Series Thread: Rangers Host the Astros for Three Games September 4-6

[saddles]

Unfortunately this is the end all for the problems of the season.

Tough to just out score teams.
Do not think you can just buy a pen unless you trade position players Just have to get pitching development on track. Good to see Leiter do well. Pretty sad overall
Dreading the pen every outing.

Such a waste

Some could have just as easily said you can't buy a rotation, but they pretty much did just that.

There are several good relief pitchers available in free agency. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

As far as trades go, we could trade a veteran starting pitcher and let both Dunning and Bradford pitch in the rotation next year.

We made the mistake last offseason in spending so much money on the rotation that we had nothing left for the pen. To correct that is going to take the pendulum swinging just as far in the opposite direction.

The problem is, I don't think CY sees what he did last offseason as a mistake. A correction can and should be made this coming offseason, but I doubt it will happen.

I wonder what the Twitter excuses for CY's bullpen will be next season.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Eovaldi pitches today in what some see as an "Opener" role. Actually, he is just an extremely limited starter in what amounts to a semi-bullpen game.

An "opener" is a RP that goes 1 inning to start a game. Just as a closer goes 1 inning to finish a game.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

The problem is, I don't think CY sees what he did last offseason as a mistake.

Definitely one of the dumbest HSO's I've ever read on this website, which is really saying something. Makes Nate Lowe's face look like Einstein.

 

[Kelleyman]

Some could have just as easily said you can't buy a rotation, but they pretty much did just that.

There are several good relief pitchers available in free agency. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

As far as trades go, we could trade a veteran starting pitcher and let both Dunning and Bradford pitch in the rotation next year.

We made the mistake last offseason in spending so much money on the rotation that we had nothing left for the pen. To correct that is going to take the pendulum swinging just as far in the opposite direction.

The problem is, I don't think CY sees what he did last offseason as a mistake. A correction can and should be made this coming offseason, but I doubt it will happen.

I wonder what the Twitter excuses for CY's bullpen will be next season.

My point is yuu have to have more than vets in a bullpen in that day due to usage. We have to have some young guys to option up and down

 

[Kelleyman]

But yeah signing a closer and an 8th inning guy is needed at a minimum IMO

 

[scotsman1948]

But yeah signing a closer and an 8th inning guy is needed at a minimum IMO

We did that at deadline with Stratton and Chapman and our bullpen was and is abysmal. Stratton is a keeper and needs to be re-signed but name one other true reliever on the team right now that should be retained. Anything other than a complete overhaul of the bullpen will result in another fiasco in 2024

 

[saddles]

From Jeff Wilson:

If the Rangers are going to ride the hot hand, Bradford will be pitching in leverage situations until he shows he shouldn’t be.

 

[saddles]

My point is yuu have to have more than vets in a bullpen in that day due to usage. We have to have some young guys to option up and down

We agree on that. I think we need to sign 5 veterans for the pen, at least. Church, Kelly, Lee, and Speas can be the guys who go back and forth. Maybe trade for a long guy or sign one of them too. Or let Burke be the long guy again.

 

[scotsman1948]

So we’re going to go with Eovaldi and Scherzer in the last 2 games. Eovaldi will be on a short leash so basically a bullpen game after the 2nd or 3rd and Scherzer is suffering from arm fatigue so he will go as far as he can 3rd, 4th or maybe 5th and we fall on the bullpen again. Expect both to pitch good outings and then failure by the bullpen

 

[Duane1952]

But yeah signing a closer and an 8th inning guy is needed at a minimum IMO

I hoping they sign Josh Hader. But the Rangers haven’t shown recently, especially under JD that they spend on big on reliever’s.

 

[Duane1952]

Unfortunately this is the end all for the problems of the season.

Tough to just out score teams.
Do not think you can just buy a pen unless you trade position players Just have to get pitching development on track. Good to see Leiter do well. Pretty sad overall
Dreading the pen every outing.

Such a waste

I dread when the bullpen comes in also. I sure hope Bochy has learn his lesson about intentionally putting runners on base. Just can’t do that with this bullpen.

 

[fanman8825]

From Jeff Wilson:

The bullpen numbers are nothing short of grotesque. And the inability to close out leads has robbed the Rangers of the chance to regain late-season momentum. The current 47.3% save conversion percentage would make it the worst all-time for a team with at least 25 saves. The ERA is now approaching 5.00 (it sits at 4.86).

These games have been too mentally exhaustive. I wondered about the numbers. Hard to believe this bullpen could be worst than last years.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

I dread when the bullpen comes in also. I sure hope Bochy has learn his lesson about intentionally putting runners on base. Just can’t do that with this bullpen.

This is why the Scherzer "controversy" was so ignorant. At best, Max goes out and pitches the 7th. The BP still gets the 8th and 9th, and they've proven time and time again they can't hold any lead, but especially not a 1-0 lead. Also, Max is 39 and had already thrown 88 pitches. There is no sense in putting additional miles on his arm when they aren't needed.

 

[fanman8825]

So we’re going to go with Eovaldi and Scherzer in the last 2 games. Eovaldi will be on a short leash so basically a bullpen game after the 2nd or 3rd and Scherzer is suffering from arm fatigue so he will go as far as he can 3rd, 4th or maybe 5th and we fall on the bullpen again. Expect both to pitch good outings and then failure by the bullpen

I felt we had to take 2 out 3 from Houston. I didn’t like the matchup last night with Heaney vs France. The team hit France really hard and probably should have scored more. Heaney not going deeper in these games becomes a major issue. Of late it’s been Dunning and Gray too.

 

[scotsman1948]

I hoping they sign Josh Hader. But the Rangers haven’t shown recently, especially under JD that they spend on big on reliever’s.

JD is gone and under him they never spent big on anyone until CY arrived. They need the best FA Closer on the market (Hader) and Stratton and 4 or 5 of the best 6st thru 8th inning relievers and stop depending the Leclerc’s, Sborz’s and trying to convert 3 or 4 starters to relievers. That only works 1 out of 10 times

 

[scotsman1948]

I felt we had to take 2 out 3 from Houston. I didn’t like the matchup last night with Heaney vs France. The team hit France really hard and probably should have scored more. Heaney not going deeper in these games becomes a major issue. Of late it’s been Dunning and Gray too.

They’re getting worn down by having to be so perfect every start. The have absolutely no faith in the bullpen and 9 out of 10 times the offense. Even Scherzer and Montgomery are wearing down having to absolutely perfect

 

[saddles]

So we’re going to go with Eovaldi and Scherzer in the last 2 games. Eovaldi will be on a short leash so basically a bullpen game after the 2nd or 3rd and Scherzer is suffering from arm fatigue so he will go as far as he can 3rd, 4th or maybe 5th and we fall on the bullpen again. Expect both to pitch good outings and then failure by the bullpen

I remember the conversation we had about this a couple of weeks ago. So do you still think Eovaldi is "nothing but the Opener," and is the 2nd pitcher the "primary pitcher?" Is the 2nd pitcher the "real starter"?

 

[saddles]

I hoping they sign Josh Hader. But the Rangers haven’t shown recently, especially under JD that they spend on big on reliever’s.

Yeah, it seems like that is one thing JD passed on to his trainee/successor.

 

[jaar01]

These games have been too mentally exhaustive. I wondered about the numbers. Hard to believe this bullpen could be worst than last years.

It's worst than last year's. In fact it's somewhat historic to be this bad. These are major league ballplayers and none of them can be counted on to do their job. Is it lack of talent? Coaching? Preparation? Confidence? All of the above?

When you are a starting pitcher, or you are any position player that produces runs that day, and you KNOW that no matter how well you pitch or how many runs you score, the bullpen guys are sure to blow the game, it makes playing these games that much harder. I guarantee you the Rangers clubhouse is more like a morgue these days.

 

[fanman8825]

They’re getting worn down by having to be so perfect every start. The have absolutely no faith in the bullpen and 9 out of 10 times the offense. Even Scherzer and Montgomery are wearing down having to absolutely perfect

I would not be surprised if this team fades badly down the stretch.
I agree with you on Hader. He should be FA target number 1.
The bullpen is worse than I originally thought. Meaning these guys cant seem to pitch in pressure situations.