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3 Things to Expect From the New Look Texas Rangers

During the MLB trade deadline, the Texas Rangers brought in a number of new faces. Here is what to expect from the team.

By Lorenzo Almanza |
Chicago White Sox v Texas Rangers
Chicago White Sox v Texas Rangers / Tim Heitman/GettyImages
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In June the Texas Rangers made the first big trade of the season by acquiring closer Aroldis Chapman. The move has bolstered the team's bullpen by giving them an experienced pitcher that throws a mean fastball. In nine innings with Texas, Chapman has 17 strikeouts and two walks. On Tuesday, Chapman helped the Rangers get their first win of the month as he struck out three batters in the eighth inning.

Acquiring Chapman would be the the first move of many. Last week, Texas traded for 2019 World Series champion Max Scherzer. The move came as a surprise to many, as the team had originally been linked to Justin Verlander, who was traded to Houston.

A day later Texas further added to their rotation and bullpen by adding Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals. Montgomery adds to the depth of the rotation and Stratton gives depth to the bullpen.

Pitching was the main focus for Texas, as Martin Perez and Andrew Heaney began to decline. Nathan Eovaldi added to the pitching woes, as he was sent to the 15 day DL. To make matters worse, catcher Jonah Heim suffered a wrist injury last week that sent him to the 10-day IL.

To help ease the pain the Rangers went out and made one final move by acquiring Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Austin Hedges. The nine-year veteran is a defensive asset who is one of the top pitch framers in the league.

So, with all the recent additions, what can we expect from the team?

Here are three things to look forward to:

1. Deeper Starting Pitching Rotation

The real reason the team went out and traded for three new pitchers was because things were on the decline. As mentioned earlier, Eovaldi went out with a strained forearm. Not much was known about his status, as Texas pulled him out of his scheduled start against the Astros back on July 25th.

The issue extended beyond the team's ace though. Pitchers Jon Gray and Dane Dunning began to show wear and tear, while Perez and Dunning were on the decline. Adding Mad Max gives the squad an extra ace who is experienced. This season, he holds a 9-4 record and has 121 strikeouts. Pairing him next to Eovaldi gives Texas a one-two punch.

As for Montgomery and Stratton, they provide much-needed relief. With both players in the mix, Texas can either go with a six man rotation, or move one or two of their starters to the bullpen. This gives the tiring pitchers mentioned above less of a workload. Stratton too will most likely be moved to the middle of the bullpen.

Manager Bruce Bochy now has plenty of pitching depth to work it. Additional relief could be handy come playoff time.

2. Improved Defense

The Texas Rangers defense took a big hit last week, when Heim went down. To make up for the loss, the team went out and acquired Austin Hedges. The former Pirates catcher is batting .179 this season. He has 29 hits on 161 at bat appearances. However, it is his defense that stands out.

WFAA reports that he has a 28% caught stealing rate. Along with that, he does a great job catching near or all around the strike zone. This comes in handy, as Texas improved their strikeout ratio with the additions of Chapman, Scherzer, and Montgomery.

In a little over a month with Texas, Chapman has 17 strikeouts. His signature pitch is a four-seam fastball, which a majority of the time falls on top of or the middle of the strike zone. However, it is his sinker that tends to go just outside the plate. Throw in a catcher like Hedges, and this can come in handy.

Scherzer too could benefit from someone like Hedges. The former Met also throws a four-seam fastball. It is his slider that tends to get away from him. If you look at the video on top, you can see Hedges has excellent command of the ball. He can maneuver pitches in all areas of the plate. Thrown in a defensive catcher with an already stacked infield, and Texas should definitely improve.


3. Various Lineup Adjustments

At the beginning of the season, the Texas Rangers began the year with an outfield that consisted of Adolis Garcia, Robbie Grossman, and Josh Smith. Fast forward to now, and the outfield looks different with Garcia, Leody Taveras, and Travis Jankowski. Smith became more of a backup infielder. Grossman on the other hand, is a utility outfielder that steps up when called upon.

If there is anything to take from this, it is that the lineups are always changing. Another example of this is the addition of Hedges. Before his arrival, the team already had two other catchers in Mitch Garver and Sam Huff.

So what's the plan?? Why have three catchers?

If the tweet above holds true, then this will give the team a lineup that consist of three different catchers. When Heim comes back, the team already explained how they would not be rushing him onto the field.

Like the catcher and outfield positions, the infield has also experienced some shuffling. This is all due in part to infielder Ezequiel Duran. The 24-year-old did a great job subbing in for Corey Seager's absence. On Wednesday, he got to play a little bit of first base, as he subbed in for Nathaniel Lowe.

Even with the new additions, Texas still has the ability to shuffle up its lineup. How about a six man starting rotation? Three catchers behind the plate? DH position with Brad Miller and Garver?

Either way, Texas looks to get back on track with their new squad. A two-game winning streak since the deadline isn't a bad start.

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