Texas Rangers: Pitcher Tanner Scheppers Elects Free Agency

The Texas Rangers will be without pitcher Tanner Scheppers in 2018 as the 30-year-old pitcher has become a free agent. Was this a good or bad move by the Rangers organization?

The Texas Rangers outrighted pitcher Tanner Scheppers off the 40-man roster in August. It’s not surprising that Texas and Scheppers will be parting ways this winter, but was it too early to give up on Scheppers?

The 30-year-old pitcher had his struggles the last few seasons, but he did have success with Texas. In 2013, Scheppers went 6-2 with a 1.88 ERA in 76 games and a 2.2 WAR. After that the Rangers attempted to convert him into a starting pitcher and it went downhill from there.

In 2017, Scheppers went 1-3 with a 4.84 ERA in 31 appearances and three saves at Triple-A Round Rock. He appeared in just five games with Texas in 2017 and allowed three earned runs in four innings of work.

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Over the last three seasons Scheppers was 5-3 with a 5.47 ERA in 57 games with the Rangers. Clearly, he’s struggled since his fantastic 2013 season, and the Rangers didn’t believe Scheppers had enough value to keep around any longer.

Hopefully Scheppers will land on his feet elsewhere this winter because he very well still could have some left in the tank. Sadly, the Rangers have other arms ready in their bullpen, and Scheppers just didn’t fit in anymore.

This could be a warning to the Rangers that trying to convert relievers into starting pitchers could be a bad idea. Scheppers was a reliable reliever until Texas attempted to convert him into a starter. Although every pitcher is different, and there was no knowing that would happen to Scheppers.

Next: Was it smart to part ways with Mike Napoli?

Some other players that have left the organization are right-handed pitchers Anthony Bass, Preston Claiborne and Jhan Marinez, and lefty pitcher Joely Rodriguez. None made much of an impact with the Rangers in 2017.