Rumors: Texas Rangers in Contact with Clay Buchholz

The Texas Rangers continue to look to add starting pitching options recently being connected to two-time All-Star, Clay Buchholz.

The latest starting pitching option connected to the Texas Rangers comes courtesy of Jon Heyman at Fancred.com and MLB Network. Heyman tweeted out early Monday morning that Texas has been talking to free agent pitcher Clay Buchholz.

Buchholz has spent the majority of his 12-year career with the Boston Red Sox where he made a name for himself including earning his 2 All-Star game nods in 2010 and 2013. Through his 10 seasons with Boston, he worked mostly as a starter going 81-61 with a 3.96 ERA.

He made the move to the Phillies in 2017 but missed the majority of the season with a partial tear of his right flexor tendon. He made just 2 starts for Philadelphia and only threw 7.1 innings before being shut down.

The 34-year old Buchholz spent 2018 with the Arizona Diamondbacks making 16 starts in a limited season. In those starts, he was fantastic though going 7-2 with a 2.01 ERA. His 2018 season was cut short as well with a right elbow flexor strain which raises some questions about his ability to stay healthy moving forward.

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Does This Make Sense For Texas?

The Texas native, Buchholz, represents another option in the starting rotation. The right-hander had a very good 2018 before going down with an injury which is likely what intrigues the Rangers. The only concern I have beyond his ability to remain healthy is his age. At 34, Buchholz doesn’t represent a true long-term option. For a club rebuilding, while a 1 or 2-year lottery ticket could pay off well, he won’t be a part of the long-term success of the club.

If the Rangers do find a deal, I think it’s on a 1-year contract. If he performs well, he likely gets dealt at the deadline to teams competing for the postseason. If he struggles, the Rangers are really only out the money spent in 2019 as he won’t be the make or break piece for any Texas playoff run.