Texas Rangers: Could Francisco Rodriguez Be A Bullpen Option?

The Rangers bullpen continues to drag down a talented roster, but it’s not over yet. It’s only June and general manager Jon Daniels could pull off some deals that might save the day in Arlington. Should recently released veteran closer Francisco Rodriguez be a target for Texas?

Finding bullpen help is never easy and often takes time to build a strong core of relievers. The Texas Rangers bullpen has gone from solid to unwatchable in a matter of months. Is the lack of experience bringing down the Rangers pen?

The only true veteran pitcher on the roster currently is righty Ernesto Frieri. The rest of the bullpen is fairly young and inexperienced. It could be time to look for some older veterans that have been in the MLB for a while and battled through adversity.

Now this may sound a bit crazy, but the Rangers should go after closer Francisco Rodriguez. The Detroit Tigers recently released Rodriguez after a horrendous start to the season. Through 28 appearances, K-Rod has a 7.82 ERA with 22 earned runs allowed and nine home runs given up.

More from Nolan Writin'

• 3 Texas Rangers outfield trade targets not named Bryan Reynolds
• Did Jacob deGrom really mean what he said at his Texas Rangers press conference?
• Where do Texas Rangers prospects Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker stand after the DeGrom signing?
• Martin Perez accepting the qualifying offer looking like solid deal for the Rangers
• 4 outfielders the Texas Rangers can still pursue this winter

The 35-year-old is not the same pitcher he used to be, but that doesn’t mean he’s done. Rodriguez is a 16 year MLB veteran and has 437 career saves. He’s a six-time All-Star, and he could bring an important veteran presence to the Rangers.

Yes, Rodriguez has been terrible this season, but so has the Rangers bullpen. Texas has 14 blown saves, and need help desperately. Rodriguez will likely sign for cheap just to show he has more left in the tank.

The Rangers gave outfielder Carlos Gomez an opportunity to bounce back and it worked. Give K-Rod a shot because honestly it really can’t hurt the Rangers bullpen. The injuries continue to pile up and something needs to be done soon.