This week has shown the Rangers come back down to earth with a pair of series losses, with an interesting trade on the side. We have a couple of takeaways from it, so let’s jump in.
Shin Soo-Choo has done it again, breaking Julio Franco’s consecutive game record in Ranger history for reaching base safely at 46. He has reached base safely for 48 straight games, continuing to stretch his now franchise record as far as he can. It’s quite an accomplishment as he’s been on fire throughout this stretch. In the past few series vs Houston, Detroit, and Boston, the All-star has gone 9-23 at the plate with 2 HR with 3 RBI and 4 walks. On the season, Choo is hitting .290 with 17 HR and 42 RBI.
The Rangers also acquired veteran outfielder Austin Jackson and right handed pitchers Cory Gearrin and Jason Bahr from San Francisco for a player later to be named or cash considerations. The Giants gave the players up to make space for their own 40 man roster, practically giving them up for pennies on the dollar.
Austin Jackson, 31, is hitting .242 on the season with the Giants with 13 RBI and 12 runs scored. He has only played in 59 games this year, so he’s not the everyday player he once was. The Rangers have to decide what to do with Jackson, whether to keep him on the big league roster or release him outright. He would have a very limited role as the Rangers are trying to stay young and bolster pitching, so expect him to be released rather than kept.
Cory Gearrin, 32, is 1-1 with 32 strikeouts in now 36 appearances, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings for his new team against the Red Sox. Mainly used in short relief, he adds depth to a bullpen that has performed surprisingly well this season, but is hurting by losses of Chris Martin and Tony Barnette.
Jason Bahr, 23, is my favorite piece of this trade. He’s a towering 6-5 right hand pitcher that boasts a mid 90’s fastball. He was used as a starting pitcher, splitting time between Low A and High A ball for the Giants. In 85 innings, he has gone 8-4 with a 103:23 K:BB ratio, which is GREAT when looking for a rising young prospect. Look for him to be bumped up to AA ball in coming seasons in order to progress him in the right direction.
It’s been an interesting week in the world of baseball, but expect much more from a team looking to reload for the future.
