Sources: Rangers get D-backs' Kelly for rotation

The Texas Rangers are acquiring right-hander Merrill Kelly from the Arizona Diamondbacks, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan connected Thursday.

Kelly is viewed arsenic a grind-it-out innings eater, and he's pitched good of precocious with a 2.56 ERA implicit his past 10 starts to little his play ERA to 3.22. After getting knocked retired aboriginal successful his 2nd commencement of the season, he's gone astatine slightest 5 innings successful each commencement since.

The 36-year-old Kelly, acceptable to deed escaped bureau aft this season, doesn't person large earthy stuff, posting the second-lowest mean fastball velocity among pitchers with 115 innings pitched by the All-Star break. His changeup is his champion transportation by a wide margin, and helium gets by with determination and off-speed stuff.

Kelly, who has spent each 7 of his MLB seasons with Arizona, was a stalwart successful the Diamondbacks' tally to the 2023 World Series, striking retired 28 and posting a 2.25 ERA implicit 24 innings.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel contributed to this report.