Texas Rangers Trade Targets: Bullpen

Jun 19, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher

(37) throws against the Chicago White Sox in the ninth inning at U.S Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

While much of the focus the past week has been on the talks between the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies regarding Cole Hamels, there are other areas of need that this team needs to address. The Rangers have had one of the worst bullpens so far this season and even though they have showed flashes of excellence, there is too much inconsistency to rely on them for a playoff run.

The bullpen has a 12-12 record with a 4.46 ERA in 236.1 innings so far in 2015. The 4.46 ERA is good enough for 29th in all of baseball and the worst in the American League. The bullpen does not have dominant stuff, as they strikeout just 7.16 batters per 9 innings, good enough for 28th in the league and are the worst when it comes to home runs as they give up 1.29 home runs per 9 innings.

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In June, the bullpen ERA has drifted up to 5.15 with a 3-6 record and are striking out just 6.87 batters per 9 innings. Is it possible they are just getting unlucky this month? Not likely as batters against them have a .283 Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) which is right in the middle of the pack in the league. Is it that ERA is a poor measure of their success and an overused statistic? A popular stat for balancing ERA is Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) which is a stat that only accounts for what a pitcher can control which is walks, strikeouts, and home runs. When looking at FIP, the bullpen actually drops to worst in the league with a 5.46 so ERA may make them look better than they are doing.

Taking all of these things into consideration, if the Rangers make a move before the trade deadline it is going to need to be for some relief help. While it is always possible to make multiple trades, the type of players the Rangers will want to add to the bullpen will be the same pieces that come up in conversations for starting pitchers. Bringing in a closer will allow Shawn Tolleson to shift back to the eighth inning and create a strong late-inning combination. Let’s take a look at some top trade candidates to help fix this bullpen.

Next: Chapman

Jun 16, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Aroldis  Chapman (54) pitches in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Cincinnati won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

1. Aroldis Chapman

Chapman is certainly the biggest name that has come up this season as a potentially available bullpen arm. He is having another strong year, boasting a 1.95 ERA with 15 saves in 32.1 innings pitched. Chapman has an incredible 15.59 K/9 and is most known for his fastball which has topped out at 103.1 mph this season and which he throws 76% of the time. The main concern for Chapman is his walks which have jumped up to 5.29 walks per nine innings, nearly a full walk more per nine innings.

Chapman will be a free agent after the 2016 season and will likely command a large contract that could surpass that of the $10+ million that pitchers like David Robertson and Joe Nathan are making. Even if the Rangers do not want to get into that contract race for Chapman, having him for the rest of 2015 and 2016 would be beneficial enough.

In order to get any player via trade, the opposite team will likely start any conversation with Joey Gallo and Chi Chi Gonzalez. At this point, with those two already making it to the majors I do not see the Rangers looking to move either of them for somebody they would not have for long. The conversation could then move to players such as Nomar Mazara, Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thompson, and Nick Williams. The Reds will likely ask for two players from this list and another player who is a little further down the list such as a Josh Morgan, Alec Asher, or Jerad Eickhoff type player. If this is the case, I would be satisfied moving two of those and a lower tier prospect for Chapman who has been one of the top closers in the game for a couple years.

The problem comes in that it is not well known if the Reds are even going to be dealing Chapman and therefore the cost could be much higher to pry him away than what I listed above. If the cost jumps to three of four top guys listed than it would be hard to justify that much movement for a relief pitcher, even one as good as Chapman.

Next: Papelbon

Jun 21, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jonathan  Papelbon (58) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Cardinals, 9-2. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

2. Jonathan Papelbon

It is no secret to baseball fans that Papelbon has wanted out of Philadelphia for quite some time now. He has spoken to the media regarding the topic and has made it very clear that he wants to be part of a winning team. Papelbon has not let that distract him this season and is in fact having one of his better seasons with the Phillies as he seems to be trying to make himself more of a valuable asset.

Papelbon owns a 1.88 ERA with 13 saves in his 28.2 innings pitched. He has struck out just over 10 batters while allowing just about 2 walks per 9 innings. While the number of saves have not been high, he is pitching for a team that has won just 26 games this season so that is to be expected. He has not blown a save so far this year although he did pick up the loss in one of his 28 appearances.

In terms of his contract, the Rangers would need to pay the remaining $13 million for his contract this season and a 2016 vesting option that will be fully guaranteed that is likely to occur as long as he remains healthy the rest of the season. In the short term, Papelbon will be more expensive than Chapman, who is making just $8 million this year, but his market will likely not be as strong after the 2016 season which would make them more likely to be able to sign him.

The players that the team will need to use in a trade will likely remain the same as those with Chapman. The Phillies have held on to Papelbon for longer than most expected in hopes of the best deal possible so it is unlikely they will settle for less than fans would hope for. Although he will be expensive next season, he will be in a contract year which means he will likely be at his best all season which will be beneficial to the Rangers. The Rangers may already be on the phone with Philadelphia regarding Hamels so it would be a smart move to check in on the Papelbon market.

Next: Other Options

Of the five players listed in this article, Papelbon and Clippard seem to be the most available. Papelbon will command more in a trade but could prove to be worth it the way he is pitching this season. Clippard and those listed on the Others page will command much less in a trade with a likely AAAA-type player like Michael Choice and a pair of mid-tier prospects.

Any of these additions would greatly benefit a team that is struggling in the later innings due to a weak bullpen. A stronger bullpen will only help the starting rotation that will not be needed to pitch as deep into games to keep leads. If the Rangers are not able to add a starting pitcher to the roster they will need this group to remain as healthy and fresh as possible.

Next: Texas Rangers Fall in FanSided MLB Power Rankings