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Rangers Make It Official: They Have A Pitching Staff

Posted on April 1st, 2009 12:39pm by Evan Grant
Filed under Baseball, Bullpen, Roster report, Starting rotation, Texas Rangers

GM Jon Daniels has now had conversations with a handful of pitchers to inform them of their roles with the club:

To wit:

RHP Scott Feldman has been told he’s moving to the bullpen to start the season. … RHP Kris Benson has been told he is mkaking the club and will open in the starting rotation. … RHP Jason Jennings will also make the team and will pitch out of the bullpen. … LHP Eddie Guardado will make the team as a reliever. … RHPs Dustin Nippert and Dustin Eyre have been told they will probably start the year on the DL with Nippert going to Double-A Frisco to begin a rehab assignment and Eyre going to Oklahoma City. … Also RHP Neftali Feliz has been re-assigned to minor league camp.

For more about the ramifications of these impending moves, you can go here. Or here.

Our brief summary of this construction of the staff: As much as Scott Feldman deserves a shot at the rotation, this gives the Rangers the most flexibility and the most options in case of injuries or ineffectiveness in the rotation or the bullpen. They didn’t have as many options last year.

10 Comments to “Rangers Make It Official: They Have A Pitching Staff”

Brett in SD @ April 1st, 2009 at 1:11 pm

Evan,
What happens when Nippert and Eyre come off the DL and complete their rehab assignments? Is this just a chance to take a look at Benson and Jennings at the big league level before making a decision on them?
rob m. @ April 1st, 2009 at 1:22 pm

Brett: Eyre has options so he can be sent down to OKC. I am not sure how long they can drag out Nippert’s DL stint but he will need to be added to the 25 man roster when he comes back.
Jamey @ April 1st, 2009 at 1:24 pm

Nippert can be on the DL indefinitely, but his rehab assignment is limited to 30 days.
Einstein @ April 1st, 2009 at 1:42 pm

mmmmmm, JD cookin up some retread soup.
Jolly @ April 1st, 2009 at 2:10 pm

ST Jeff Wilson says Nippert is going to OKC and Eyre is going to Frisco??
Ehren @ April 1st, 2009 at 2:18 pm

Still have a bad feeling about Benson being in the rotation. Well at least Anna Benson should be in town for some good quotes.
Brandon B @ April 1st, 2009 at 2:20 pm

Feldman deserves a shot at the rotation? Why? Was it his 5.29 ERA last year or his 1.43 WHIP that merits his shot at the rotation? Considering he has a career ERA of 4.97 and WHIP of 1.48, it’s not like he is going to improve those numbers much.

What does it say about your pitching when a career spare returning from injury takes your rotation spot after the manager says you are a lock?
Brandon B @ April 1st, 2009 at 2:42 pm

Ehren, I predict that Benson will leave Arlington with a 5.28 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP which would mean the Rangers were right to give him Feldman’s rotation spot.

Seriously, why are the Rangers wasting time with Benson? He might have a hot wife who is more than willing to talk about having sex in the ballpark parking lot, but that is all he has. He might be marginally better than Feldman, but why displace Feldman for marginally better?
Bennie @ April 1st, 2009 at 3:58 pm

Benson is the #5 pitcher in the rotation even if Washington is too stupid to start him 5th. Since he has more service time than Harrison or McCarthy he is made the #3 starter by Washington.

In fact, that is why he is starting instead of Feldman. That is a dumb way to run a ballclub and just one example of why Washington shouldn’t be a manager.

Benson won’t win more than 3 or 4 games before he is replaced in the rotation. Hopefully it will be the next manager doing the replacing.

Hargrove or Valentine?
Lucas O. @ April 2nd, 2009 at 12:50 am

I don’t now about that headline though. You say that the Rangers have a pitching staff is a laughable oxymoron.

That said, I agree that Benson and Jennings will be gone before the All-Star break. How they leave is up to them…