Sports

LF Options For Rangers Without Hamilton

February 24, 2016 / 10:06 AM CST / CBS Texas

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ARLINGTON (105.3 The Fan) - The Rangers are clearly still figuring out the best plan of attack in left field, a process made difficult due to the unknown nature of Josh Hamilton's health.

While news that he received stem cell and platelet-rich plasma injections with a target MLB return date of May clears the waters a bit, they're still muddied by the unknown of what would come next. Navigating these waters isn't a frightening task, but it isn't necessarily easy, either.

The easy fix would have been to spend big money on one of the outfield free agents, specifically on a guy the Rangers have targeted before, Justin Upton. I've been on the "Bring Upton to Texas" bandwagon, at times even leading the charge, but found myself backing away as the off-season began.

The Rangers have Shin-Soo Choo locked in to a tough-to-move contract through the 2020 season. There's one outfielder.

Delino DeShields had such an impactful rookie season and has earned a seat at the table--a seat the Rangers control through 2020. There's another outfielder.

Upton on a one-year deal had the multi-year market not developed would have been awesome. But, as was expected, the market developed and he had multi-year deals from which to choose. Had the Rangers won the bidding for Upton, who ended up receiving six years, they would have little lineup flexibility for multiple years, especially when you consider your DH, Prince Fielder, is under contract through 2020 as well.

While baseball is without a cap, funds aren't unlimited. Cheap options under team control for several years are gold. The Rangers might have baseball's best triumvirate of positional prospects in Joey Gallo, Nomar Mazara, and Lewis Brinson. While Mazara and Brinson are outfielders, Gallo is a slash guy for whom outfield is still a very possible landing spot in the future.

In the above group, the Rangers have three possible solutions for one outfield spot. Assuming all three guys blossom into studs is unwise. Assuming one of the three guys blossoms into a stud is absolutely fair. Keeping an outfield spot open for their expected emergence is understandable because otherwise, they might have nowhere to go.

Yes, these things tend to sort themselves out. Maybe a career-threatening injury gets in the way. Maybe a trade sprouts sending prospects elsewhere. Or, maybe Delino DeShields was a flash in the pan, for instance. What's certain, though, is that the Rangers have two of four spots locked in because of virtually untradeable contracts and a third reserved for a spark plug player who, if not a fluke, is the leadoff hitter for whom this team has been searching.

Hamilton's health has handcuffed the Rangers. To those whom I have talked, no one with medical knowledge expected Hamilton's knee to be such an issue before Spring Training even started. Thankfully, the Rangers have internal options and there are a uniquely large number of bodies still swimming in the free agent pool, a few of whom might make sense as a possible band-aid.

Let's take a look a possible LF solutions if Josh Hamilton is not available.

Justin Ruggiano: He's likely to get the start when the Rangers face a lefty. The former Aggie has a career .856 OPS vs. LHP, a figure that is more than 100 points above league average since 2007, when he entered the league. He doesn't solve any problems for when the Rangers face righties, though, which will make up somewhere between 100-120 of the team's games. Ruggiano has just a .695 OPS vs. RHP, around 50 points below league average since 2007.

Ryan Rua: He's got a lot to prove after hitting .193 over 83 AB in an injury-interrupted 2015. He also left a bad taste in mouths when, after being left off the team's ALDS roster, he denied an option to stay fresh by working out in Arizona in the event the team needed him due to injury or other circumstance. With that said, Rua is still the same young option who had shown continued progress as he advanced through the system in previous seasons.

Patrick Kivlehan: The former Rutgers football player is still making up for lost time, but turned some heads by hitting .256 with 22 HR in Triple-A Tacoma (Seattle). He was the "Player To Be Named Later" in the Rangers off-season trade with Mariners that sent Leonys Martin to the Pacific Northwest.

Nomar Mazara: While a very likely mid-season option, Mazara is unlikely to break camp with the Rangers. Turning just 21 years old in April, he's advanced as a hitter but has fewer than 100 Triple-A at bats. Rushing a prospect is a fear in any organization and then, of course, there is the whole service-time controversy which makes a day-one appearance even less likely.

Lewis Brinson: In a move that would somewhat shift the makeup, Brinson would man the middle of the outfield if he were the guy, pushing DeShields to left. A MLB-caliber defender right now, Brinson, like Mazara, could still use some more Triple-A seasoning. Brinson spent time at three different levels last year, but has just 140 career ABs above Single-A. And, of course, like Mazara, there is the service-time thing, too.

Joey Gallo: The Rangers came out and said he's spending Spring Training at third base, making an Opening Day appearance as an outfielder highly unlikely. Maybe he ends up there one day--likely he does, some might say--but for now, that's not in the plans. That, and he could use some more work after truly experiencing struggles last year. After his demotion in 221 combined ABs between Triple-A and MLB, Gallo hit just .190 with 104 strikeouts.

David Murphy: If Justin Ruggiano starts versus lefties, Murphy might make the perfect platoon partner. While he lacks power, he can still hit righties (.281/.315/.420/.735 in 2015) and play competitive defense in left field. The Rangers just aren't sure yet if they want to offer him a Major League contract.

Austin Jackson: He's my personal preference. Jackson can play center and move DeShields to left when in the lineup. He also provides a lead off option and, when not starting, a RH bat off the bench. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the Rangers have the funds to bring him back home (he's from Denton).

Drew Stubbs: A definite centerfield upgrade over DeShields, Stubbs simply hasn't hit enough to warrant being more than a depth option off the bench. He could push to DeShields to left, but then you're starting a guy in center who has a .688 OPS since 2012, and that's including a 1.027 OPS over 270 ABs at Coors Field.

Will Venable: Same story, different name. Since his breakout 2013 in which he hit .268 with 22 HR, Venable has slashed .233/.303/.336/.639. He's a left-handed batter who might fit in a platoon, but Murphy is the better option of the two in my opinion. Venable, however, might be the more affordable option if it makes a difference even at the low dollar amounts you'd deal with concerning those two.

James Jones: The favorite entering camp to be the team's fifth outfielder and late-inning defensive replacement for, perhaps, DeShields, Jones has a cannon for an arm and demonstrates quality range in center, but he just doesn't hit. His career OPS over 341 AB is .564. Perspective: Of players with at least 341 AB in 2015, the lowest OPS was .587 and the next lowest was .614.

Other: We all know that in sports, as much conjecture as there is these days with personnel movement, out-of-nowhere transactions happen all the time. Jay Bruce, who was rumored to have been traded to Toronto, might make sense for the Rangers, but it depends on money the Rangers would part with in the deal as Bruce is due around $12 million in 2016. Maybe there's another outfielder on the block who makes his way to Surprise, AZ before camp ends.