AL West: Time for a closing change in Texas?

Texas Rangers

Robert Garcia has been locked into the closing role for a little over a month, but has begun struggling lately. Garcia has six saves on the season, with 11 holds and four losses. Since June 1, Garcia has made 12 appearances, collecting three saves with two losses. He has allowed five earned runs over 10.2 innings for a 4.22 ERA and 3.50 SIERA. Garcia has struck out 13 with five walks for a 15.7% K-BB to go with a 15.2% SwStr. If Garcia’s struggles continue, the Rangers could look elsewhere for saves. 

Chris Martin could be the first man up. The veteran reliever returned from the IL on June 7 and has allowed a run in one of 11 outings. He has a save over that stretch, with eight strikeouts and one walk over nine innings pitched. Martin has operated as a closer before and has plenty of experience in the late innings. 

Shawn Armstrong could be another option. Armstrong picked up a save in his last outing and now has three saves on the season. Since June 1, Armstrong has made 14 appearances, allowing three earned runs over 14.1 innings for a 1.88 ERA and 2.49 SIERA. He’s been mowing down the competition with 16 strikeouts to only one walk over 14.1 innings pitched for a 29.4% K-BB. Armstrong may have the nastiest stuff to close if given the opportunity. 

There is also a dark horse option. Jon Gray is expected back from the IL soon and there were rumors during the preseason that he could close games for the Rangers. It seems Armstrong has the best stuff, Martin has the experience, and Gray has been previously discussed. The Rangers have plenty of options if a move is necessary. 

 

Los Angeles Angels

The trade deadline is approaching and Taylor Ward’s name has been mentioned for a while. Ward is having a solid season, hitting .228 with 20 home runs, 50 runs scored, 59 RBI, and two stolen bases. He’s under team control until 2027, which makes Ward potentially more appealing to teams, knowing it’s not a couple-month rental. If Ward were to be traded, the Angels would have to shuffle things up and maybe even tap into the minor leagues. 

The Angels could turn to LaMonte Wade Jr., who is already on the roster. He’s having a bad season, and since joining the Angels on June 13 is hitting only .147 with a stolen base while striking out 33.3% of the time. Wade does not have an extra base hit since joining the team. There’s a likely better chance that Wade gets DFA’d than getting regular at-bats in LF. 

The team could turn to Gustavo Campero, who plays a few times a week but is not producing at the plate. That means the Angels will likely have to call up players from the minor leagues. Kyren Paris and Scott Kingery have been up with the Angels and have been good and bad, but have outfield experience and could contribute. Both could get the call, but there may be a better option at Triple-A. 

Matthew Lugo could be an interesting option for the Angels. He had a cup of coffee this season with the Halos and hit .238 with three home runs over 43 plate appearances. He was eventually sent back to Triple-A, where he’s finding his swing. Over his last 17 games at Triple-A, he is hitting .347 with two home runs, 14 runs, 13 RBI, and one stolen base. Lugo is helping in all aspects of the offensive game and could be well-deserving of a multi-month run in LF if Ward gets traded. 

 

Athletics

The A’s have done plenty of moving and shaking with their starting lineup this season and it appears they have finally found a starting nine they can roll with most days. That may be coming to an end shortly, as Miguel Andujar is rehabbing his way back from an oblique injury and may return to the A’s lineup this week. Andujar started the season in LF but made his way to 3B before suffering his injury. 

Andujar has been a batting average machine this season, hitting .296 before his injury. He only has three home runs to go with 19 runs scored and 20 RBI, so he’s almost a one-trick pony, but a pony that an A’s offense that already has a lot of power can build around. 

When he returns, there are a couple of options. The A’s could send Max P. Muncy to the bench or to Triple-A. Muncy has been quite serviceable since taking over at 3B. Since June 1, he’s hitting .253 with six home runs, 11 runs scored, and 16 RBI. He doesn’t have the same batting average as Andujar, but he’s producing better across the board to help the A’s offense. 

If the A’s stick with Muncy at 3B, then Andujar could turn into a platoon LF with Tyler Soderstrom as well as a utility IF. From a roster construction standpoint, this seems like the better option for the A’s. Andujar could take Max Schuemann's roster spot and serve as the team's new super utility player. We should find out the verdict this week. 

 

Seattle Mariners

Tyler Locklear has been a Top-20 prospect in the Mariners’ system for a few seasons. The 24-year-old is having a solid season at Triple-A and is potentially forcing the Mariners' hand sooner rather than later. Through 82 games at Triple-A this season, Locklear is hitting .294 with 13 home runs and 14 stolen bases. He’s barreling the ball 6.9% of the time with a .492 SLG and 121 wRC+. 

The Mariners' offense has struggled all season to find a consistent offensive groove, and Locklear could help. If the Mariners do call him up, there are a few options for playing time. The obvious choice would be to make Locklear the primary first baseman. If the Mariners did this, then Luke Raley would have to move to the outfield or to the bench. The bench is not likely for Raley, but another option, Dominic Canzone, is hitting .293 with six home runs over 25 games, which would him hard to sit as well.

The other option for Locklear would be at DH. Jorge Polanco is holding down the DH spot, but he’s a knee injury away from another IL stint. That would make an easy transition for Locklear. If an IL stint isn’t in the card, then Polanco could move back to 2B and Cole Young could be sent back to Triple-A. Young is only hitting .230 on the season without a home run or a steal. Young seems to be the easy option to move, it just requires Polanco to move off the DH position. Either way, Locklear could add a nice offensive boost to the Mariners’ offense. 

 

Houston Astros

Jake Meyers left Sunday’s game with a calf injury. The Astros are saying it’s precautionary, but we know how effective Houston is at analyzing an injury. Meyers is hitting .308 on the season with three home runs and 14 steals. He’s not an easy player to replace, but the Astros may have to find a way to do that if Meyers heads to the IL. 

Mauricio Dubón could be an option, as the super utility player has played CF this season when called upon. He’s hitting .251 on the season with five home runs and two steals, so he's not an offensive juggernaut, but he is a potential option who can provide decent defense up the middle. If the Astros don’t turn to Dubón, they could turn to the minors.

Kenedy Corona has been making a case to play with the big club, and an IL stint could allow that. After a slow start to the season, Corona has been finding a groove at the plate. Over his last 19 games, he is hitting .305 with 11 runs scored, nine RBI, and two stolen bases. Corona's not a major power source, similar to Meyers and Dubón, but he can hit for average and potentially set the table for the middle of the Astros' lineup. 

More From PT Tomorrow