If the Texas Rangers try to make a deal at the deadline to help their team in a playoff push, most agree where the need is.Bullpen? Check. Right-handed bat that can play outfield or multiple positions? Check. Starting pitcher? Maybe. But has a new need emerged? It was curious to reach ESPN baseball writer Jeff Passan’s updated Top 100 trade deadline list on Tuesday. He connected the Rangers to several players. But one position stood out, and by the end of the day it became clear why.The position was catcher.The Rangers Have a Catching ProblemTexas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectTexas already had one catcher, Danny Jansen, on the 10-day injured list with a right forearm injury. On Tuesday, the Rangers moved their other catcher, Kyle Higashioka, to the 10-day IL with a flexor strain. They were the opening-day catching tandem.The Rangers lucked out signing Elias Díaz earlier this season. He has thrived with regular playing time and can be the starter. To give him some backup the Rangers selected Austin Wynns’ contract on Tuesday. A flexor strain can be tricky. Former Rangers catcher Mitch Garver had a more serious flexor tendon injury in 2022 and required surgery, ending his season. He returned to play in 2023. Diaz entered Tuesday’s game with a slash of .255/.267/.439. He’s hit at that level as recently as 2024. Wynns has a lifetime slash of .228/.273/.342. Long-term, only Jansen is signed for next season. Their first-round pick from 2024, catcher Malcolm Moore, just got to Double-A Frisco and may not be an option until 2028. In other words, the Rangers need catching help. That may explain Passan connecting the Rangers to nearly every available catcher in trade. Athletics All-Star Shea Langeliers? Check the box. Colorado Rockies slugger Hunter Goodman? Same. Baltimore Orioles back-stop Adley Rutschman? Yep. They were the Top 3 catchers on the trade board, all in the Top 25. All three have something in common. Each is under team control for at least one more year. Rutschman is a free agent after 2027, Langeliers after 2028 and Goodman after 2029. The Rangers have a catching problem this season and beyond. Swinging a deal — which will be costly — would solve both problems. That is, if the Rangers prove they’re worth spending trade capital on by the beginning of August. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow