Looking For Relief! Texas Rangers Won't Neglect Bullpen This Winter
NASHVILLE — The Texas Rangers made major headlines when they signed free agent starting pitcher Jacob deGrom during last year's offseason.
And they received similar accolades when they added Nathan Eovaldi to the rotation.
The bullpen, however, was neglected for the most part. And that came back to bite them in the second half of the season, especially during a hairy stretch in August.
General manager Chris Young doesn't want that to happen again.
The Rangers are reportedly signing free agent Kirby Yates to strengthen their bullpen.
Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
"Last year, we felt pretty good about our [rotation] depth, but we did not address our bullpen much going into last season, and it thinned out very quickly," Young acknowledged.
Some relievers underperformed, while others dealt with injuries. Some were effective early, but nothing down the stretch. Others struggled early but found it in the postseason.
The combination of issues greatly impacted the depth of the bullpen as the season stretched deep into the playoffs. It forced manager Bruce Bochy, along with pitching coach Mike Maddux, to pull the bullpen strings with the finesse of a first-chair cellist.
"It magnified the quality of our bullpen, so it’s one of the things we’re focused on this year, fortifying our bullpen and our pitching staff as a whole. Not just 1 through 13, but 1 through 30," Young said.
Young could not confirm the reports that reliever Kirby Yates was signing a one-year deal with the club Tuesday afternoon during a media session at the MLB Winter Meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. Yates, who will turn 37 in March, was 7-2 with five saves and a 3.28 ERA in 60 1/3 innings for the Braves in 2023.
"Improving our bullpen is a priority, and we’re making progress," Young said.
Young said the club will assemble as many new faces, including non-roster invitees in spring training to help build up the bullpen depth with a healthy competition to fill out the roster spots.
"We’re going to take the 13 best for our pitching staff. I think it’s a really important aspect in terms of building out our entire pitching staff," he said.
Young isn't being picky, either. He's open to signing or trading for all types of bullpen arms.
"The back end, middle relief, long relief, hybrid types. I think it’s all part of the conversation in terms of how one [move] may impact what we decide to do in another spot," he said. "If we sign two middle guys, does that change what we need in terms of the long guy? Stuff like that. They’re all correlated."
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