RHPs Joseph Montalvo, Chase Lee Catch Tigers’ Attention

The Rangers acquired Tigers LHP Andrew Chafin, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. In return, they will receive RHPs Joseph Montalvo and Chase Lee, according to Evan Grant. Montalvo was the Rangers’ 20th-round pick in 2021, out of high school in Florida. He’s found success at both levels of Class A ball, but missed nearly the entire month of July with an injury. He’s been helped this season by an uptick in velocity and an improved changeup he can use against hitters of both hands. He had 73 strikeouts in 59 innings at High-A Hickory this season. Lee was Texas’ sixth-round pick in 2021, out of Alabama. He missed the first half of the season with a torn labrum in his hip and returned to Triple-A Round Rock in late June. The 25-year-old righthander works with two- and four-seam fastballs in the low 90s and a slider in the low 80s. His four-seamer has a miss rate of roughly 47% and he’d struck out 18 hitters in 14 innings at the time of the trade.