Today we are going to cover the rest of the possible 5th starters, since Holland may not even win the job coming out of spring training. There is a slew of them coming into the 2011 season, and all of them have a legitimate shot of being the 5th guy to take the ball in the rotation. I am not going to list them in any order of importance, I am just going to list the guys that I think have a shot at it.
1. Michael Kirkman – Kirkman had a good season in relief for the Texas Rangers in 2010, but it was a very short sample. He only got into 14 games and only pitched 16.1 innings. The opponents batting average against him was .161, pretty good, but is it starting good? Well the Rangers and several of the writers in the metroplex seem to think that it is good enough. Kirkman had a good season at AAA Oklahoma City. He started 22 games, had 13 wins to 3 losses, an ERA of 3.09 and an opponents batting average of .235. He is killer on left handed batters. Do I think that he has the stuff to be a starter. After looking at the the numbers at the AAA level and watching him pitch, and reading what other writers are saying about his stuff (people more educated than I am), I believe he may be considered the front runner to take the spot away from Holland before Spring Training is over. He is confident, he is strong, and he is good. Watch for him to move to the front of the pack early.
2. Eric Hurley – We have been hearing about Hurley for a couple of seasons now, and he always seems to either get hurt or just no perform at the level that the Rangers have expected him too. This needs to be the year for Hurley. He was signed in 2004, he has now pitched 5 seasons in the minors, including 2 at AAA Oklahoma City. His numbers break down like this:
A ball – 12-6 with a 3.77 ERA
AA ball – 11-3 with a 2.71 ERA
AAA ball – 6-12 with a 5.11 ERA
He did not pitch at all in 09 or 10. He has been in the minors too long to not have his shot, and I think he will get a shot in spring training this season. I do not think he will wind up competing with the others for a starter spot by the time it is all said and done, and he might wind up being a lifetime minor leaguer. I hope to be wrong about him, but it may be time to give up on him and move on. To be fair, injuries have really hampered his career.
3. Omar Beltre – Omar is a guy that the Rangers think is ready to make the leap to the next level. His overall numbers in the minor leagues are very good, and he is another one I would recommend that you watch out for in spring training. Omar has a overall minor league ERA of 2.47 in 8 seasons down on the farm, he has struck out 414 while walking 117. The Rangers like what they see in Beltre, and they really believe that he can be a front line starter soon, they hope that it will be this season. Look for some impressive stuff from him in 2011.
4. Scott Feldman – Bounce back season. That is about all that needs to be said for Feldy. He won the hearts of Rangers fans everywhere in 2009 with an 18 win season, and then was terrible in 2010, and was eventually replaced in the starting rotation. He did not even make the post season roster, which is saying something for the guy who began the season as the opening day starter. If Scott can locate his sinker again, Scott will be successful again. If he can’t, he will be gone from the Ranger organization.
5. Matt Harrison – Matty rounds out the 5 guys who will threaten Dutch for the fifth spot on the starting rotation. Matt has shown some brilliance in some games, and been horrible in others. He needs to step up and show why the Rangers keep on believing that he can be a starter, or he will no longer get the chance. Matt needs a very strong spring if he expects to start this season, and, as you can tell, he has some tough competition.
Who will win out? I, just as you, look foward to wtaching and seeing who comes out of the pack by April 1.
