Surprise Five: Final day brings a load of news. Not all of it is good
The best thing about covering baseball is that every day brings something new.
Even on May 13 or June 27 (Do It For Durrett Turns 5 event, by the way) or Aug. 12, something new will happen at the ballpark even if the topic isn't new.
Even on the final day of spring training.
Here's the Surprise Five, the finale of the spring, from Saturday.
1.This whole Bartolo Colon situation leads back to an essential theme of spring training — the Rangers haven't had a full grasp on what they're doing with their pitching staff.
The six-man rotation. The five-plus-one. Matt Bush as a starter. The signings of Jesse Chavez and Tim Lincecum. Now, the Colon thing.
To catch everyone (including the Star-Telegram Surprise Bureau) up:
Lincecum (blister) and Tony Barnette (back) are also going to start the season on the DL.
Bush and Chavez are no longer under consideration to start games. Yohander Mendez is, but it's a little complicated because he has been optioned to Triple A.
Colon is free to sign with any team or no team at all.
The Rangers know they want Colon to start April 2 at Oakland. They knew they didn't want to pay the $100,000 retention bonus that was due Saturday. They didn't want to risk paying him $1.75 million if that's his only start, which it could be.
So, they released Colon late Friday and are hoping he re-signs for less before another team decides it wants him. The Rangers have leverage, and they are using it.
They should consider keeping him for the bullpen, where he could figure out a way to remain stretched out enough to drop into the rotation whenever they decide they need a spot starter.
They have a lack of starting depth at Triple A, where, in theory, Colon could go. Of course, he would have to clear waivers and choose outright assignment over free agency, and then the Rangers would have to find him another spot on the 40-man roster.
If Colon is worth all the trouble of trying to renegotiate a deal to start a major-league game, why isn't he worth keeping on the big-league roster? The Rangers clearly believe he one of their best 12 healthy pitchers, or else he'd be gone.
If they're going to ask him to stick around, let him stick around for a while.
2.Ryan Rua learned on Twitter that the Rangers were planning on giving him significant time in left field, and the news appears to have given him a jolt.
"I can't pass it up," Rua said. "I might not get another one."
He is getting a second chance three years after being named the regular left fielder. It lasted five games until he sprained his ankle and broke a bone in his right foot.
"It's crazy that it was three years ago," he said.
Apparently, time flies when a player is trying to establish himself in MLB. And Rua is still trying. He knows what he needs to do, too.
He must play well defensively. He must cut down on his strikeouts. He must — must — hit right-handed pitching.
Rua has done it in the past in the minors, and did it enough for the Rangers to believe he could do it in the majors.
He is experienced enough to know that this could be his last chance to show he can be an everyday player. Like he said, there might not be another.
3. A feel-good day left many with the Rangers with a pit in their stomachs after Triple A hitting coach Howard Johnson was struck in the face by a foul line drive.
The game was halted for around 10 minutes as medical personnel tended to Johnson, who managed High A Down East last season. A towel was placed on the left side of his face almost immediately to help with the bleeding.
Johnson, who had been leaning on the top of the dugout railing, was taken to an area hospital conscious and alert, but he had to be driven off the field while laying on a stretcher. Shortstop Elvis Andrus said that Johnson was struck high on his left cheekbone.
Seldom does a game go by in which a hard-hit ball isn't sent toward a dugout, and it's a miracle that more players and coaches aren't hit. Furthermore, they don't seem worried about it.
Players from both dugouts were back on the railing after Johnson was struck. It's what baseball players do despite the risk.
4. While general manager Jon Daniels didn't have a definitive answer on Colon, he offered reasonable definitive answers on the status of Kevin Jepsen and Juan Centeno.
Both are likely on the team, Daniels said, after Jepsen earned a bullpen spot with solid relief work and Centeno earned a spot after the Rangers didn't find anyone better from outside the organization.
That's not to say Centeno wasn't good this spring. He was the best of all the candidates, including Michael Ohlman. The Rangers traded Ohlman to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations, leaving Brett Nicholas as one of the catchers at Triple A Round Rock
Jepsen, as with Colon, will need a spot on the 40-man roster.
Drew Robinson and Jose Leclerc have 40-man spots and both could end up on the Opening Day roster. One could end up on the Opening Day roster. Both could make the roster and be gone by the fifth game.
While their 40-man spots are gold, their curse is that they have minor-league options remaining. With Rule 5 pick Carlos Tocci on the team and unable to be optioned to the minors, Robinson and Leclerc's options give the Rangers needed roster flexibility.
They will be in limbo for a few more days.
5. As ready as we are to go home and as long as it feels like we've been here, especially these final 10 days, it's hard to believe spring training is already over.
There was some news. Lincecum topped the list. The guy is a star and still generates lots of interest, i.e. web clicks. But, somewhat surprisingly, there were no significant injuries to significant players.
There are two more exhibition games to go, so the Rangers might want to knock on some wood.
On the personal highlight front: Destin Hood tops the list. He has a good story and is a terrific person who all of us in the media hope to see again soon in Arlington. The Lincecum story has a chance to be a really good one.
On the predictions front: Delino DeShields is going to have a great season. Elvis Andrus is going to as well, but he won't opt out of his contract. All signs point to a better season for Joey Gallo, which will also qualify as a great season.
One more prediction: I'm not going to miss my flight home.
This story was originally published March 24, 2018 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Surprise Five: Final day brings a load of news. Not all of it is good."