How will Cody Bradford, Michael Lorenzen impact an ailing Texas Rangers pitching staff?
When healthy, the Texas Rangers starting pitching rotation figures to be one of Major League Baseball’s best.
However, three of the Rangers’ top starters — Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle — will all miss significant time.
DeGrom isn’t expected back until August while recovering from a UCL injury, Mahle is out until July while recovering from Tommy John surgery and Scherzer until June as he is recovering from a herniated disk in his lower back.
As the Rangers open the season on Thursday against the Cubs, the probable starting rotation consists of Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning.
Cody Bradford had set himself up in position to earn the fifth starter spot after an impressive spring training. The Rangers also added more starting pitching depth when Michael Lorenzen who signed a one-year $4.5 million contract and could also serve as a fifth starter.
“Lorenzen, he gives us even more flexibility and makes this a better rotation,” said Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy.
Lorenzen is coming off an up-and-down 2023 season.
During his time with the Detroit Tigers, he went 5-7 with a 3.58 ERA while earning his first all-star selection.
The Tigers then traded Lorenzen to the Phillies. He started strongly, throwing a no-hitter. Although he posted a 4-2 record, he had a 5.58 ERA with Philadelphia.
The addition of Lorenzen could push Cody Bradford to return to the bullpen where he went 3-0 with a 2.82 ERA in 22.1 innings last season.
The bullpen was a major area of concern for the Rangers during the regular season in 2023 when they posted a 31-34 record with a 4.77 ERA and 33 blown saves against 30 successful saves.
Bochy acknowledged the bullpens’ shortcomings, but said he felt the unit was in better position to succeed this season.
“It was an issue last year if [we’re] being honest that’s fair and I do think we’re sitting better at this point, especially with a couple of experienced guys that we have in [Kirby] Yates and [David] Robertson,” said Bochy
The Rangers signed Yates to a one-year $4.5 million contract and Robertson to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2025 worth $11.5 million according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
Yates is a nine-year veteran who went 7-2 with a 3.28 ERA for the Atlanta Braves last season, and Robertson a 15-year veteran who split time between the Miami Marlins and the New York Mets combining to go 6-6 with a 3.03 ERA.
Bochy also pointed out that injuries hampered the bullpen last season.
“But along that line, look at [Josh] Sborz, he started last year on the IL and he’s emerged as one of the better setup guys and [Jose] Leclerc who was dealing with a neck issue so yeah overall I think we’re sitting better than last year,” said Bochy.
With health and additions, the Rangers bullpen has a major chance at improvement from last year’s regular season which would help shore up one of the team’s few weak spots.
If the Bullpen improves that could further help to offset the losses of deGrom, Scherzer and Mahle from the starting rotation.
Eovaldi, the pitching hero during the postseason World Series run, gets the ball first. He will start on Thursday against the Cubs in the opener at Globe Life Field.
This story was originally published March 27, 2024 at 12:00 AM.
