Series Thread: Rangers Host the Astros For Four Games May 15-18

[saddles]

From Texas Rangers PR:

Helman, 28, has batted .185 (12-65) with one HR, 4 2B, and 5 RBI over 18 G in 2025 with Memphis (AAA) of the St. Louis organization. The Lincoln, Neb. native made his MLB debut over 9 G with MIN in 2024, going 3-for-10 (.300) with 2 2B and 2 R.

A former 11th-round pick by MIN in the 2018 MLB Draft from Texas A&M, Helman has slashed .257/.330/.434/.764 (471-1832) with 68 HR, 12 3B, 96 2B, and 256 RBI over parts of 7 minor league seasons in the MIN (2018-24) and STL (2025) organizations.

 

[fanman8825]

I do not think we should build a bullpen around 38 year old guys. BTW, how old is Martin ? 38.
Young was lucky as hell to have Yates have a career year at that age.
The year before we overpaid dramatically for Chapman. The time to build the bullpen is in the offseason, not months before the trade deadline.
Look at career numbers of our bullpen pitchers. The only one who is good is Martin. And he’s 38.
It is ridiculous to put all the blame on the hitters. We would have swept the Astros with a decent pen.
All a team has to do to beat us is hang close and wait for our bullpen. On one of our bullpen holds out guy walked 2 guys in a row, and then Altuve swung at ball 4.
Young has a job to do. It’s time for him to do it.

This is the point I made about Yates earlier. He had a tremendous year last year but I could not see paying a 38 year old 13 mil a year who was very unlikely to replicate last years success.
I was put off by the way CY went about fixing the bullpen. He could have had a closer but wasted money on Peterson and brought in cheap middle of the road relievers that have no business closing out games(Armstrong,Webb,Jackson). Cy was trying to find this years version of Kirby Yates. Sometimes it does not work out.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

I would have liked to have seen Caleb Boushley more and not just as a long reliever. He actually pitched well. His ERA was trashed when in his 1st outing he gave up 4 runs in his 4th inning of work. After that he pitched 8 2/3 innings giving up 5 hits and 1 run.

 

[Kelleyman]

Maybe we overpaid for Joc. Time will tell but maybe too much money has been sunk into SP

We are looking good there of course and the future is bright there Gray and Bradford injuries have hurt and Kumar too even though he is fragile
Still think Gray and Kumar could be of use in the pen this year. Have to limit innings anyways

 

[Billybass]

I would have liked to have seen Caleb Boushley more and not just as a long reliever. He actually pitched well. His ERA was trashed when in his 1st outing he gave up 4 runs in his 4th inning of work. After that he pitched 8 2/3 innings giving up 5 hits and 1 run.

Maybe he has figured it out….but he has a 4.37 ERA in 8 minor league seasons…not many innings in bigs. I really don’t think he is the answer.
But you never know…maybe 6th inning guy.
Those are important too

 

[Kelleyman]

The guy we picked up will go to waivers soon IMO. Who knows if Ornelas is picked up
Roster spots are valuable but Leody being picked up surprised me

 

[Kelleyman]

Despite García outing I like him. Martin ABs Jackson have no future here. Some of the guys in the minors have to come through.
Sinking a lot of money in a reliever is risky
Hader is off and on abs the STL closer has had a rough stretch. Pirates guy too

 

[saddles]

I would have liked to have seen Caleb Boushley more and not just as a long reliever. He actually pitched well. His ERA was trashed when in his 1st outing he gave up 4 runs in his 4th inning of work. After that he pitched 8 2/3 innings giving up 5 hits and 1 run.

I believe they have switched him and Winn again. If I remember correctly.

 

[saddles]

Sinking a lot of money in a reliever is risky

Take out the word "reliever" and put in the word "player," and I will agree. Look at Pederson and Semien. Remember how we all thought Choo was overpaid and Fielder, too. Degrom was very risky and so was Scherzer.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Maybe he has figured it out….but he has a 4.37 ERA in 8 minor league seasons…not many innings in bigs. I really don’t think he is the answer.
But you never know…maybe 6th inning guy.
Those are important too

I just wanted him as middle relief.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

That's true but this was in reference to possibly bidding on a closer based on their past experiences. Yates coming back down to earth didn't surprise me.

Take out the word "reliever" and put in the word "player," and I will agree. Look at Pederson and Semien. Remember how we all thought Choo was overpaid and Fielder, too. Degrom was very risky and so was Scherzer.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Well, suffice it to say, I see many of these things much differently than you do, and I have already stated why.

I'm looking at it from the teams perspective because the team is a business and have to act as such or they go under. It has a balancing act to do between the money coming in and the money going out, the goal of the business is to make money and entertain 80-90% of the paying customers not please them all. Since they only have so much money coming in the owner says "CY you only have so much to spend", and CY is gonna spend what he gets the best way he knows how and that may not please the 10-20%, oh well...

 

[Uncle Siggy]

That is not nearly as much as they wasted on Semien.

They need to have their sights set on better relievers than Yates, anyway. Closers cost a lot of money and CY wants to shop in the bargain basement for relievers. That is how he lucked into Yates to begin with. He spends big in some places and fails to spend enough in other areas.

So how do you determine who's a better reliever and how do you guarantee he's gonna get the job done???

 

[Uncle Siggy]

How long you going to give them.

You should direct that question to the team and see if you get an answer you like, but I'm guessing you don't because it's all about "the business" and not the feelings...

 

[Uncle Siggy]

I do not think we should build a bullpen around 38 year old guys. BTW, how old is Martin ? 38.
Young was lucky as hell to have Yates have a career year at that age.
The year before we overpaid dramatically for Chapman. The time to build the bullpen is in the offseason, not months before the trade deadline.
Look at career numbers of our bullpen pitchers. The only one who is good is Martin. And he’s 38.
It is ridiculous to put all the blame on the hitters. We would have swept the Astros with a decent pen.
All a team has to do to beat us is hang close and wait for our bullpen. On one of our bullpen holds out guy walked 2 guys in a row, and then Altuve swung at ball 4.
Young has a job to do. It’s time for him to do it.

I'm looking at it from the teams perspective because the team is a business and have to act as such or they go under. It has a balancing act to do between the money coming in and the money going out, the goal of the business is to make money and entertain 80-90% of the paying customers not please them all. Since they only have so much money coming in the owner says "CY you only have so much to spend", and CY is gonna spend what he gets the best way he knows how and that may not please the 10-20%, oh well...

 

[Billybass]

Talent evaluation is what separates the men from the boys.
Nobody hits 100% of time, but some GMs are definitely better than others.
Eventually talent evaluation will determine how long CY stays around.
He did win a championship, so I will always defer to that.
But this year we have that rarest commodity, great starting pitching.
And if he is strapped by budget from owners, then he has to trade prospects.
This team can go along way with their starting pitching, even with the hitting what it is.
We need a bullpen. A closer and a 8th inning guy. They ain’t cheap, but he can’t waste this opportunity with the great starting pitching.

 

[fanman8825]

I would have liked to have seen Caleb Boushley more and not just as a long reliever. He actually pitched well. His ERA was trashed when in his 1st outing he gave up 4 runs in his 4th inning of work. After that he pitched 8 2/3 innings giving up 5 hits and 1 run.

That's right I remember and good point

 

[fanman8825]

Maybe we overpaid for Joc. Time will tell but maybe too much money has been sunk into SP

We are looking good there of course and the future is bright there Gray and Bradford injuries have hurt and Kumar too even though he is fragile
Still think Gray and Kumar could be of use in the pen this year. Have to limit innings anyways

Would love to see what Gray can do out of the bullpen.

 

[fanman8825]

Talent evaluation is what separates the men from the boys.
Nobody hits 100% of time, but some GMs are definitely better than others.
Eventually talent evaluation will determine how long CY stays around.
He did win a championship, so I will always defer to that.
But this year we have that rarest commodity, great starting pitching.
And if he is strapped by budget from owners, then he has to trade prospects.
This team can go along way with their starting pitching, even with the hitting what it is.
We need a bullpen. A closer and a 8th inning guy. They ain’t cheap, but he can’t waste this opportunity with the great starting pitching.

Don't believe in the history of this franchise has the starting pitching been this good thru the first 48 games.
Your right it's rare to see this great SP and that's why it's so frustrating to be just 2 games over 500.
Maybe Gray can be the 8th or 9th inning guy and if so then in my opinion then we're down to getting one more bullpen piece.

 

[Billybass]

What is the latest on Gray? I’ll never forget how he pitched down the stretch when we won the championship