Surprise Five: Rangers' pending roster decisions aren't getting any easier
The silver lining in the Texas Rangers' doubleheader Saturday against the Kansas City Royals is that neither team, nor the beat writers, had to leave Surprise Stadium.
However, a few writers were dead set against eating the Boston Market press meal for both games, so the between Cactus League tilts allowed for enough time to dine off campus.
The first game was the most newsworthy one of the day, and, in theory, the media could have played hooky from Game 2. Temptation, you're a son of a gun.
Alas, the potential for the unexpected kept us parked in the press box. Hey, I need the clicks.
Speaking of which, here's the Surprise Five from a long Saturday.
1. More became known about the starting rotation though without definitive answers.
Mike Minor is going to be a starting pitcher.
"We're running downhill with that one," manager Jeff Banister said.
That means four left-handers are going to be in the rotation, which isn't new but had an effect on Willie Calhoun. When a lefty pitches, the left side of the infield and outfield are high-traffic areas, and good defense is a must.
"How to we put the best team on the field to win baseball games balanced with future development of players?" Banister said. "There is a delicate balance there. With the idea of Calhoun, we believe that Willie will be a good major-leaguer and help us win championships.
"To take a 23-year-old who's a converted outfielder at the major-league level, there are some things that he continues to need to work on defensively. So, we do have an opportunity to have a couple guys in camp that are better than average defenders in left field, which you'd look, in theory, could make our pitching staff better."
Bartolo Colon, who started Game 1 of the doubleheader, is a right-hander who could break up the lefties and remains in the mix for a spot on the pitching staff. It could be as a starter, if Martin Perez isn't ready to start the season, or it could be as a swing man/reliever. Colon said that he is willing to do that.
Camp breaks next Saturday, a day when the Rangers usually make their major roster decisions. Perez is scheduled to pitch Sunday and again Friday. His next turn would be March 28, the day before the season opener.
In theory, he could make that start in extended spring training and make his 2018 debut April 3 at Oakland in the Rangers' sixth game. That one, though, appears to belong to Cole Hamels, based on what Banister said Friday.
It's a mess that needs to be resolved.
"You guys hear about it every day," assistant pitching coach Dan Warthen said. "You don't know if it's going to be a five-plus-one, a swing guy or a six. You know what? We don't either."
The Surprise Five loves an honest answer. It also has a fondness for ...
2. ... Outfielder Destin Hood, who continues to make a case for the team, and his bat could carry him onto the roster over Rule 5 pick Carlos Tocci if the Rangers decide to carry four bench players.
The Rangers have been effusive in their praise for Tocci, who has more than made good on the defensive hype. He has done some of the little things an offense needs from players like Tocci.
Hood, meanwhile, has done big things with his bat. He homered Saturday for the second straight game and is tied with another extra outfielder, Ryan Rua, for the team lead in homers (three) and RBIs (11).
Hood is batting .360 to Rua's .205, but Rua seems like a safer bet for the roster even though both are right-handed hitters. Hood is trying to learn first base while Rua has ample time there.
The knock on Hood would be his defense. While he's no Calhoun, he's fourth in the four-man mix behind Tocci, Rua and Drew Robinson. Banister, though, said that what Hood lacks defensively can be overcome with proper defensive placement.
Tocci's advantage beside his glove is place on the 40-man roster, but that could also work against him. It's not easy to keep a Rule 5 player on the 25-man roster all season. It can happen, as Delino DeShields proved, but if Tocci can't hit, and there is reason to believe he won't, he'd be hard to carry for 162 games.
Hood's hot bat it getting too hard to ignore. There's a good chance scouts aren't missing it or the job being done by ...
3. ... Right-hander Kevin Jepsen, who is also making a push for the Opening Day roster and could have an opening if Keone Kela isn't able to log enough innings before March 29.
Kela pitched again Saturday and was far better than he was Thursday. In fact, he was dominant. But there remains a concern about his ability to consistently be available out of the bullpen, and the Rangers can't afford to carry an arm like that.
Jepsen, meanwhile, said that he is confident that he will pitch somewhere this season. His stuff is back, and scouts don't miss stuff. He'll also come relatively affordably, though 40-man spots can be pricey.
"You're out there showcasing for everybody when you're in the situation I am," said Jepsen, who, like Colon and Hood, is in camp on a minor-league deal. "The No. 1 goal would be to make this team. At the end of the day, I have no control over that. Pitching in the big leagues is the ultimate goal."
He's been around for a while now, has been with multiple teams and has been through every game situation. He knows that the sun comes up the next day, or that another job is only a phone call away.
The Rangers love the way he has pitched and love the person. They love the veteran presence that was desperately lacking much of last season. He won't be added to the roster just to be a baby-sitter, as it appears Jason Grilli was last season.
Jepsen is showing that he could be a dependable arm. It's encouraging, just as ...
4. ... The 32 pitches thrown by Tim Lincecum during a live-batting practice were. Those who saw it said that the right-hander looked good, looked fresh and looked like he is closer to being ready for the regular season than perhaps even he thought.
But the company line from the Rangers is the same: They won't rush Lincecum, who officially signed 11 days ago and has 11 days until the 2018 lid-lifter. If he isn't ready, the Rangers could open with seven relievers and a four-man bench.
One of the relievers could be Colon, Jepsen or Jesse Chavez, who pitched Saturday night, and the fourth man on the bench could be Hood.
These things, as baseball people say, have a way of working themselves out.
But one thing that can't be worked out is character, and Colon, Hood, Jepsen, Lincecum and Chavez are all quality people, media-friendly and, from all accounts, terrific teammates.
It wouldn't be the worst thing if their maturity, accountability and demeanor became part of the clubhouse chemistry and culture, and rubbed off on those who are lacking in it.
Speaking of lacking, so are ...
5. ... Internet clicks at star-telegram.com/sports/mlb/texas-rangers. That means it's time for the occasional "In Case You Missed It" bit of the Surprise Five. Click on the links below. The 5-year-old needs new shoes. (There's also some good stuff you might have missed.)
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This story was originally published March 17, 2018 at 9:44 PM with the headline "Surprise Five: Rangers' pending roster decisions aren't getting any easier."