The Texas Rangers were on the fence prior to the Major League Baseball trade deadline. Their record hinted that they should have sold veterans like Adolis Garcia to the highest bidder. Instead, Rangers president Chris Young went all-in to make the most of what could be Bruce Bochy's final season managing. Unfortunately, he did not upgrade over Robert Garcia and Phil Maton.
Texas' bullpen has been an issue all season. The team is in the middle of the pack when it comes to saves, with Garcia leading the way with nine. Luke Jackson also had nine, but the Rangers released him before he joined the Detroit Tigers. Without depth to lean on Bochy has had to defend Garcia's struggles on the mound. In his words, Texas has no other closers to turn to.
When the MLB season transitions into the playoffs, pitching goes from important to vital. Arguably no player is under more pressure to deliver than the closer. They come in when games hang in the balance to secure wins that could decide series or significantly shift the momentum in them. If the Rangers show up with a shaky bullpen, they stand little chance of winning.
Texas' pitching staff has been two sides of the same coin when comparing the starters to the relievers. Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi lead a rotation that has been excellent. Young and the front office even added Merill Kelly to fill out Bochy's postseason rotation. However, any lead that the Rangers build is at risk of falling apart once the starter leaves the game.
That kind of unpredictability could come back to haunt Texas as they try to sneak back into the American League West race. In a season where their playoff berth could come down to the last game, every game counts.
Great managing can only cover up so much
Bochy has done everything he can to guide the Rangers back into contention. However, Texas has started to hit their stride and sit two games above average after their loss to the New York Yankees. A clutch home run from Joc Pederson helped the Rangers steal the series opener, and a dominant outing from Eovaldi got them a win on Tuesday.
Bochy's influence can be seen all over Texas' season. The Rangers manager added a few ejections to his career numbers, expressing his frustration and defending his players. Unfortunately, those episodes have not inspired his team to go on an extended run. Texas' longest win streak since the All-Star break is only six games, not enough to make a move in the standings.
As the Rangers prepare to host the Philadelphia Phillies this weekend for a three-game set, Bochy will see firsthand just how far he has to go with his team. More specifically, the gap in bullpen talent puts the Phillies on a different level. The addition of Jhoan Duran has taken Philadelphia from scary to terrifying late in games. Meanwhile, the Rangers remain painfully average.
Garcia is capable of commanding his pitches and being effective. However, he is stuck in a rough spot with no end in sight. Bochy has his back for now, though. However, it is only a matter of time before Texas' manager turns to Maton or someone else to carry the load in the ninth inning.
The Rangers have the talent on their roster to make a deep run in the postseason. They added a new reliever at the trade deadline to help ease a lot of worry around the team.
Is there an answer to the Rangers' problem?
The Rangers added Hoby Milner during the offseason to give their bullpen depth. Texas had lost Jose Leclerc to the Athletics and needed someone to replace him. Unfortunately, they were unable to bring in a new closer. However, it might be time for someone new to take the reigns from Garcia until he can get back on track. Right now, Milner and Maton are the best options.
Milner has 14 holds on the season and a 2.24 ERA. Maton's ERA is better, but he has only pitched in three games so far this season. Bochy does not have a lot of great fixes for his problem at the closer spot. Despite that, the Rangers have more than 30 games left to try to find a solution. They might as well try as much as they can in order to spark a run up the standings.
Neither Maton nor Garcia have ever served as a closer. Garcia has more experience than both of them combined, even if he is having a hard time finding his rhythm. However, Bochy has a history of making big moves in his lineup to shake things up. For the most part, his track record is full of success stories and World Series titles. This would be a big one, though.
Maton's arrival at the trade deadline is a big deal, even if Texas' front office won't admit it. The Rangers didn't make a lot of deals at the deadline, but they tried to go all-in for Bochy. A lot of pressure is on Garcia to deliver. If he can't Texas' season could fizzle out in disappointing fashion.
