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RANGERS LOOK TO GOOD SECOND HALF START
Texas opens the second half with a six-game home stand beginning Friday night against the Twins. Boston follows Minnesota into Arlington for three games next week. After a brief three-game foray to Kansas City, Texas returns for another seven-game home stand, such that 13 of the Rangers next 16 games are at home. It’s an opportunity to send the message to the Angels and Mariners that they won’t be bowing out of playoff contention soon.
With the approaching July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, the Rangers attention is on shoring up the team with veteran pennant race help. The team surprisingly arrived at the All-Star break trailing Los Angeles by 1.5 games, and trailing New York for the Wild Card by just 2.5. The amazingly good pitching, especially the tacked together starting rotation, has led the way to the 48-39 record that has put the Lawmen in the fray. The team’s ERA is 4.34, the lowest at the break since the Rangers moved into their new ballpark after the 1993 season.
In a season full of surprises, the usually formidable Rangers offense went into a severe June swoon, which dropped the team out of the lead in the West. At this juncture though, the Rangers seem more concerned about pitching not offense. As illogical as that sounds, it’s probably the right place for concern. The offensive problems stem from too much reliance on the home run. In games in which the Rangers don’t hit at least two home runs, their record is 18-28. There’s not much room for change. Ranger fans can only hope the home runs keep coming in bunches for the team that is tied with the Yankees for the Major League lead in home runs at the break.
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Often in the past, the heat in Texas wears down pitchers. The starters are already showing the wear and tear of tossing so many innings before the All-Star break. It’s logical to expect the bullpen to be called upon for more innings over the final 75 games. Texas’s top minor league pitching prospect is Neftali Feliz, who started for the World team in last Sunday’s Futures Game. Feliz regularly clocks in on the radar gun in triple digits, but the Rangers are disappointed that his other pitches haven’t developed, and now perhaps see his future in the back of the bullpen. In recent weeks, he’s worked out of the pen, with an eye toward moving to the Majors in that capacity – soon. He could well be in Arlington before the end of the month as a sixth/seventh inning setup man.
Also, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez was signed to a minor league contract and has been working out of the bullpen. In eight relief appearances, he’s allowed three earned runs over 11 innings (2.45 ERA). He has an “opt-out” date of July 20, so the Rangers will be making a decision on adding him to their Major League roster and bullpen shortly.
Rumors continue to float locally that the Rangers are serious about pursuing Roy Halladay. For a team with shaky finances, the thought seems preposterous on the surface. Texas has let go front office personnel and recently received a substantial advance from MLB on payments they were scheduled to be paid after the season. However, the team has a significant amount of payroll getting lopped off the books after this season, such that adding Halladay’s 2010 salary is not a problem. The problem is the approximate $4.0 million payroll addition in 2009 that obtaining Halladay would require. Assuming the Rangers can find the $4.0 million, they would undoubtedly have the prospects to make the deal. From the outside looking in, this appears to be an exercise in futility on the Rangers’ part. Surely Halladay, who has a full no-trade clause, would not approve a trade to the hitter-friendly confines of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
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In any event, the Rangers are giving all indications of making at least a couple of deals this month, if for no other reason than to show the players that management backs their efforts. However, the worst moves GM Jon Daniels has made are trades of prospects for immediate help at the Major League level. Adam Eaton was hurt for half a season and won just seven games in his Ranger career, while Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez, who they sent to the Padres for Eaton, have both made an All-Star team since the trade. Jon Danks has won 25 games since the Rangers shipped him to Chicago along with Nick Masset, to get the more “Major League ready” Brandon McCarthy, who spends a lot of time on the disabled list and has won just 11 games as a Ranger. Hopefully, the Rangers won’t make a trade that sets the team back in the development process. On the other hand, 2009 has presented an unexpected opportunity for post-season baseball in Arlington, and the Rangers have to seriously consider seizing the opportunity by trading for veteran help down the stretch.
By: Richard W. Humphrey
MLBcenter.com Texas Rangers Correspondent
> View all of the 2009 MLB team previews from Pro Baseball Fans
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