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MLB Team Report – Texas Rangers – INSIDE PITCH
Spring training was going to be about questions for the Rangers. They had plenty of them. They’d just like to have a few more answers as the season gets under way.
The big issues were expected to be finding a way to replace the offense lost when Josh Hamilton departed for Los Angeles in free agency and how to replace the leadership of all-time-games-played leader Michael Young, who was dealt to Philadelphia.
Neither of those were expected to be answered fully in spring training, though new designated hitter Lance Berkman provides hope in both areas. Berkman has had a solid spring at the plate with his disciplined bat and has proven to be an approachable veteran force in the clubhouse.
Berkman’s patience also offers hope that the club will be more difficult to pitch to in key situations. The Rangers felt that as last season progressed, Hamilton became too indiscriminate with his swings and became “easier” to pitch to.
There were, however, other questions going into camp, particularly about the back end of the rotation and the bullpen. If anything, the Rangers only got more questions from those areas as camp progressed.
Right hander Alexi Ogando, who has alternated between the bullpen in even numbered years and the rotation in odd numbers, struggled early in camp to gain command of his pitches, but appeared to be getting sharper as spring progressed. He went six scoreless innings on March 24.
As for the fifth spot, the Rangers went to camp thinking that one of RHP Kyle McClellan, RHP Justin Grimm, LHP Robbie Ross or LHP Martin Perez would claim the job. While the others were all bobbling their opportunities, Perez was laying claim to it until taking a liner off the wrist and suffering a fracture. It left open the door for non-roster invitee Nick Tepesch to take the spot for the start of the season. Tepesch, 24, has made only 14 starts above Class A at this point.
The Rangers went to camp knowing they had a big hole in the middle of the bullpen with Ogando heading to the rotation and righties Mike Adams and Koji Uehara both departed in free agency. The problem is that no right-handers have stepped up to seize the sixth- and seventh-inning roles. Former All-Star Evan Meek was ineffective and promising young right handers Josh Lindblom and Taner Scheppers struggled to keep the ball down. It left manager Ron Washington facing the prospect of having to turn to a number of lefties — Michael Kirkman, Joe Ortiz and Ross — to face right-handed hitters late in games. It’s not ideal, but so far the lefties have been impressive. There is hope the bullpen will improve significantly, especially with the possibility of right hander Joakim Soria returning in May, but it could take some time to sort things out.
And then there was the 180-pound elephant in the room: infielder Jurickson Profar. The top prospect in baseball had a solid spring and did everything necessary in order to win a spot on the roster. The only problem: The spot that is open is for a backup infielder and the Rangers decided it’s better for him to play every day in the minors than watch in the majors. He was sent down March 26.
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MLB Team Report – Texas Rangers – NOTES, QUOTES
–INF Jurickson Profar’s time for regular major league at-bats will be delayed after the Rangers optioned one of baseball’s top prospects to Triple-A Round Rock.
The Rangers didn’t have a starting spot for Profar on the big-league team with Elvis Andrus at shortstop and Ian Kinsler at second base. The team kept Leury Garcia as a utility infielder, opting to give Profar regular action in the minors.
OF James Adduci, C Eli Whiteside and LHP Nate Robertson are also heading to Round Rock.
–Rookie RHP Nick Tepesch earned the fifth starter’s job. He is scheduled to make his major league debut April 9 against the Rays. Texas had considered Michael Kirkman, but he will stay in the bullpen. Tepesch posted a 4.28 ERA and struck out 68 in 90 1/3 innings with Double-A Frisco last season.
–RHP Derek Lowe earned a spot on the Rangers’ Opening Day roster. The righty posted a 6.23 ERA in 8 2/3 innings, though he didn’t allow runs in two of his three relief outings. Lowe will serve as a swingman.
–INF Mike Olt was among a group of players sent back to the minor leagues last week. Olt, considered the second-best position prospect in the organization, hit .194 during spring training with 12 strikeouts in 31 at-bats. The Rangers felt Olt was pressing too hard at the outset of camp.
–RHPs Joakim Soria and Colby Lewis, both of whom underwent surgery last year, continue to make progress toward late May returns. Both are expected to start facing hitters in “live batting practice” around April 8. If that goes well, it would essentially serve as a kickoff to their individual spring training schedules, putting them about six or seven weeks from returning (barring setbacks).
–LHP Brad Mills was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. Mills, 28, is 3-3 with a 7.76 ERA in 15 career major league games (10 starts) since 2009. To make room for Mills, the Rangers placed RHP Neftali Feliz on the 60-day disabled list as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery.
–RHP Coty Woods, a Rule 5 draft pick from the Rockies, was returned to Colorado on March 27. He allowed three runs in 10 1/3 innings with the Rangers this spring.
–RHP Yu Darvish returned to action March 23, allowing two runs in five innings against the Reds. He was scratched from his scheduled March 18 start with a stiff neck.
BY THE NUMBERS: 17 — Road games for the Rangers in the first month of the season. Texas opens at Houston and plays 17 of its first 26 on the road, including trips to Seattle, the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles and Minnesota.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Really, all you want to do is qualify for the tournament. Once that happens, anything (can happen). A lot of it is about who’s hot at the right time and who’s playing and who’s pitching well. Over the course of 162-game schedule, you just want to give yourself a chance for a spot in the postseason come September. There is no doubt in my mind that this team is geared up to do that.” — DH/1B Lance Berkman, on the state of the Rangers heading into the season.
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MLB Team Report – Texas Rangers – ROSTER REPORT
Though there were some positive developments in spring training, particularly the play of CF Leonys Martin, Texas didn’t seem to answer major questions about its rotation or bullpen. With a number of players coming back from injuries as the season progresses, the Rangers should improve and could be positioned to surge late — if they can hold things steady early in the season. The middle of the bullpen appears especially dicey at the outset.
ROTATION:
1. LHP Matt Harrison
2. RHP Yu Darvish
3. LHP Derek Holland
4. RHP Alexi Ogando
5. RHP Nick Tepesch
The Rangers resolved little during spring training. They knew the identity of the top four, but were uncertain where Ogando stood on his secondary pitches and had a full-fledged opening for the fifth spot. After a rough start to spring, Ogando at least regained command of his fastball, but whether he’s got the off-speed pitch to keep hitters off balance more than one trip through the lineup is still to be determined. Tepesch was a non-roster invitee to camp, mostly as a reward, but by the end of spring, he was the only one still standing from a battle that once numbered five or six pitchers. Injury and ineffectiveness weeded out the others.
BULLPEN:
RHP Joe Nathan (closer)
RHP Jason Frasor
LHP Michael Kirkman
LHP Robbie Ross
RHP Derek Lowe
LHP Joe Ortiz
RHP Josh Lindblom
The bullpen should get better as the season progresses with the possibility of RHP Joakim Soria returning from Tommy John surgery in May and RHP Neftali Feliz from the same surgery sometime after the All-Star break. The question is whether this bullpen can hold down the fort at the start of the year to make the returns have real impact.
The Rangers spent all spring trying to identify solid sixth- and seventh-inning right-handed options to replace the likes of departed free agents Mike Adams and Koji Uehara. The best options were all left-handed. Kirkman and Ross are solid from the left-side and Frasor may have enough grit to offset declining stuff to hold down the eighth.
The Rangers really needed Lindblom or RHP Tanner Scheppers to claim a key role, but both have had trouble getting the ball down in the zone. This could be a last-minute decision. Or, the Rangers could try to add from the outside.
LINEUP:
1. 2B Ian Kinsler
2. SS Elvis Andrus
3. DH Lance Berkman
4. 3B Adrian Beltre
5. RF Nelson Cruz
6. LF David Murphy
7. C A.J. Pierzynski
8. 1B Mitch Moreland
9. CF Leonys Martin
Sure, there are questions about whether DH Lance Berkman can come close to replacing the production of Josh Hamilton in the No. 3 spot, but Berkman’s OPS over the last five years was actually one point higher (.913) than Hamilton’s (.912).
Where there is real issue is in the lower half of the order. The Rangers could be sending four left-handed hitters in a row to the plate most days from Murphy all the way down to Martin. Against right-handed starters that will be attractive, but it will make things easier on opposing managers about when and how to deploy left-handed relievers.
Simply subbing out Berkman for Hamilton should make the Rangers a more disciplined hitting team. And the trio of Martin, Kinsler and Andrus should give the team more ability to manufacture runs late in games. Discipline and opportunism have been two of the major projects of spring training.
RESERVES:
C Geovany Soto
INF Jeff Baker
OF Craig Gentry
INF Leury Garcia
The Rangers opted to give INF Jurickson Profar, 20, regular action in the minors rather than having him sit on the big-league bench. As a result, Garcia, 22, will suffer from the same potential atrophy.
MEDICAL WATCH:
–RHP Colby Lewis (right flexor tendon surgery in July 2012) was expected to start throwing live batting practice to hitters on April 8. It could put him in line for a late-May return to the rotation.
–RHP Joakim Soria (Tommy John surgery in April 2012) was expected to start throwing live batting practice to hitters on April 8. It could put him in line for a return to the bullpen in late May.
–RHP Kyle McClellan (strained right lat muscle) was expected to start a throwing program in early to mid-April.
–LHP Martin Perez (fractured left wrist) may begin throwing around Opening Day, but he is unlikely to return before mid-May.
–RHP Neftali Feliz (Tommy John surgery in August 2012) went on the 60-day disabled list March 24. He is not expected to return until after the All-Star break.
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