The ReclinerGM’s 2009 MLB Preview: Texas Rangers

explanation of rankings of other team previews here

2008 Record: 79-83
Offseason Additions: Omar Vizquel
Offseason Subtractions: Milton Bradley, Gerald Laird
Ranks (MLB):
     Line-Up – 15th
     Rotation – 29th
     Bullpen – 21st
     Defense – 5th tier (out of 5)
     Baserunning – 1st tier (out of 5) 

KEY PLAYER: BRANDON MCCARTHY                                                             

When is the last time the Rangers were praised for their deep pitching staff? Has it ever happened? It certainly won’t happen this year with their 5 projected starters posting ERA’s of 5.07, 4.74, 5.49, 6.40 and 5.29 in 2008. They should have a great 1-2 punch of Edinson Volquez and Jon Danks, but they traded Volquez for Josh Hamilton, and Danks for Brandon McCarthy. Hamilton can’t pitch, but McCarthy can, and they need him to realize his potential this year. McCarthy isn’t even guaranteed a rotation spot at this point, but probably has the best stuff of any of the pitchers vying for a rotation spot. In fact, aside from head-case Vicente Padilla, he probably has the best stuff on the staff. He has been plagued by injuries, pitching only 122.2 innings during his 2 years in Texas, but they need him to make a big turnaround if they want to be competitive this season. 

PLAYER TO WATCH: ELVIS ANDRUS                                                           

While the Rangers have had a tendacy recently to trade away good pitchers, one trade they didn’t lose was when they traded Mark Teixeira to the Braves. In return, they got C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, SP Neftali Feliz (arguably the best pitching prospect in baseball), SP Matt Harrison (fighting for a rotation spot) and SS Elvis Andrus. Andrus, only 20 years old, had forced his way up into the big show. The Rangers are so determined to get him in the line-up right away that they ticked off one of their best players, SS-turned-3B Michael Young, to make room for Andrus. Last year, as a teenager in AA (by comparison, Jason Donald was 23 in AA this year) Andrus hit .295 with 53 stolen bases in 118 games. Think of him as Michael Bourn with a bat. 

PHILLY ANGLE                                                                                                         

Three Disappointing Phils

Vicente Padilla was supposed to be the gem of the Curt Schilling trade. Kevin Millwood was supposed to be the ace to put us over the top. Marlon Byrd was supposed to be the 5-tool star we could hit ahead of Thome and Burrell. 3 examples of the pre-Utley/Howard/Hamels era disappointment that we knew all too well, and 3 starters for your 2009 Texas Rangers! When Padilla came over in the Curt Schilling deal, he was said to have “Pedro-like” stuff. And he did. But he has also an attitude problem and problems with authority that never let him realize his potential. Last year he went 14-8 with a 4.74 ERA in 171 IP. Millwood seemed like a steal when we got him for Johnny Estrada, and he had pitched like the guy to put us over the top when he was 7-2 with a 2.94 ERA on last day of May, 2003. However, from that point forward in his Phillies career, he went 16-16 with a 4.71 ERA and unceremoniously left for Cleveland where he won the ERA title just in time to get a big contract and underachieve some more. In 2001, Byrd hit .316 with 28 HR, 89 RBI and 32 SB for AA Reading and appeared to be on his way to stardom. However, after a very promising rookie year, his OPS dropped 176 points and was traded for Endy Chavez in 2005. 3 promising players, 3 disappointing endings. Ahhh, the memories.  

QUICK HITS                                                                          

Worst Contract: Kevin Millwood (5 yrs, $60 million, ends in 2010)
Best Pitch: Frank Francisco’s Curveball
Best Player in a Contract Year: Hank Blalock, 3B
Top Prospect: Neftali Perez, SP
Best Individual Season: Nolan Ryan, 1989 (at age 42, Ryan has a 3.20 ERA in 239.3 IP with 301 K. Leads AL in K/9 and H/9. His K/9 rate is 11.32, second place is 21-year old Tom Gordon at 8.45)
Worst Uniforms: 1983
Where’d They Come From?

          - Trade, 9 (most in MLB)
          - Draft, 5
          - Free Agent, 1
          - Amateur FA, 0

2009 OUTLOOK                                                                                                       

4th AL West, 13th AL, 26th MLB

I can’t imagine being a Rangers fan and year after year watching great offense squandered by horrible pitching. They have finished 30th, 24th, 18th, 26th, 18th, 30th, 27th, 30th and 30th in total pitching during this decade. They haven’t finished in the top half of the league once, and they’ve finished dead last four times. That’s ridiculous! Every single baseball fan knows the name of the game is pitching, how can the Rangers not? There is a chance that GM Jon Daniels does know, actually, as the Rangers now have the #1 farm system in all of baseball. They have 4 pitchers in ESPN’s top 100 prospects, including the aforementioned Feliz, who has a 97 mph fastball and has a career 11.33 K/9 rate in the minors. Should be a tough year this year, but things are promising for the Rangers future. Just hang on to those pitchers.