You could make an argument that there is no team more complete, from top to bottom, than the Texas Rangers. Boasting a deep and versatile lineup, the Rangers match-up well at the plate against left-handers and right-handers alike. How’d you like to face a potential staff of Hamels, Darvish and Holland in a playoff series? Throw in a deep farm system with pro-ready talent and its easy to see why the Rangers are a popular pick to win the World Series.
I’m not quite taking ready to take that to Vegas just yet but I have a feeling that may change by the time we come around to the trade deadline.
It seems nearly inevitable to me that the Rangers will look to address the crater sized hole they have behind the plate. There were questions at the position coming into the season but the Rangers opted to put their trust in 31 year-old Robinson Chirinos, a player who has never played more than 93 games in a single season. So it should be a shock to no one when Chirinos was just placed on the 60-Day DL with a broken forearm in his throwing hand. With a combined 111 games played between the likes of Bryan Holaday and Brett Nicholas, the Rangers will almost certainly be active in the search of an MLB-caliber starting catcher.
Unfortunately for Rangers GM Jon Daniels & Co., Buster Posey didn’t grow on a tree and there are no more Molina brothers in the pipeline. There is a dearth of talent at the position league-wide, at all levels. Looking no further than its own farm system, the Rangers have only one catching prospect of note. That would be in the form of 23 year old Jose Trevino, a player who struggled to stay behind the plate in his only college season at the position.
So let’s summarize…
- The Rangers are a really good team but have a glaring hole at the catching position
- An already iffy situation became worse, with Robinson Chirinos now out long-term
- There are common traits amongst championship winners, catching is one
- Lack of organizational depth at the catcher position
It takes two to tango. Daniels better be looking for a trade partner…
CapFigure 