If not for the superior pitching of the San Francisco Giants and some timely hitting by Cody Ross (and Co.), the Texas Rangers would have won a World Series in 2010. That alone could have been enough of an accomplishment to placate fans for at least a few seasons. However, management refused to rest on its laurels, realizing that the team’s 61-48 record in 2011 places them in a position to make another playoff (World Series?) run. That realization led to a couple of noteworthy deadline deals to bolster the Rangers bullpen, perhaps the most glaring weakness on an otherwise strong Texas squad. With a collective ERA of 4.42, the Rangers bullpen ranked 11th in the American League. Because of two notable transactions, that should no longer be an issue.
In one deal, the team acquired Mike Adams, formerly off the Padres, a pitcher who is 3-1 on the year with a 1.12 ERA and 0.73 WHIP and was third in baseball with 23 holds at the time of the trade. In fact, since joining the Padres, Adams went 9-5 with a 1.66 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 217 innings. If that weren’t enough, he carried a 4.08 K/BB over that span, striking out 241 while walking just 59 (just 9 BB in 48 IP in 2011). With all the trade rumors surrounding closer extraordinaire Heath Bell, many baseball executives felt Adams was the more valuable arm, both in terms of dollars and production. Based on the available evidence, they may very well have been correct; Nolan Ryan and the Rangers brass seem to think so.
In another, the Rangers obtained the services of Koji Uehara from the Baltimore Orioles. Despite his success the last two years, Uehara has been one of the more unsung bullpen heroes in baseball. Since becoming a reliever full-time in 2010, he’s done nothing but dominate. As the primary set-up man and sometimes closer in Baltimore, Uehara has compiled an impressive resume. His 2.25 ERA and 0.82 WHIP would impress anyone, but it’s his 9.15 K/9 over that span that really defines his success. In 92 innings, Uehara amassed 119 strikeouts, all while pitching in the brutal climate that is the American League East. Not only does he pitch well, he pitched well against top-flight competition in high-leverage situations. One might even make the argument that he’s, well, “clutch”.
In the process, the Rangers rid themselves of 4-A superstar Chris Davis, a player that has shown time and time again that he’s just too talented for triple-A and simply not quite ready for prime time in the big leagues. He has all the power in the world, but with a ridiculous strikeout rate (31.7% for his career) and inability to hit big league pitching, well, his upside is that of new Orioles teammate Mark Reynolds. Frankly, when your upside is that of one of the most frustrating players the game has seen in recent years (Reynolds), it’s hard to see his departure is a tragic loss. Any way you slice it, Davis’ greatest asset to the Rangers was as a trade chip, and that’s just what happened. Having to include pitcher Tommy Hunter (4.36 career ERA) was of little consequence given all that’s at stake for the Rangers.
The Rangers now have three of the most dominant relief pitchers in the game today anchoring their bullpen. Let’s not forget that they still have 2010 AL Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz to close out games at the back end. The problem with Feliz is that he’s regressed mightily this season. His K/9 fell from 9.2 in 2010 to just 6.3 in 2011. His BB/9 has basically doubled too, jumping from 2.34 to 4.66. His inability to find the plate has forced manager Ron Washington to lose even more hair—something he can ill afford to do. Should he struggle in the future, there are now two highly capable arms (statistically superior ones too) to take over should circumstances dictate. The suggestions that the additions of Adams and Uehara have ostensibly shortened every Rangers game to a six-inning contest is a bit of an overstatement, but it’s patently obvious that they are a better team today than they before the July 31 trade deadline.
