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What a lack of expectations means for the direction of the Rangers’ bullpen in 2021

Jonathan Hernandez will likely be the centerpiece of a bullpen without really specific roles next season.

As the Rangers head into the heart of the winter, general manager Jon Daniels is focused on a full-scale rebuilding program that is going to put more emphasis on development of internal solutions.

The Rangers are a team with more issues than answers at present, and with payroll expected to be in the $100 million range after a season with no fans, they are not likely to be major players for high-profile free agents or for serious trade pieces.

Today, we’ll look at the roster position by position and take a look at what happened, what needs to happen and what might be realistic for 2021:

Relief pitching

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Who’s there: RHP Jose Leclerc ($4.5 million), LHP Joely Rodriguez ($2.5 million), RHP Rafael Montero (arbitration-eligible), RHP Jonathan Hernandez (pre-arbitration), LHP Brett Martin (pre-arbitration), RHP Jimmy Herget (pre-arbitration), Taylor Hearn (pre-arbitration), RHP DeMarcus Evans (pre-arbitration), RHP Art Warren (pre-arbitration), LHP Wes Benjamin (pre-arbitration).

What happened: The bullpen imploded quickly. Expected setup men Joely Rodriguez and Rafael Montero both opened the season on the IL. A week in, closer Jose Leclerc was lost for the year due to the same torn shoulder muscle that wiped out Corey Kluber’s year. Not surprisingly, the Rangers ended up in the bottom three in the majors in both saves (10) and save percentage (52.6). There were some bright moments for relievers, but mostly it was a season-long scramble.

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What worked: Before spring training shut down, converted starter Jonathan Hernandez grabbed attention as the most intriguing arm out of the bullpen. That was one constant throughout all of the craziness that ensued. Hernandez’s 97.8 mph fastball average was sixth among all relievers and he relied on it less than 50% of the time because of his confidence in his slider. Hernandez did not beat himself; he walked only eight hitters and allowed just two homers. He was the team’s most valuable reliever and will likely be the centerpiece of a bullpen without really specific roles in 2021.

What didn’t: None of the veteran relievers the Rangers brought in as insurance and reinforcements provided any of that. The group of Edinson Volquez, Jesse Chavez, Luis Garcia, Luke Farrell, Nick Goody and Juan Nicasio combined to allow 46 runs in 48 2/3 innings (8.51 ERA). They allowed 12 homers in that time. Among those homers: three of the eight grand slams the Rangers allowed. None of them will be back.

Options: The Rangers will not sign a high-profile arm for the bullpen. Strengthening the back end of the bullpen for a non-contending team just doesn’t make sense. There are other priorities. What may be more realistic: exploring including Montero, entering his last year of club control, or Leclerc in a trade to shed one of their big contracts and get a real return in prospect value. Of course, they may have significant value on their own.

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Prospects: In DeMarcus Evans, Alex Speas and Joe Barlow, the Rangers have three flamethrowers, but lots of guys throw 95 mph or harder now. And get crushed. The issue still comes down to commanding the strike zone. After a shaky first outing, Evans made three impressive outings in the final week of the season with four strikeouts and no walks. But they were low-leverage situations for a team going nowhere. For now, consider it nothing more than a nice week. He will get plenty of opportunity to win a bullpen spot in 2021, but it will still have to be earned. Speas, who can top out at 103 mph, went to alternate camp but was never added to the active roster. Barlow, who walked 21 in 17 1/3 innings at Triple-A Nashville in 2019, was not added to the 40-man roster when first eligible last fall, was not invited to alternate camp and didn’t go to fall instructional league. Velocity raises eyebrows, but command is still king.

2021 goals: With no expectations to contend, the Rangers have the ability to create more of a no-roles bullpen that allows them to better maximize their best relievers in high-leverage situations. With no real closer for much of 2020, they headed more in that direction. They should use 2021 to fully break down the walls between specialization and leverage.

Around the league: A look at how the Rangers stacked up against the AL West and the rest of Major League Baseball in Wins Above Average this season...

MLB Wins Above Average for the 2020 season.
MLB Wins Above Average for the 2020 season.(SportsDay Staff)

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Other position breakdowns

Catcher | First base | Second base | Third base | Shortstop

Left field | Center field | Right field | Designated hitter

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Starting pitching | Relief pitching

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