Texas Rangers: Trade Deadline Preview
By Jason Evans
Bullpen
This is the spot the team knows it needs to address. Shawn Tolleson was the closer last year. He’s out of that role due to an ERA over 7.00. Tom Wilhelmsen was brought in from Seattle to be a piece to the pen. He was DFA’d and chose free agency. Keone Kela and Tanner Scheppers are both injured and may return down the road.
The back end of the bullpen is built on two small acquisitions and someone who was the number one pick at a different position.
The other part of the Cole Hamels trade was lefty Jake Diekman and Diekman has a 1.35 ERA and is holding lefties to a .120 batting average. Sam Dyson was a pickup from the Marlins before the deadline and has become the team’s closer after Tolleson was demoted from it.
The other part is Matt Bush who was the first pick in the 2004 draft as a shortstop, is now a reliever who can hit 100 MPH.
Jon Daniels has done a great job of putting together some pieces, but he’s gonna need one more big arm to wrap it all together in a playoff series.
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