Offseason Simulation: Adding Relief Help to the Texas Rangers

The FanSided MLB offseason simulation is underway and the faux Texas Rangers have turned to free agency to bolster the bullpen.

After announcing our first move of the FanSided MLB offseason simulation, trading Nomar Mazara to the San Diego Padres, the faux Texas Rangers have now made another move. In an effort to bolster the bullpen, we went to our fake free agent market and signed left-handed reliever Jerry Blevins to a 1-year, $2.5 million deal.

Why Blevins?

Blevins spent 2019 with the Atlanta Braves and was fairly effective in his 45 relief appearances. He threw 32.1 innings and posted a 3.90 ERA, recording 37 strikeouts. He isn’t a dominant arm that is going to reshape the dynamic of the bullpen but we felt adding a lefty reliever could be beneficial, especially a veteran one with a lot of experience under his belt.

Throughout his career, Blevins has been excellent in limiting runs out of the bullpen posting a 3.54 ERA in 609 career appearances. We’re hoping that in our faux Rangers 2020 bullpen, that experience helps balance out some of the talented, albeit raw relievers, Texas has stockpiled.

What Other Options Did We Considered?

We looked at a few different left-handed relievers on the free agent market before settling on Blevins. We gave a thought to bringing back Jake Diekman but the Mets offered him a two-year deal and we weren’t keen on matching the length of that contract even though the money was very reasonable.

In addition to Diekman, we also looked heavily at Tony Cingrani who signed with the Astros for a little above the contract we “gave” Blevins. Cingrani’s injury history was a bit of a concern as he’d missed well over a year of baseball. While the upside to Cingrani was probably a bit higher given his age compared to the 35-year old Blevins, the veteran lefty seemed to fit a little better.

Where Do We Stand?

Following the faux trade that sent Nomar Mazara to the Padres along with Ian Gibaut in exchange for Cal Quantrill, our mock 40-man roster sits at 36, leaving four spots that can be filled. We also sit with around $53 million in budget space that can be spent on other moves.