Darvish missing, but Rangers’ rotation better than 2014

General manager Jon Daniels gathered the media in the lobby outside the Texas Rangers’ clubhouse last year on the final day of spring training to announce, primarily, that the starting rotation had been settled.

The Opening Day starter was Tanner Scheppers, who had spent the previous season mowing down batters in the eighth inning.

Martin Perez, the No. 2 starter, was the only sure thing, or was he, since he wasn’t the Opening Day starter?

Robbie Ross — hello — was the No. 3 starter. Joe Saunders, claimed off the scrap heap after camp had started, was the fourth man in the rotation, and Daniels shocked everyone when he revealed Nick Martinez as the No. 5 starter.

Martinez, remember, boasted four starts at Double A Frisco as his top career achievement.

To minimize panic, Daniels was mindful that Yu Darvish would soon replace Martinez, Colby Lewis and Matt Harrison would be back, too, and the rotation would be just fine.

Well, it wasn’t.

Anyone searching for hope about the 2015 Rangers needs only to reflect upon that wild day last spring. The rotation that will open this season is far better than any rotation the Rangers used at any point last season, and has a legitimate chance to improve throughout the year.

“Yes,” manager Jeff Banister said. “I like our five. I feel comfortable with where we’re at and who we’ve got in the starting rotation. It’s time to go for these guys.”

Granted, the loss of Darvish to Tommy John surgery is a big blow, and no one is trying to say that the Rangers have a replacement as capable as he is. But the Rangers also aren’t buying into the doom-and-gloom forecasts since Darvish was ruled out for the season.

Yovani Gallardo will start Opening Day, his sixth straight season to do so. Lewis posted a sub-4.00 ERA after the All-Star break last season. Derek Holland, scheduled for the home opener, is healthy and motivated.

Even the unknown quantity, Ross Detwiler, has been a major league starter. That couldn’t be said last season about Scheppers, Ross, Martinez, Miles Mikolas, Phil Irwin and Lisalverto Bonilla.

Mikolas and Irwin aren’t even pitching in the United States this season.

Martinez, meanwhile, beat a deep field for the final rotation spot, and it’s entirely possible he would have beaten out Detwiler had Darvish not been injured.

“The guys we have right now, I’m confident and I think the whole team is confident,” catcher Robinson Chirinos said. “They’ve been throwing the ball well, they’re prepared for the season, and we’re excited for next week.”

There’s another layer at Triple A and on the disabled list that will contribute this season and be more effective than the 2014 fill-ins. Right-handers Anthony Ranaudo and Nick Tepesch have big league time. The Rangers continue to rave about prospect Alex Gonzalez, who some expect to be in the rotation this year.

Perez is expected to be ready in July after finishing his rehab from Tommy John surgery, and Harrison continues to trend the right way despite having spinal-fusion surgery 10 months ago. He’s another July possibility.

“I also like the depth we have,” Banister said. “You never replace a guy the caliber of Yu Darvish, but we back-filled with some quality starters.”

Will this rotation alone push the Rangers into playoff contention? The internal expectation is that the group will hold its own and give the Rangers a chance if the offense also clicks.

At the very least, the rotation as it stood on the final day of spring training is much better than what the Rangers pieced together on final day of camp a year ago. Even without Darvish.

“It blew us all away to hear that you lose one guy and we suck all the sudden?” Holland said. “With the guys we have, I feel very confident. We all want to be the ace. Our rotation, I think we’re going to step up.”

This story was originally published April 1, 2015 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Darvish missing, but Rangers’ rotation better than 2014."