Jacob Latz's awful outing just made Skip Schumaker's rotation decision an easy one

Well, it would be hard to argue that the combination of Jacob Latz's miserable final spring training start and Kumar Rocker's very productive and efficient outing didn't make skipper Skip Schumaker's decision a fairly straightforward one.

Rocker, with his excellent control and plus change-up strikeout pitch, was on point two days ago, while Latz picked a bad time to have the bottom fall out in what appears to have been the closing arguments for the fifth and final starting slot in the Rangers' rotation.

Latz has been a terrific swingman, but he probably just lost a starting spot

Latz, who was an integral part of the rotation as both a starter and middle reliever last season, didn't do himself any favors by leaving a nightmare of an outing as the final impression for Schumaker heading into the regular season.

Latz was all kinds of hittable on Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers, allowing seven earned runs over three innings pitched while surrendering three homers. The southpaw swingman couldn't locate his fastball and didn't have the usual action on his offspeed stuff as he got dinged for eight hits and two walks. He did strike out five, but it was a labor-intensive display that makes Kumar Rocker's mostly smooth outing the night before look even better.

Latz's spring ERA sits at 8.22 while Rocker finished with a 4.26 mark.

Considering Latz's extensive bullpen experience and success as a reliever, it makes sense to use him in a long-relief role several times a week instead. It wouldn't be a demotion, as it is where he has been most effective.

The Rangers want to see Rocker in a starting role anyway

Ever since the organization drafted Rocker with the 3rd pick in the first round of the 2022 June Amateur Draft, they have been preparing to have the hard-throwing 26-year-old be a starter, and hopefully a cornerstone of the rotation moving forward.

The Rangers are looking for any reason to facilitate the process, and the events over the last 48 hours feel like all the motivation they will need to put Rocker on the inside track to filling out what was the best starting staff in MLB in 2025.

It also solves the problem of what they would do with him if he weren't a starter. He has never been anything other than a starter, and it would seem counterproductive to use him in any other role.

However, if Rocker struggles again, Latz should be an option for spot starts, and Cody Bradford is still set for a May return from injury.