BALTIMORE -- Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre understands the time of year.
"This is a time where a team normally chooses: are we going to be a buyer or a seller," Beltre said. "Our team is not helping right now. I would like our team to start winning games so that we can convince everybody, especially our GM, that we are a buyer. I'm a buyer. I've always been a buyer."
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels has the final call on that and said that the last few weeks before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline will be crucial. The Rangers won their first two games after the All-Star break, but took a three-game losing streak into Wednesday's game with the Orioles.
Daniels does not want to be a major seller, but it's clear at least some of the Rangers' potential free agents are being made available. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy and first baseman Mike Napoli are among them, and there could be more if the Rangers don't turn things around.
"It's been on my mind that I hope he doesn't think along that route," Beltre said. "I will be really disappointed. We're here in this clubhouse trying to win games even though we haven't played the way we wanted to. We don't want our team, our players or the GM to think that somehow we're out or looking like we're going to be out."
Then this might be the time for the Rangers to get on a roll.
"I thought that a couple of weeks ago that we needed to start playing better and get on a roll," Napoli said. "If not, we are going to be in trouble. If we don't get going, it's not going to be pretty."
Napoli is starting to get hot, which could increase his trade value as July 31 approaches. He went into Wednesday hitting .279 with six home runs and 10 RBIs in his last 13 games.
"I'm just worried about doing what I can do to help us get on a roll and start winning games," Napoli said. "It has been frustrating. I know I can still produce and help us win. Last year I started off well and didn't finish well. This year I didn't start off well, but now I feel where I am and with my swing, I'm going to have a good second half."
The Rangers need that from many players.
"There's no doubt that we have the players to do that," Beltre said. "We need to do better. I need to do better. I need to start producing better, and there are a lot of guys that need to do that, too. As a team, we need to do that. We have some guys that have a lot of talent, but we haven't showed what we can do yet.
"I do not want to see this team dismantled, that's for sure. We're almost in August. We cannot wait until the last second to try to pick it up. The sooner we can get it, the better. We can not sit here and panic. We have to realize that it's getting later in the season and we have to get better."