighth in OPS. Pitching in Texas has always been difficult, and that’s not likely to change in the new stadium, even if it does have a roof. If the Rangers want to contend in 2020, they’ll need to make sure their offense is among the best in the league.

Texas could form an absolutely deadly left-handed power duo if they are able to pull off a trade for Kyle Schwarber and pair him with Joey Gallo. Both sluggers took big steps forward last season, especially Gallo, who hit 22 home runs and drove in 49 in only 70 games. The Rangers lineup does skew heavily toward the left-handed side, but Schwarber made some progress hitting lefties last season.

Winning in the AL West next year is going to be extremely difficult. The Astros remain the deepest team in the league, the Athletics are always solid and the Angels also expect to have an aggressive offseason and are the favorites to sign ace Gerrit Cole. A trade for Schwarber would help set the Rangers up to keep pace with their rivals. They’d still need at least one more splashy move to really consider legitimize their chances of winning, but adding Schwarber as their DH would be a big step in the right direction.