Texas Rangers Are Still One Starting Pitcher Away From Complete

On paper the Texas Rangers appear to have a complete five-man starting rotation, but digging deeper, it becomes clear they still need one more arm.

Spring training is soon upon us and the Texas Rangers are busy finalizing their roster. After a somewhat quiet start to the winter, Jon Daniels and the Rangers let the market come to them. This annual test of restraint has been equal parts wise and unbearable to Rangers’ faithful.

But things are falling into place and with the signing of former Ranger Mike Napoli, things look like they are now set. Or are they?

With such few on-the-cusp pitching prospects in the system, the starting rotation remains a worry. On paper the rotation looks potentially brilliant. Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish unquestionably occupy the top spots. And Martin Perez, Andrew Cashner, and Tyson Ross at three, four, and five may combine to make this one of the best rotations in the AL.

That’s assuming everything goes perfectly, of course.

The Top Three

Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels look healthy and ready to reclaim workhorse roles they’ve had most of their careers. Martin Perez may have looked like a complete flake last season, as evidenced by his 3.24 home ERA vs his 5.78 road ERA, but his 198 innings pitched were by far a career best.

While I sincerely have my doubts about Martin Perez’s metal fortitude (Derek Holland 2.0), I see him as a safe bet to play the majority of the season. The bottom two starters I’m not so sure of.

The Gambles

Andrew Cashner was signed in November to a one-year/ $10 million deal. The team-friendly contract was made possible by Cashner’s poor 2016 season. Cashner is the kind of pitcher who has always tantalized with his skills and potential, he’s just rarely been able to string his successes together for a very significant amount of time.

At first glance it looks like Cashner for Derek Holland was an even swap. The reality is Holland’s fastball declined so significantly, the Texas Rangers were unsure he’d ever pan out. Cashner has also seen a decline in his speed but with a wider speed disparity between top-speed and off-speed, Cashner is a guy the Rangers think they can win with.

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Behind Cashner is an even bigger “feast or famine” kinda guy. Tyson Ross, 30, signed a one-year/ $6 million deal with the Rangers in January. Ross, a former All-Star, is recovering from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome that robbed him of nearly his entire season last year.

If Ross can make the bounce-back everyone hopes he will, he’s perfect for the Texas Rangers. In 2015 he pitched 196 innings for a 3.26 ERA and a 4.4 WAR. Best yet, he boasted a 61 percent ground ball rate with over nine strikeouts per game.

As tantalizing as that may seem, it’s still a gamble. Ross is not expected to start the season on time and when he does, it’s unclear if he will be the man he was in 2015.

Because of this, the Texas Rangers need to be looking for a sixth man to add to their rotation. Someone to start the season as the fifth starter and possibly longer if Ross, Cashner, or Martin don’t work out.

Generally speaking, a sixth starter is always wise in MLB given the injury susceptibility and length of the MLB season. But that need only increases with the number of gambles the Rangers are taking with their rotation this year.

Sixth Starter Candidates

A.J. Griffin is the clear frontrunner to initially claim the #6 spot. Griffin was great in April, May, and June, posting a 3.81 ERA. But from there things got ugly as Griffin posted a 5.84 ERA, 5.34 ERA, and 7.94 ERA in the final three months.

It’s hard to erase those final performances from memory, subsequently it’s hard to feel confident heading into the 2017 season with Griffin penciled in as the starter.

The real issue in this is the famine of on-the-cusp prospects ready to fill in. Nick Martinez and Chi Chi Gonzalez do little to inspire confidence in their ability to pitch at the highest level. Yohander Mendez looks like a great prospect but the last thing the Texas Rangers want to do is rush him into a situation before he’s ready.

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It wouldn’t be surprising in the least to see the Texas Rangers deal a player like Jurickson Profar or Joey Gallo for a ready-now prospect or two who can fill the team’s biggest divot in their system. One thing is clear, the Rangers could use someone unflashy but steady (Colby Lewis anyone?) to go into a season full of promise. And risk.

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