Series Thread: Rangers Host Oakland A's For Three Games April 9-11

[saddles]

It is early, but Harris, Hauver and huff are all off to a good start for Round Rock.

 

[saddles]

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Frisco scores 3 in the bottom of the 9th to win.

 

[saddles]

So, he is actually only the second Ranger to do so.

 

[Nightcrawler]

I like that Bradford has been so consistent. He seems to really have it figured out. I know there will be a bad game eventually as everyone has them but I am feeling good about him and to be honest I did not know what we would get from him as a starter this year.

He was the big question mark in the rotation coming into this season. He and Josh smith are probably our most improved players so far this year.

its a shame that Heaney and Gray have underperformed so far.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

I like that Bradford has been so consistent. He seems to really have it figured out. I know there will be a bad game eventually as everyone has them but I am feeling good about him and to be honest I did not know what we would get from him as a starter this year.

I figured he would look better this year than he did last year but am really surprised with his performance so far. He will eventually regress or have some bad outings but as long as he keeps his ERA under 4 they'll keep him around as a starter and not turn him into a full time reliever...

 

[Uncle Siggy]

He was the big question mark in the rotation coming into this season. He and Josh smith are probably our most improved players so far this year.

They both made changes in the off season and it seems to be paying off for both of them. Smith seems to be taking a lot of playing time from Duran so you have to wonder what they'll do with him if this current scenario continues. I hadn't heard anything about Duran making any changes in the off season to reduce his chase rate that killed him in the second half last year...

 

[saddles]

The thing I have grown to like about both Josh Smith and Cody Bradford is they both have high baseball IQs. They probably have high IQs in general. When you have those and you have talent, you have a much higher chance of success in baseball. You have to have other things as well, but those things help tremendously. Those kind of guys need to be given a chance and they need to be shown patience early in their careers.

They need good coaching, but they also have the ability to figure things out on their own. Bradford has made some adjustments on his own, twice over the last 3 seasons. Ragans did that as well.

I think guys like Blalock and Odor could have used some of those qualities.

 

[saddles]

From Jeff Wilson:

Michael Lorenzen made his third and likely final rehab start Tuesday at Triple A Round Rock, allowing four runs in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits, walked five and struck out six. Just a hunch, but he might return to the Rangers with an opinion about automated balls and strikes.

The key number for him was 89, the number of pitches he threw.

Up next for him is, in all likelihood, a start in the majors. The Rangers are in the middle of playing on 17 straight days, and the plan is to add him to the rotation to help the other five starters get an extra day between starts. Call it a six-man rotation if you'd like.

It'll be a temporary arrangement. A starter will have to go to the bullpen. Bradford was expected to draw the short straw. Now, though, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney or Lorenzen look more likely be relegated to relief duty than Bradford.

The Rangers are trying to win another World Series. If that means someone's feelings get hurt, so be it.

 

[saddles]

Lorenzen probably makes a start either Monday or Tuesday of next week. After that start, the rotation will only have one more start before an off day. That means the decision can be made after Lorenzen's start, about which starter should go to the bullpen. The next start for Heaney, Gray and Lorenzen are auditions.

 

[saddles]

More from Jeff Wilson:

Gray will be making his third start of the season this afternoon in the finale against the A's, and the right-hander needs to be better than he has been the first two times out.

He lasted only 3 2/3 innings last week against the Astros, but the Rangers received stellar bullpen work and late offense in a 7-2 victory. The biggest issue for Gray has been a lack of command, which has led to some big early pitch counts.

He also said that he has been dealing with a bit of dead arm, which isn't unusual for a pitcher coming out of spring training. He was planning on more long-toss between starts in an effort to get his arm stretched out more.

As was mentioned above, Gray might be competing to stay in the rotation. He is making $14 million, so the Rangers likely do see a ton of value sticking him in the bullpen, but he was also a very effective reliever in the World Series.

I'd be curious to see how he would fare as a closer with his big fastball and sharp slider, a two-pitch mix that would play up in shorter stints. If he is going to the bullpen, closer is a role that would maximize his value.

 

[saddles]

Bradford is currently 10th in the American League in ERA. None of those pitchers with better ERAs have pitched as many innings as Cody has. In fact, only 1 of the 43 qualifiers has pitched as many innings as Cody has.

In all of MLB, his ERA ranks 13th. Of the 75 qualifiers in MLB, only 3 have pitched as many innings as Bradford has.

Of course, it is very early and a lot of change could take place just in a couple more starts for everyone, but that is all we can go on at this point. It is much better than some of the alternatives. It is nice to have a young potcher performing in such a way that we don't have to constantly watch for signs that he is turning things around.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

From Jeff Wilson:

Michael Lorenzen made his third and likely final rehab start Tuesday at Triple A Round Rock, allowing four runs in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits, walked five and struck out six. Just a hunch, but he might return to the Rangers with an opinion about automated balls and strikes.

The key number for him was 89, the number of pitches he threw.

Up next for him is, in all likelihood, a start in the majors. The Rangers are in the middle of playing on 17 straight days, and the plan is to add him to the rotation to help the other five starters get an extra day between starts. Call it a six-man rotation if you'd like.

It'll be a temporary arrangement. A starter will have to go to the bullpen. Bradford was expected to draw the short straw. Now, though, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney or Lorenzen look more likely be relegated to relief duty than Bradford.

The Rangers are trying to win another World Series. If that means someone's feelings get hurt, so be it.

I'm sorry but you don't need a 6th starter because you have 17 games in a row. They pitch every 5th day and if that is too taxing then we are in trouble. It's the BP that usually gets taxed in long stretches like this.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

More from Jeff Wilson:

Gray will be making his third start of the season this afternoon in the finale against the A's, and the right-hander needs to be better than he has been the first two times out.

He lasted only 3 2/3 innings last week against the Astros, but the Rangers received stellar bullpen work and late offense in a 7-2 victory. The biggest issue for Gray has been a lack of command, which has led to some big early pitch counts.

He also said that he has been dealing with a bit of dead arm, which isn't unusual for a pitcher coming out of spring training. He was planning on more long-toss between starts in an effort to get his arm stretched out more.

As was mentioned above, Gray might be competing to stay in the rotation. He is making $14 million, so the Rangers likely do see a ton of value sticking him in the bullpen, but he was also a very effective reliever in the World Series.

I'd be curious to see how he would fare as a closer with his big fastball and sharp slider, a two-pitch mix that would play up in shorter stints. If he is going to the bullpen, closer is a role that would maximize his value.

I am glad Jeff has been reading my posts about Gray in the BP as a closer. LOL!

 

[saddles]

From Evan Grant:

There are legitimate concerns about Brock Burke. He really hasn’t developed a second pitch to go with a fastball that is good, but not overwhelming. Its average velocity of 94.6 mph is just a hair above average. It’s made a more effective pitch by his elite extension, how much closer he is to home plate at the point of release, which can make the velocity play up a hair. But it doesn’t have a ton of movement. And he’s throwing it more than 70 percent of the time. The issues here: Even with monster velocities, a straight fastball is hittable, and if you don’t make hitters think about a secondary pitch, they can time up the fastball.

I think the next time the Rangers need a lefty in a leverage situation, Jacob Latz will get the chance. And the Rangers may not be far from looking at Antoine Kelly as a possible lefty option. The Burke “experiment” isn’t done. But he’s on thin ice and it’s starting to crack a bit.

 

[saddles]

I am glad Jeff has been reading my posts about Gray in the BP as a closer. LOL!

I thought you would like that part.

 

[saddles]

I'm sorry but you don't need a 6th starter because you have 17 games in a row. They pitch every 5th day and if that is too taxing then we are in trouble. It's the BP that usually gets taxed in long stretches like this.

I guess the 17 days in a row is a little bit of a bigger deal because it is so early in the season, but I tend to agree with you.

 

[saddles]

Davis Wendzel gets another start.

 

[saddles]

Good!

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Davis Wendzel gets another start.

What a watered down lineup.