Seattle, Wash. — The Texas Rangers today announced that the following transactions prior to tonight’s series opener against Seattle at T-Mobile Park:
- Acquired right-handed pitcher Merrill Kelly from Arizona in exchange for minor league left-handed pitcher Mitch Bratt, left-handed pitcher Kohl Drake, and right-handed pitcher David Hagaman.
- Acquired left-handed pitcher Danny Coulombe (pronounced ‘KOO-loam’) from Minnesota in exchange for minor league left-handed pitcher Garrett Horn.
- Acquired right-handed pitcher Phil Maton from St. Louis in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Skylar Hales, left-handed pitcher Mason Molina, and international bonus pool money.
- Traded right-handed pitcher Codi Heuer to Detroit in exchange for cash considerations.
- Designated infielder Blaine Crim and outfielder Dustin Harris for assignment.
Kelly, 36, has made 22 starts for Arizona in 2025, going 9-6 with a 3.22 ERA (46 ER/128.2 IP), a 1.06 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts against 38 walks. The right-hander ranks among qualified National League hurlers in starts (T3rd), innings pitched (6th), opponent batting average (6th, .206), quality starts (T7th, 13), wins (T7th), and strikeouts (T15th) this season. He is one of 5 N.L. pitchers (min. 20 GS) to limit both right-handed hitters (.206 opp. BA) and left-handed hitters (.211 opp. BA) to averages below .215 this year. Kelly has worked five consecutive quality starts since July 2, as his 2.35 ERA (8 ER/30.2 IP) during the span is the 6th-lowest mark in the N.L.
Kelly has spent the entirety of his Major League career to this point with Arizona, going 62-50 with a 3.74 ERA (396 ER/953.0 IP) over 162 starts spanning 7 seasons and ranking among D-backs franchise leaders in starts (3rd), wins (3rd), and innings (3rd). Since making his MLB debut in 2019, Kelly has amassed the 5th-most innings and T8th-most strikeouts in the National League, averaging 5.9 innings per start. In the 2023 World Series vs. Texas, Kelly worked 7.0 innings of one-run ball in a Game 2 start, helping the D-backs secure their lone win in the series. Born in Houston, Kelly grew up in Scottsdale, Ariz., attending Desert Mountain H.S., Yavapai College, and Arizona State University.
The 35-year-old Coulombe has gone 1-0 with 2 saves, 1.16 ERA (4 ER/31.0 IP), no home runs allowed, 0.97 WHIP, and .188 opponent batting average (21-112) over 40 games/one start this season for Minnesota, including 36 scoreless outings. From March 29-June 12, the left-hander did not permit a run in 21 consecutive appearances, signifying the longest season-opening streak in Twins history. His 0.68 ERA over 35 games prior to the All-Star break marked the lowest pre-break ERA in Twins history (min. 25.0 IP) and lowest for any Major League southpaw under the same parameter since Los Angeles-NL’s Adam Liberatore in 2016 (0.61). Coulombe’s 31.0 innings without allowing a home run this season are tied with Atlanta’s Daysbel Hernández for the most in baseball.
A veteran of 11 Major League seasons, Coulombe has a career record of 16-9 with 5 saves, a 3.28 ERA (111 ER/304.2 IP), 300 strikeouts, and a 1.18 WHIP figure in 328 appearances/2 starts with Los Angeles-NL (2014-15), Oakland (2015-18), Minnesota (2020-22, 2025), and Baltimore (2023-24). Among MLB relievers with 100.0-or-more innings pitched since the start of 2023, the St. Louis, Mo. native ranks highly in ERA (1st, 2.11), opponent OPS (2nd, .522), WHIP (4th, 0.95), fielding independent pitching (5th, 2.55), and strikeouts per walk ratio (10th, 4.58). Originally selected by the Dodgers in the 25th round of the 2012 MLB Draft from Texas Tech University, Coulombe makes his offseason home in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
In 40 relief appearances with St. Louis this season, the 32-year-old Maton is 1-3 with 2 saves, 20 holds, a 2.35 ERA (10 ER/38.1 IP), 48 strikeouts, and a 1.12 WHIP. His 2.57 FIP figure is the 7th lowest among qualified N.L. relievers, and he also ranks highly in holds (T5th), strikeouts per 9.0 innings (8th, 11.27), home runs per 9.0 innings (8th, 0.23), and ERA (15th). Maton has yielded just one home run in 2025 and is one of 11 MLB relievers with 40.0-or-more innings and one-or-fewer home runs allowed this year, a group that includes the newly-acquired Coulombe and Texas southpaw Hoby Milner. The right-hander has been scoreless in 21 of his last 24 outings since May 5, registering a 1.48 ERA (4 ER/24.1 IP) in that stretch.
Maton is 20-18 with 7 saves, 84 holds, a 4.01 ERA (200 ER/449.1 IP), and 506 strikeouts (10.14 SO/9) in 455 career MLB games/2 starts across 9 seasons (beg. 2017) with San Diego (2017-19), Cleveland (2019-21), Houston (2021-23), Tampa Bay (2024), New York-NL (2024), and St. Louis (2025). His 311 appearances since 2021 are 5th in MLB during the span. Maton has also appeared in the postseason in 4 of the last 5 seasons, as his 26 career playoff relief outings are 4th-most in MLB since 2020. The Paducah, Ky. native was a 20th-round selection of the Padres in the 2015 MLB Draft from Louisiana Tech University and has pitched in 40-or-more games in 7 of his 8 full Major League campaigns (excl. 2020).
The 22-year-old Bratt has posted a 6-3 record and 3.18 ERA over 18 games/17 starts for Double-A Frisco this season, fanning 106 batters in 90.2 innings. The Newmarket, Ontario native is in his fifth professional season after he was originally selected by Texas in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Drake, a 25-year-old southpaw, logged 3 seasons in the Texas chain after being chosen in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft from Walters State (Tenn.) Community College. He is 16-14 with a 3.39 ERA in 53 career minor league games/38 starts.
Hagaman, 22, has gone 0-1 with a 2.82 ERA (7 ER/22.1 IP) in 8 games/starts this season for rookie-level ACL Rangers and Single-A Hickory. A former 2024 fourth-round pick by Texas from West Virginia University, Hagaman is in his first professional season after recovering from elbow surgery performed in May 2024.
Crim, 28, went 0-for-11 with one walk over 5 games for the Rangers this season, his first career Major League action. He has spent the balance of the campaign with Triple-A Round Rock, batting .284 with 18 home runs, 71 RBI, 43 walks and 54 runs scored over 83 games for the Express.
Horn, 22, was originally selected by Texas in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft from Liberty University. The left-hander, who is a native of Greensboro, N.C., has gone 0-3 with a 2.92 ERA (8 ER/24.2 IP) in 9 games/starts for Rookie-level ACL Rangers and Single-A Hickory in 2025 – his first season of professional action.
The 23-year-old Hales has gone 1-5 with a 7.64 ERA (28 ER/33.0 IP) over 34 relief appearances split between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock this season. He was originally selected by Texas in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB draft from Santa Clara University.
Molina, 22, has posted a 3.41 ERA (28 ER/74.0 IP) across 18 games/17 starts with Single-A Hickory and High-A Hub City this season. The southpaw, who was originally acquired from Milwaukee in January in exchange for Grant Anderson, was a 2024 seventh-round selection by the Brewers from the University of Arkansas.
The 26-year-old Harris batted .200 (7-35) over 16 games with Texas this season, appearing defensively at all three outfield positions (8 games in leftfield, 4 in center, one in right) and designated hitter (one). He has spent the balance of the campaign at Triple-A Round Rock, batting .262 (70-267) with 9 home runs and 32 RBI over 66 games.
Heuer, 29, had been on option at Triple-A Round Rock. He appeared in one game for Texas this season, covering 1.1 IP on June 3 at Tampa Bay, while spending the balance of the season with the Express where he went 3-2 with a 3.43 ERA in 35 relief appearances.
With today’s transactions, the Rangers remain at the 40-man limit on the club’s Major League roster, along with three players (Cody Bradford, Tyler Mahle, Josh Sborz) on the 60-day Injured List.
– RANGERS –