Settling Feeling: Rangers Appear To Have Pitching Staff

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – There is still a staff evaluation meeting on Tuesday and the Rangers have until Sunday to set their roster, but it appears the pieces of the pitching staff have fallen into place.

Put Kris Benson in your (tentative) starting rotation, Josh Rupe in your bullpen and, by process of elimination, Jason Jennings in the bullpen as well.

Manager Ron Washington admitted he wants Benson and Rupe Monday after the duo combined for seven solid innings in a 7-5 10-inning win over San Francisco.

“This is only my opinion, but Benson is one of my five,” Washington said. “Josh was on the edge for me; he eased back in by throwing strikes. But the decision is not as cut-and-dried as saying ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ There are other things to consider.”

“Both those guys have pitched very well,” GM Jon Daniels said. “There is merit to taking both of them with us, but we still have to look at it in the context of the whole staff and how it impacts the roster and we’ll leave that for later in the week.”

Jennings, who has pitched well in the unfamiliar role of reliever this spring, would likely get the final spot partly because he’s pitched well and partly because his competitors are being carted off the field.

RHP Dustin Nippert has not pitched in a game since March 19 because of a tight back. He is supposed to throw “live” batting practice Tuesday, but may not face major league hitters before rosters must be set. RHP Willie Eyre called off a scheduled performance in a minor league game Monday because of continued soreness in his groin. RHP Derrick Turnbow became the latest to come down with an injury, complaining of a sore knee on Monday. As a result, he was scratched from pitching against the Giants.

The Rangers also communicated to Turnbow, who could ask for his release Tuesday under the terms of his minor league contract, that he was unlikely to make the Opening Day roster. They’ve asked him to stay with the organization, but the next decision is Turnbow’s.

There are two things still to be discussed.

Somebody is going to have to tell Scott Feldman, who appears to be the odd man out in the rotation mix, that his services are more required in the deleted bullpen.

Then the Rangers must go about trying to figure out how to squeeze as many as six non-roster players (RHPs Benson, Jennings, LHP Eddie Guardado, OF Andruw Jones, INF Omar Vizquel and SS Elvis Andrus) onto a 40-man roster that currently has no openings. The team will be able to subtract two players easily by moving RHPs Eric Hurley and Joaquin Benoit to the 60-day DL. 1B Joe Koshansky, acquired on a waiver claim Sunday, will likely be sent back through waivers. Then it gets more difficult. If the club keeps Jones, it could release or trade Frank Catalanotto to open up a fourth spot. Then the Rangers would have to swallow hard and be willing to cut ties with two young players on the 40-man roster.

For once, though, it is a problem the Rangers truly enjoy trying to solve.

In a lot of ways, Benson forced this issue. His minor league contract doesn’t even have a free agency clause until May 5.

“I knew that to get a job, there were going to have to be some things I relinquished control over and the [escape clause] was one of them,” said Benson, who has a 4.76 ERA in 17 spring innings. “But it was never in my mind that I was going to have to go to the minors to start the year. My goal was to make the team.”

Benson on Monday became the third Rangers pitcher to record a quality start. He allowed a two-run homer to Juan Uribe in the second on a slider that has been a disappointment to him all spring. But after his outing, he went to the bullpen to continue working on a new grip for the pitch. Benson hasn’t thrown the new grip in a game, but still has a curve ball to fall back on for a breaking pitch.

When he left after the sixth inning, the Rangers were clinging to a one-run lead and gave the ball to Rupe and prayed he once again lined up on the first-base side of the pitching rubber. The change has made all the difference in the world, allowing him to throw his two-seem fastball for more strikes.

He retired the side in order on a ground out, a strike out of Rich Aurilia on a curve ball and a pop out. Rupe has faced 10 hitters in his last three outings and allowed three baserunners and no runs while getting seven ground ball outs.

The strike out was important. Last year, Rupe averaged .135 strikeouts per batter faced, which ranked 130^th of 137 major leaguers with at least 50 innings last year. But part of his recent turnaround has been an ability to get ahead in counts with his fastball. And when falling behind, Rupe hasn’t been able to go to the more unpredictable curve.

“I just haven’t been in situations to throw it,” Rupe said. “I’ve been a little concerned about throwing it, but I know I want to throw it more.”

Looks like he will get the chance.

Pitching Plans:  Predicted Rangers Opening Day pitching stafff

Starters: RHPs Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Brandon McCarthy, LHP Matt Harison and Kris Benson.

Bullpen: RHP Frank Francisco (closer); LHP Eddie Guardado and LHP C.J. Wilson (setup), RHPs Warner Madrigal, Scott Feldman, Josh Rupe and Jason Jennings.