Daniels Says Rangers Are Looking To "Shore Up The Pen" Internally

By Josh Clark

DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - After another blown lead by the bullpen on Wednesday night, the Rangers are searching for answers inside the organization to improve something that was considered to be a strength coming into the season.

General manager Jon Daniels told 105.3 The Fan on Thursday the club is looking "to shore up the pen" internally because there isn't much of a trade market yet.

The main culprit of the faltering bullpen is Sam Dyson, the club's closer in 2016 and the beginning of 2017.

Daniels was asked by Ben and Skin if the club can fix Dyson after he suffered his sixth loss of the season on Wednesday?

"I wish it was as easy as laying it out and fixing it," Daniels said. "When a guy has struggled between the lines and then efforts to address it don't have immediate fixes, there is a kind of a secondary struggle and that's kind of the mental side. "

"Ten days ago ... Sunday Night Baseball ... ESPN ... Detroit ... Sam throws an inning and two-thirds ... punched out three. He was outstanding ... the stuff, the life, the velo, the strikes, swing and miss ... It was as good or better than at any point last year. Comes out against Boston two days later, we need a ground ball ... we get a ground ball ... it's hit five feet passed Odor ... that ball is hit a couple feet closer and it's a double play ground ball and now we've got two good outings (in a row)," Daniels added. "Sam just hasn't pulled out of it. He's had some tough ones that have affected the team and him getting booed off the mound, that's not fun. It's not fun for any of us to watch and I know it couldn't have been fun for Sam."

Daniels was then asked if the club feels confident in knowing what the issue is with Dyson, but Daniels isn't so sure.

"We're not certain ... We wish we were ... We see it. A game like last night, I was hoping it would be a confidence boost. Sam puts up a zero and we walk it off and go from there, but, obviously, it didn't play out like that," he said.

Reliever Jose LeClerc, who had a nice start to the season, could be activated from the disabled list this weekend, meaning the club will need to send someone down in a corresponding move. Dyson appears to be the obvious choice, but he's out of minor league options. If the club elects to place him on waivers, he'd have to clear waivers and accept an outright assignment if Texas offered him one (they would). Dyson could also be claimed by another team but they'd have to pay the rest of his salary for 2017, which is about $2 million, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Dyson could also elect free agency if he were to clear waivers.