Crowded field competing for spots in Rangers bullpen

The stance Jon Daniels has taken on bullpen spending isn’t chiseled in stone on some tablet at Globe Life Park, but the Texas Rangers’ general manager acknowledges that he would rather spend big money on just about anything besides the bullpen.

Free-agent relievers like Andrew Miller, who signed a four-year contract worth $36 million with the New York Yankees over the off-season, shouldn’t bother calling on Daniels, who has never given more than a two-year commitment to relief help.

Instead, Daniels likes to stockpile young and/or affordable bullpen pieces in the Rangers’ spring clubhouse and let the best arms prevail. That’s how pitchers like Mason Tobin and Robbie Ross have emerged from the bottom of the heap to make the Opening Day roster.

That’s how well-traveled veteran Jamey Wright could be in Oakland on April 6 to start the season. The same goes for Juan Carlos Oviedo, aka the former Leo Nunez, or hard-throwing rookie Keone Kela.

In all likelihood there are only three spots up for grabs this spring, and which combination from a crowded group of candidates grabs them is about as hard to predict as the Texas weather.

“There are a lot of guys that have a real legit shot,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “Sometimes there are years when you bring in a prospect, a guy who is more of a filler type, who you expect him to go to Round Rock or something like that. Everybody who’s here, outside of some of the young starters … has a legit shot.”

While many of the candidates are young, they got a taste of the major leagues last year as the Rangers held what amounted to open tryouts for 2015. Right-handers Roman Mendez, Phil Klein, Jon Edwards and Spencer Patton all got looks, as did left-hander Alex Claudio.

Claudio is one of four lefties in camp, along with Michael Kirkman, Martire Garcia and Edgar Olmos. The Rangers added Olmos, a hard-throwing left-hander who spent 2014 in the Miami Marlins organization, on Tuesday on a waiver claim from Seattle.

Ross Detwiler has bullpen experience, but the Rangers want to give him a chance at the No. 5 spot in the rotation.

“I’m happy, because I have more of a chance to make the team,” Claudio said. “Last season helped me tremendously because of the experience, and it gave me tons of confidence. I know my job and how to get my outs.”

The Rangers are seeking a veteran lefty to add to the mix, though a source said that the club isn’t expected to sign Phil Coke. If a veteran lefty is added, he would likely need only a decent spring to make the 2015 roster.

“The reality is I can’t worry about what we don’t have,” manager Jeff Banister said. “I have to think about and evaluate what we do have.”

Right-handers Neftali Feliz, Tanner Scheppers, Shawn Tolleson and Kyuji Fujikawa are probably safe to make plans to spend 2015 in Arlington. Their roles have yet to shake out, though Feliz is likely to be the closer and Scheppers is likely to work the eighth inning.

But then there are at least 15 other pitchers, including some working this spring as starters, who could fill the three bullpen vacancies.

“Competition brings out the best in people, they say, and that’s very true,” said Klein, who debuted in August and went 1-2 with a 2.83 ERA over 19 innings. “It was nice to see how everything works. It is a different world. It was nice getting to settle in a little bit and see some results.”

Results are a big part of the spring evaluation, but springtime is one of the worst times to evaluate. Pitchers who work late in games aren’t always facing big-league-caliber hitters, and the hard infields and thin air can often distort how well a pitcher actually pitched.

Track record will play a part. Those who got the call last year don’t have the same game logs as Wright or other veterans, but at least they have something.

They all have a chance this spring to make the Opening Day roster, or at least show they can help the Rangers at some point in 2015.

“There will be competition from Day One to the last day,” Claudio said. “Everyone of us has a chance.”

This story was originally published February 24, 2015 at 5:33 PM with the headline "Crowded field competing for spots in Rangers bullpen."