The Rangers are poised to enter Spring Coaching this yr with a dilemma that they haven’t had in recent times: no skilled closers on their roster. Kirby Yates, David Robertson, and Jose Leclerc had a mixed 313 saves beneath their belts after they departed Texas without cost company again in November after serving because the Rangers’ late-inning aid corps in 2024, and the yr previous to that lefty Will Smith closed video games for the Rangers regardless of a shaky 4.40 ERA thanks partly to the 2 30+ save seasons he had beneath his belt earlier than he arrived in Texas. This yr, nonetheless, the membership has no such skilled nearer to lean on within the ninth inning.
Veteran reliever Chris Martin has the dominant aid numbers typically related to the nearer position, however has simply 14 profession saves and has not recorded greater than 4 in a single season earlier than. These 14 saves are nonetheless sufficient to make him probably the most skilled ninth-inning arm within the Rangers’ new-look bullpen, which added attention-grabbing items like Robert Garcia, Hoby Milner, and Jacob Webb who’ve pitched effectively up to now however by no means been used as a more in-depth. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning Information famous that it’s doable the membership received’t have clearly outlined roles within the bullpen coming into the season because of the lack of a transparent prime closing choice, although he added that there have been not less than “inside discussions” about the opportunity of utilizing veteran starter Jon Grey within the ninth inning.
Grant emphasizes that as issues at present stand, Grey seems to be extra beneficial to the membership as a starter given the innings he can present. 2024 was the primary 162-game season of Grey’s profession the place he posted lower than 20 begins and 110 innings of labor since his nine-start cup of espresso with the Rockies as a rookie again in 2013, and with 1216 2/3 innings of labor (together with 387 1/3 in a Rangers uniform) beneath his belt Grey is effective supply of steadiness in a Texas rotation combine stuffed with growing older, oft-injured, or younger and unproven arms. On condition that, it will hardly be a shock to see the membership merely persist with Grey within the rotation and use Martin for the lion’s share of save probabilities, or maybe merely play matchups within the ninth inning with out anointing a more in-depth in any respect.
Even so, the concept of Grey as a reliever is a considerably intriguing one. Grey was used out of the bullpen 4 occasions in 2024, probably the most he’s ever pitched in aid in his profession up to now. Whereas Grey’s seven innings of labor out of the bullpen are a lot too small of a pattern measurement to attract any main conclusions from, his temporary work within the position was nothing in need of dominant: Grey pitched to a 1.29 ERA in these 4 appearances with an exceptional 37% strikeout fee towards a 7.4% stroll fee. These are the type of numbers that could possibly be really game-changing for a Rangers membership that has struggled to search out manufacturing within the bullpen in recent times, making a possible position change for Grey not less than value contemplating.
Whereas it appears unlikely that the Rangers would transfer Grey to the bullpen to begin the season, maybe it may turn into a extra possible choice because the season develops. The Rangers have little or no certainty of their rotation, however big quantities of upside. Prime draft picks Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter determine to attempt to drive their means into the rotation with the membership this yr, and wholesome seasons from Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle would have the ability to flip the membership’s beginning 5 from a query mark to a serious power fairly all of a sudden. If issues are trying up for the membership within the rotation this summer time, maybe Grey’s 4.70 ERA in 19 begins final yr turns into much less enticing as a gentle, back-end choice and the membership decides to see what the 33-year-old can do as a full-time reliever.
