In the spirit of the Academy Awards, and in the spirit of spring training’s final week, it really is one battle after another.
Roster battles, that is, as the Rangers enter their final stretch of camp with a number of jobs on the position player side and pitcher side still left to determine. That, and health, will be the most important things to watch as the club prepares to break camp.
With that said, here’s what we learned about the Rangers last week, with a heavy slant on roster construction.
Roster battle update: bench edition
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The club’s bench may be more open and competitive than any other position group in camp. That includes the bullpen, which lacks an experienced closer and has had to be rebuilt once again, and the rotation’s unclaimed fifth spot. It’s in part because two non-roster invitees have torn up the Cactus League in competition for a reserve outfielder/designated hitter role. It’s also because it’s yet to be seen how Rangers manager Skip Schumaker will value veteran stability versus youthful energy or vibes off of the bench. Ditto on how defensive versatility weighs against offensive production.
It may come down to the wire. Here are the names that stand out the most.
DH/OF Andrew McCutchen: The former National League MVP has made the most of his thin runway with the Rangers. He’s slashed .583/.706/.833 with four doubles and more walks than strikeouts in four Cactus League games. Schumaker said he’s “very impressed” with where the 39-year-old is at despite a truncated spring. DH/OF Mark Canha: Canha, signed to a minor league deal earlier this spring, has turned it on as camp nears its end. He’s .324/.343/.500 in 13 games. The 37-year-old has struggled some against lefties, which represents his easiest path to a roster spot, though his career .755 OPS against southpaws may eventually carry more weight then a spring training sample size if the Rangers believe it’s a need. OF Alejandro Osuna: The 23-year-old only received three at-bats with Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic but is 4 for 8 with a walk in Cactus League play since he returned from the tournament. His status on the opening day roster might’ve been most impacted by the mid-camp additions of McCutchen and Canha, and because he has minor league options left to play with, it could be easier for the Rangers to start him at Triple-A Round Rock and roll with a veteran early if they prioritze a bench bat that can hit left-handers. IF Ezequiel Duran: He’s played his way back into serious contention in the last week. Duran has slashed .303/.439/.545 with equal parts strikeouts and walks this spring, and in March, he has a 1.220 OPS and two home runs. His defensive versatility might’ve been a need with former super utility man Josh Smith likely bound for the every day second base job, but if his bat begins to look more like it did three years ago, it could give more credence to a roster spot. IF Tyler Wade: The 31-year-old has been one of the most productive hitters in camp with a 1.071 OPS in 13 games. Schumaker likes the energy he brings in a bench role. His chances, like Duran’s, may come down to defensive versatility and whether Wade can bounce between a number of infield and outfield positions off of the bench. The Rangers even tried him at first base, the position he’s least experienced at, to get a gauge on how he fares there in case they need him to back starter Jake Burger up in spot moments once the season starts. Wade might’ve had an edge over Duran after the first-half of games; now, the gap has at the very least narrowed. Roster battle update: bullpen edition
The Rangers signed left-hander Jalen Beeks to a big league deal last week. That’s good news for their collective bullpen and possibly bad news for the fringe arms who hope to join it. There are anywhere from two-to-three open spots in the bullpen, though if left-hander Jacob Latz doesn’t break camp in the rotation, the availability shrinks even more.
The ultimate decision hinges on the club’s priorities. Do they want a pitcher with the best stuff? Do they want one that makes roster management easier? Do they want the one who’s performed best in this camp?
Here are the five likeliest candidates for the two (or, maybe, three) available jobs.
RHP Carter Baumler: The Rule 5 draftee has forced his way into the conversation with a still-scoreless spring, a nasty curveball and decent command. The Rangers will need to carry Baumler on the major league roster for the entire season, or send him back to the Baltimore Orioles, which thins some of their flexibility. He’s never pitched above the Double-A level, his spotty injury history has limited his ability to pitch in bulk and it’s unclear whether he’s prepared for high or even medium leverage moments in the big leagues. But his stuff has played against major league hitters, and given the club’s relatively wide open bullpen, he could be a useful find. RHP Luis Curvelo: He’s the only candidate of these options that pitched double digits for the Rangers last season. He also has something that the club will need in the bullpen. Of the five relievers who’re almost certainly guaranteed a spot in the bullpen, only left-handers Tyler Alexander and Robert Garcia have minor league options left, though both are expected to hold important roles with the team. That makes Curvelo, who’s had a fine spring, an asset once the season begins and bullpen management becomes fluid. RHP Josh Sborz: It still may be a long shot, and it still may behoove Sborz to spend some time in the minor leagues as he continues to build back up, but the former postseason hero has had an impressive spring after he was sidelined for all of last season after shoulder surgery. His fastball has ran an encouraging 93-94 mph in Cactus League games and he’s struck out five batters in six innings. The Rangers don’t need to rush him because he’s on a minor league deal, but if the Rangers aren’t swayed enough by some of their younger options, Sborz is a candidate. RHP Peyton Gray: Gray had the longest odds out these five players before camp. Six scoreless appearances, 12 strikeouts in 7⅔ innings and a high strike percentage will improve them quickly. He’s 30-years-old, only reached Triple-A for the first time last season and spent time in the independent leagues before he reached affiliated ball. He’s also had possibly the best camp of any bullpen candidate from a statistical standpoint, and like Curvelo, he has options. RHP Marc Church: Church became a victim of his own health when he missed the first two-thirds of camp with a teres major strain and didn’t make his Cactus League debut until Sunday. He debuted with the Rangers last season, and his stuff has major high-leverage upside, but it’d take a lot to make up for lost time in a short window. And unlike McCutchen, who was in a similar boat when he signed late, he doesn’t have the benefit of every day reps. Roster battle update: rotation edition
Hey, at least we know who’ll start opening day. Schumaker tabbed right-hander Nathan Eovaldi for the March 26 start against the Philadelphia Phillies. Right-hander Jacob deGrom will follow (and be in line to start the home opener vs. the Cincinnati Reds April 3) and left-hander MacKenzie Gore, if Schumaker’s comments about the opening day situation should mean anything, behind him. That leaves right-hander Jack Leiter in the four hole.
In the fifth spot?
“We’ve still got a ways to go,” Schumaker said last week.
It’s effectively a two-man race between right-hander Kumar Rocker and Latz with a week-and-a-half until the regular season starts. The two have flashed positive upside in camp though neither has been unimpeachably good. For Latz, the focus will be on whether his stuff can maintain its form over the course of an entire start. For Rocker, it’ll be whether he can command his lethal weapons, employ a diverse arsenal and show enchanced focus on the mound.
The Rangers will get to see each pitch at least once more before camp breaks before they make a call.
Talk about added importance to exhibition games that, well, don’t always have that.
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