2009 Season: What we're talking about are the guys that might pitch the fifth or sixth inning (maybe even the seventh). We discussed long relief Monday, and some of those pitchers could fall into this category as well.
Willie Eyre will certainly be a consideration for middle relief in 2010. Eyre, who was dealing with a groin injury in spring training, joined the relief corps briefly in April and then went back-and-forth between the majors and the disabled list until spending all of September with the big club. Eyre had one bad outing against the A's on Sept. 22 (five earned runs in one-third of an inning), but otherwise showed good control. Eyre doesn't walk many batters and forces hitters to put the ball in play, letting his defense do the rest. Eyre showed enough to compete for a middle relief spot.
Where does Doug Mathis fit in? He could be a long relief option, but he also showed enough consistency to handle a middle relief role. Mathis had a 2.14 ERA in 33 2/3 relief innings in 2009. He should arrive in Surprise, Ariz., with a lot of momentum.
It will be interesting to see how some of the other internal candidates do. Pedro Strop came up at the end of August and got all three outs against Minnesota. But he allowed four runs to Toronto in his second outing, ruining his numbers. In five September outings, Strop had six strikeouts and one walk. The Rangers may not quite know what they have in Strop, but he should get a chance in spring training.
Guillermo Moscoso had a 3.21 ERA in 10 appearances for the Rangers in 2009. He was more of a long reliever and certainly wasn't in many meaningful games as the Rangers were either way behind or way ahead when he pitched. Moscoso was on a starter's schedule, and the club may still think of him more in that role.
Warner Madrigal is another guy that has something to prove in spring training. Mad Dog had a 9.95 ERA and opponents batted .333 against him in 12 2/3 innings. He also had 12 walks as he had issues with his command. He'll have to regain the trust of his teammates and coaches to have a shot in 2010.
2010 Outlook: Don't be surprised if GM Jon Daniels goes out and invites some pitchers not currently with the team to spring training. Middle relief is important, and the Rangers tried various options but couldn't settle on anything.
I would think Eyre certainly has an inside track to one spot. But other than Eyre, I'm not sure what to make of the other options.
Who would you choose from that group? Will it be someone not currently on the roster?
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Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.
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