The Sunday Read: Three areas where Rangers can improve, and how to do it
(AP photo/Sam Hodde)
Relative to what we’ve witnessed the past three seasons, and really the past six, the Rangers had a fantastic April.
They accomplished things they hadn’t done in quite some time, the biggest one being winning 17 games in an opening month for the first time since 2013.
When fans show up to Globe Life Field or flip on the TV, they expect the Rangers to win. That hasn’t been the case for most of the past three seasons.
So, fans should feel good about the club.
There have been many positives thus far: Josh Jung, Jonah Heim, Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia, Ezequiel Duran, Travis Jankowski, Jacob deGrom when healthy, Nathan Eovaldi, Martin Perez, Dane Dunning, Cole Ragans.
That’s darn near half the team, and others probably deserve to be mentioned.
But it hasn’t all been rainbows and lollipops. The Rangers have room to improve.
I have a question about Bochy’s usage of one of our 2 or 3 trusted relievers – Brock Burke.
Burke has not pitched in back to back games this year (or last year or possibly ever as a pro)
Do you see this changing?
If it does not change, to me it seems imperative to get more than 21 pitches out of him like we did the other night. If that means using him for 3 or 4 innings at a time like the Angels do with Barria, so be it. He possibly could have brung us home Friday night. Currently, he is underutilized to some degree with the no b2b restriction on him.
Raise your hand if you think Will Smith is a more effective lefty than Burke.
Using Burke as a “long closer” would help this thing be more of a true Hernandez/Burke/Smith committee as it probably should be right now.
Your thoughts?
Bochy heard me! Go long or go short … and Burke goes 4 pitches a third of an inning last night .. paving the way for his first career B2B?
Ifind the catcher problem to be less of a problem than starting depth or a DH, for instance. They have Huff and a bunch of high walk catchers in the low minors for the future. Now, Diaz would be a Texas Ranger if he were as cheap as you assume. Give them Ornelas, Winn, and Walcott or some future AAA depth pieces and hope the GM is drunk enough to agree to it. The problem would be the owner would say no way! They just said Diaz was untouchable last offseason, and he would likely require real players. Leody, Harris, and possibly one of Carter/Porter/Rocker or maybe Leiter sounds right and honestly would still be a good deal. However, suggesting that a few top 20 prospects would get it done is absurd. You have said similarly optimistic things about Bryan Reynolds, but the problem is that the other GM usually won’t secretly be a Rangers fan on the verge of retirement. I wish trades were as easy as you say, though.