Former Texas Rangers Pitcher Tanner Scheppers Heads to Japan

31-year-old righty Tanner Scheppers is now the second former Texas Rangers pitcher to jump to Japan this month. Scheppers wasn’t always great in Arlington, but he did have some moments of success.

The 2017 campaign didn’t go exactly as planned for Tanner Scheppers or the Texas Rangers. Scheppers pitched in just five games last season and allowed three earned runs in four innings of work. The Rangers decided to let him explore other opportunities after the season.

He wasn’t much better in Triple-A Round last season. Scheppers went 1-3 with a 4.84 ERA in 31 games with three saves. Heading to Japan might have been the right move for Scheppers at this point.

Scheppers agreed to a one-year deal with the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League. He earned $975,000 with the Rangers last season, but will earned $800,000 this season in Japan. It’s less money, but a great chance for Scheppers to work on his craft.

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He spent parts of six seasons with the Texas Rangers, but struggled during most of it. Scheppers went 12-7 with a 4.23 ERA in 180 games with three saves in Arlington. He only finished one season with an ERA under four during his time with the Rangers.

During the 2013 season, Scheppers went 6-2 with a 1.88 ERA in 76 games and one save with Texas. The Rangers switched Scheppers to the rotation after that, and everything went wrong. He pitched in just eight games in 2014, and spent most of the season on the disabled list.

It’s difficult to know what would’ve been if the Rangers kept Scheppers in the bullpen. However, it’s in the past and Scheppers wants to focus on the future. Hopefully he’s able to revive his career in Japan.