Friday on the Farm: Rangers minor-leaguers who might be able to help big-league bullpen

(AP photo/LM Otero)

ARLINGTON — The off day the Rangers enjoyed Thursday didn’t produce any solutions for the bullpen, which had a direct hand in seven of the club’s past 10 losses entering Friday.

Issuing too many walks, catching too much of the plate and making bad pitches in advantage counts have conspired against the key late-inning pieces. All of them. No one has been immune.

Manager Bruce Bochy said again on Friday that improvements are going to have to come from within. Trades usually don’t happen this early in the season, and the trade deadline is still 2 1/2 months away.

But one of the reasons the Rangers didn’t make any major free-agent acquisions in the offseason is they believed in the quality of the arms throughout the organization. A few who came to big-league spring training on minor-league deals are no longer around, but the rest are and it might be time to dip down and grab a couple.