Rangers Takeaways: Maybe No Big Trades Was OK?
The Baltimore Orioles swept the Texas Rangers in a three-game series that ended on Wednesday. Here are three takeaways from the series.
The Trade Deadline
If your expectations were for the Rangers to make big moves at the trade deadline, you were sorely disappointed.
The Rangers made just one deal, sending relief pitcher Matt Bush to Milwaukee for a couple of prospects, one of which is now the Rangers’ No. 15 overall prospect in pitcher Antoine Kelly.
Given where the Rangers are, now 12 games under .500 and mired in a 5-9 start to the post-All-Star Break schedule, Texas is one its way to what looks like a third-place, or perhaps fourth-place finish in the AL West.
There’s no one player, not even Juan Soto, that’s going to turn that around this season.
The Rangers have too many deficiencies, especially in their starting rotation, to invest shipping a boatload of prospects for a polished veteran. Not yet, anyway. The Rangers are better off waiting, just as they were back in 2008.
Back then, the Rangers in their first full season without Mark Teixeira, whom they dealt to Atlanta at the 2007 deadline for five prospects and ended up winning 75 games. In 2008, many of those prospects were still in the minors as the Rangers won 79 games. The Rangers made only one trade in August, sending Eddie Guardado to the Minnesota Twins.
The Rangers basically stood pat. We all know what happened two seasons later.
The Rangers had a stacked farm system back then, too. At one time, it was No. 1 in the Majors. It eventually yielded many of the pieces that led to those 2010 and 2011 World Series appearances.
The Rangers can only hope that standing pat now means that kind of success later.
Chasing Honeycutt
Ricky Honeycutt is one of the more interesting footnotes in Rangers history. He played for Texas from 1981-83, and again in 1994. He pitched for 20 years in the Majors and had a record of 109-143. But in 1983, Honeycutt was in the midst of a season that led to his second All-Star Game appearance. He was in demand at the trade deadline, and the Rangers eventually shipped him to the Los Angeles Dodgers for, among others, pitcher Dave Stewart.
Honeycutt left the American League on Aug. 19 and led the league in ERA with 2.42. He already had enough innings to qualify for the ERA title and, despite not pitching in the AL for the final six weeks of the season, he won it. To this day, he is only Rangers pitcher to do it.
Martín Pérez may not win the ERA title this season. After Wednesday’s loss, his ERA is 2.47. The league leader in ERA is Houston’s Justin Verlander and he’s under 2.00. That may be impossible to catch unless Verlander forgets how to pitch.
But entering his start on Wednesday, Pérez had the fourth-lowest ERA in Rangers history after 20 starts, behind only Honeycutt (2.19), Mike Paul (2.24, 1972) and Bert Blyleven (2.519, 1977).
What Pérez is doing is near-historic in the history of this franchise and is going to get him a nice contract in the offseason. The Rangers are hoping it will be here in Arlington.
Meibrys the Backup
Finding a backup catcher is harder than you think. You have to find one that is OK with only catching once every fifth day and can handle the "staying ready" preparation that comes with that. Backup catchers get their jobs usually because they can play above-average defense, can call a good game and, on some occasions, because of their chemistry with a certain pitcher. Any pop they give you in the lineup is a bonus.
Meibrys Viloria is turning into a fine backup to Jonah Heim. His offensive numbers in Tuesday’s loss were outstanding and career-bests in hits (three), extra-base hits (two) and total bases (seven). He hit a home run and scored both runs. He’s now hit home runs in consecutive starts, and in those starts he’s 4-for-7 with two home runs, a double, three RBI and four runs. He’s even 50 percent in throwing out would-be base stealers.
He's been bouncing around for a few years, mostly in Kansas City. But his numbers are turning into potential career highs — batting 250/.382/.500/.882 with two home runs and three RBI. His home runs are already a career high for a season.
If he can do this every fifth game so Heim can have a break, the Rangers will not only take it, but give Viloria a shot at the job next season.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard
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