This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ARLINGTON -- If there’s one thread that holds together all of the Rangers' biggest acquisitions at this year’s Trade Deadline, it’s pitching coach Mike Maddux.

Maddux was the Rangers’ pitching coach from 2009-15 but then made stops in Washington ('15-17) and St. Louis (‘18-22) before returning to Texas this season. During his time away, he coached newly acquired Max Scherzer to two Cy Young Awards with the Nationals before joining the Cardinals, where he overlapped with both Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton.

“I think it's very helpful,” said general manager Chris Young. “I think it's comforting for the players to come to a situation where they have some familiarity with the coaching staff, the players and certainly their pitching coach. But that was not the reason specifically we targeted those guys. That was really more of a coincidence. That said, I think it helps with the transition and the assimilation. Mike has been a great resource for us and we've done the background on these guys. We have no doubt they will fit right in with our group.”

All three pitchers were ecstatic to reconnect with Maddux.

Scherzer was an All-Star for all three seasons he partnered with Maddux in Washington. In two of those seasons, he won the NL Cy Young and finished top 10 in NL MVP voting. In that span, he posted a 2.76 ERA in 98 starts (657 2/3 innings).

“It’s fun to get back with Mad Dog,” Scherzer said. “I had a great run with him in DC there. Talking to the guys it seems like he's got the same lingo, the same way he breaks down hitters. He's a great baseball mind. He really studies the game. He studies the hitters and really comes up with very, very good reports. Probably some of the best reports I've come across in my time in the big leagues. I've really enjoyed working with him. I knew he was the pitching coach, so I knew this would be an easy transition for me.”

Montgomery and Stratton both have a much shorter history with Maddux, but are excited to continue to develop the relationship.

Montgomery said he likes having a guy like Maddux -- who is old school, but meshes well with the analytical side of the game -- to fall back on. After landing in St. Louis in a Trade Deadline deal with the Yankees last season, the lefty posted a 3.11 in 11 games with the Cardinals. He won his first five starts after being traded.

“Jordan is underrated,” Maddux said. “He's not a big promoter. He just goes out there and sweats his tail off and goes deep into games. He competes for it. He’s got a good four-pitch mix with pretty good stuff. He's gonna be a big asset.”

Stratton also arrived to the Cardinals via trade at last year’s Deadline and improved to a 2.78 ERA in St. Louis after posting one well over 5.00 in Pittsburgh.

The Mike Maddux Trade Deadline may not have been intentional by the Rangers' front office, but it no doubt led to a trio of quality pitchers who will help Texas down the stretch.

“You already got some traction with them, number one, so it does make it easy,” Maddux said of adding pitchers he has familiarity with. “They know what is expected just because I had them in the past. They know it's not free lunch out there. You got to do the little things, you got to compete. That's why they're big leaguers, because they compete well, but use your stuff accordingly. Be accountable, do the little things. They're not going to have to learn, it’s going to be neutral and it makes that transition all the smoother.”