Texas Rangers Reliever Matt Bush Could Join 2018 Starting Rotation

The Texas Rangers have three starting pitchers penciled in for the 2018 season. That leaves two spots wide open and could reliever Matt Bush take one of them?

According to Jeff Wilson, reliever Matt Bush is preparing to join the Texas Rangers 2018 starting rotation. Most likely the organization will fill it via trade or free agency, but there is a chance Bush joins the rotation.

Last season Bush went 3-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 57 games and 10 saves. The 31-year-old hasn’t started a game in a long time, but the Rangers may test it out this spring. Bush has made just one minor league start and zero Major League starts.

The Rangers do have a habit of taking relievers and turning them into starters. Most recently pitchers such as Neftali Feliz and Alexi Ogando were given shots in the Arlington rotation. Neither pitcher made a strong transition and went back to the bullpen.

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It’s a risky move attempting to convert a reliever into a starting pitcher. Bush doesn’t have much experience as a starting pitcher and the chances of this working seem slim. General manager Jon Daniels and had some incredible decisions, but this one seems far-fetched.

The Rangers need to direct their attention on filling the starting rotation with actual experienced starters. Bush is already in his 30s and makes a living throwing in the upper 90s out of the bullpen a few times a week.

Trying to convert him into the rotation isn’t likely going to work. His velocity will drop and Bush doesn’t have the secondary stuff to get a lineup out multiple times. It’s interesting to try different experiments, but this one shouldn’t happen.

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The Rangers need to focus on landing Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani as their top priority. After that pitchers like Alex Cobb, Lance Lynn, and Andrew Cashner need to be targeted. No room for converting relievers into starters unless Texas has struck out everywhere else.