Do you think what the Blue Jays got for Marcus Stroman from the Mets is the level of talent the Rangers would be willing to settle for?
-- Louis B., Fort Worth, Texas

Hope not. Left-hander Anthony Kay was the 31st overall pick in the 2016 Draft, taken immediately after the Rangers took Cole Ragans. He is in Triple-A now and could be Major League ready as soon as next year. Right-hander Simeon Woods-Richardson was a second-round pick in 2018 out of a Houston suburban high school and is only in low Class A. They were the No. 4 and No. 6 prospects in the Mets organization. These players may end up being All-Stars -- projecting where a Minor League pitcher will end up in a Major League rotation is a dubious evaluation at best -- but it still seems like Texas needs to reap more for a player who is signed for next season on a team that could be a legitimate contender with the right bold moves now and in the offseason.

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How do you think the Trade Deadline has/will affect the chemistry in the Rangers' clubhouse? I have heard that some guys, specifically Mike Minor, are upset about the trade talk.
-- Sean L., Arlington, Texas

Yes, it would seem that the Rangers players had a right to be more than miffed before the All-Star break when they seemed in contention and the rumors about Minor, Hunter Pence and others bubbled to the surface. Minor wasn’t the only player upset that those rumors were being floated about. But when Texas stumbled after the All-Star break, it seemed like players became more resigned to the possibility that trades were coming before July 31. Minor seems more accepting of the possibility that he could be dealt by Wednesday.

Is there a sense that Rougned Odor or Nomar Mazara might get traded?
-- Shawn B., Allen, Texas

Odor is signed for three more years and a minimum $36 million. That’s unmovable unless the Rangers want to eat a big chunk of money. Mazara may be difficult to move. Texas still thinks he can be a big-time run producer, but it’s doubtful that other clubs are willing to gamble on that by trading a front-line starting pitcher. Right now, Mazara is probably valued far more by the Rangers than he is to other clubs.

With the Rangers still struggling to find a viable option for the back end of the rotation, has the front office considered trying to work a deal with Matt Harvey as a possible low-risk high-reward option?
-- Christian P, Waco, Texas

Sign Harvey and two things can happen. He continues to be lousy and you’ve wasted a spot in the rotation that can be used by a younger pitcher. Harvey could also pitch great for two months and then he becomes a free agent. The one redeeming value of signing somebody like Harvey is that he could at least be a placeholder in the rotation while some of the younger pitchers like Joe Palumbo, Brock Burke and others continue their development in the Minors. But the reports on Harvey are obviously not good and the Rangers seem committed to giving young pitchers an audition as the season enters the final two months.

What are the chances the Rangers make a trade to build for the future? Say like trading for Noah Syndergaard?
-- Brady S., Seminole, Texas

The Rangers have considered that kind of a trade to get a pitcher who would be here beyond 2019 or even next season. Just not sure they have the Major League-ready young players the Mets would want in return. But putting together a rotation built around Minor, Syndergaard and Lance Lynn should have some appeal.

Why was Robinson Chirinos let go this season for the present-day catchers?
-- Trevino E., Fort Worth, Texas

Pretty sure declining the option on Chirinos for 2019 was not the Rangers' best decision last offseason.

Do you know who was the first Ranger to use walk-up music? I always loved Juan Gonzalez using Darth Vader in the '90s, things were gonna go down!
-- Kyle Davis, Euless, Texas

The whole idea of walk-up music may have originated with former first baseman Dave Hostetler, who came up with the last-place Rangers in 1982 and hit 22 home runs that summer. When “Hoss” came to the plate, they started playing the theme from Bonanza. That was the summer of Hoss Hysteria.