The case for Rangers to sign this misunderstood reliever

Reputations are hard to escape. Whether it be at school, in an office, or on a baseball diamond, some will be judged on their past shortcomings. Even if an individual feels they have more to give, they may never be granted the chance to illustrate that they've learned from their mistakes.

Free agent reliever and former New York Yankees closer, Clay Holmes, is likely undervalued due to his checkered on-field reputation. Given the Texas Rangers badly need bullpen help, there is argument in favor of signing the misunderstood righty.

Holmes' standard stats are quite good. Across 63 innings, he earned a 3.14 ERA and struck out 68 batters. His advanced marks are also solid. The 31-year-old ranked in the 100th percentile in terms of GB%, the 84th percentile in terms of Barrel%, and the 86th percentile in Breaking Run Value.

The case for Rangers to sign this misunderstood reliever

Even with these solid marks, Holmes has been largely defined by his troubles in high-leverage situations. Holmes led baseball with 13 blown saves, and lost the closer role to Luke Weaver during the campaign.

Many fans and pundits have been ready to dismiss Holmes' abilities as a result, but are not willing to look at the kind of asset he could be. Through 12 innings of Postseason work, the Dothan native earned a 2.25 ERA and struck out 12 batters.

While he may not be a shut down closer, Holmes has already proven that he can handle certain intense scenarios. A club like Texas would be a good fit for Holmes since his role and price range may be up for debate.

If Texas wants to retain Kirby Yates, they may have to pay him more than they're willing to spend. Holmes could be a more cost-effective option because his reputation may not net an All-Star closer's typical earnings. Of course, this kind of thinking would make sense for a franchise that is reportedly attempting to stay under the luxury threshold.

The Rangers could bring Holmes in as a standard reliever and see if he could potentially take over as the closer at some point. This may initially worry some fans, but he also might have shown enough to warrant a fresh start.