The Texas Rangers are gearing up to defend their American League championship.
With the Rangers having questions in their starting rotation, Neftali Feliz reportedly prefers the closer role.
One has to ask, why not?
Even manager Ron Washington said, “Your heart’s got to be in what you’re going to do. If your heart isn’t in it, we’ll have to make that decision down the line.”
Last season, you had a guy in Feliz who took over the closer role and didn’t look back after two blown saves by then-closer Frank Francisco. Feliz notched 40 saves for the season and broke the rookie record for saves, bypassing Kazuhiro Sasaki of the Seattle Mariners, who in 2000 set the record with 37saves.
In turn, he won the AL Rookie of the Year award.
Sometimes, major league managers like to tweak things in order to make things work better for the roster. But for Feliz, will one of those tweaks complement his talents or hinder them?
This season, the powers that be want to put him in a starting role. The question is, do you take a chance at the closer role by bringing someone in? Or do you take the chance and find a fourth or fifth starter in the rotation?
There needs to be a reliable closer in the bullpen. In his last outing on Wednesday he pitched three innings, allowing only one hit and two walks, but the big number was four strikeouts.
Is the stretch the Rangers are putting Feliz in working to have him start? The numbers look great for that to happen, but as Washington said about his heart, will it be there?
Feliz isn’t Cliff Lee—not too many pitchers are. The Rangers need to try to replace a body in the starting rotation.
Is Feliz that answer?
When trying to answer that question, one has to ask, will he struggle as a starter on purpose—but not struggle enough to lose the hold on the closer role?
Also, as a starter Feliz may give up too many home runs. Feliz has given up seven home runs in the majors in 100 innings after he only gave up seven home runs in 276 innings in the minors.
Granted, the players in MLB are much better than the players in the minors. However, pitching the equivalent to 11 games in the majors and only giving up seven in a closing role, one has to imagine what his home run ratio would be as a starter.
When looking at the closer role, you have to say, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”
It may be easier to find a reliable starter than a reliable closer.
Sonny Clark is also a writer for examiner.com. Check out his Dallas and local stuff HERE. He also does an online sports show called “The Couch Potato Sports Show” heard on BlogTalkRadio Monday and Thursdays at 7PM CST, as well as Saturday morning at 10AM CST. Click Here to go to the web page.
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