ARLINGTON, Texas — On second thought, maybe Roy Oswalt should bypass Round Rock and head straight for North Texas. The elation over signing the former Houston Astros All-Star pitcher was tempered Wednesday with the Rangers' second consecutive miserable performance against the Seattle Mariners.
This is apparently the only pitching staff in baseball that can jump-start the Mariners' anemic offense. Seattle battered Derek Holland for eight runs on eight hits in 1 2/3 innings to hand Texas a 21-8 defeat. So much for gaining any momentum heading into this weekend's three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.
Fortunately, the news of Oswalt's signing Tuesday still overshadows losing a series to the Mariners and falling to 5-5 against them on the season. It's a testament to how far the Rangers have come that signing a big-name pitcher in late May didn't come as a shock to anyone. Most Rangers fans remember where they were the day the organization traded for Cliff Lee in July 2010 because it felt like such a shock.
Lee ended up leaving in free agency, but that trade sent a message the Rangers were willing to do whatever it took to be contenders. The Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies reportedly were interested in Oswalt, but they were never in the running.
Besides being one of the best teams in baseball, the Rangers offered Oswalt a bunch of familiar faces. Team president Nolan Ryan owned the Houston Astros' Double-A team when Oswalt was a rising star in that organization. Rangers bench coach Jackie Moore managed that club and Mike Maddux was the pitching coach. Even Oswalt's back doctor, the world-renowned Drew Dossett, resides in the Dallas area. Reports surfaced that Oswalt was asking for a ridiculous amount of money, but the $5 million he'll likely make isn't going to blow out the Rangers' budget.
With Neftali Feliz out for a couple of months with an elbow sprain, signing Oswalt was a no-brainer. He'll likely become the team's fourth starter, although Holland could drop a couple of spots if he has any more outings like Wednesday's. Much like Lee, Oswalt should have a calming influence on this pitching staff. Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison and Holland should benefit from being around a veteran who regularly finished in the top five in the NL Cy Young voting while with the Astros.
Ryan knows a thing or two about getting a shot in the arm late in his career. He's known Oswalt for more than a decade and believes he can give this rotation a much-needed boost. Ryan was modest about his involvement in the negotiations, but it sounds like he was running the show.
Oswalt was brilliant for the Phillies down the stretch after coming over from the Astros in 2010. He struggled with a 9-10 record in 23 starts last season, but he attributes a lot of that to injuries. The good news is that Oswalt has only been on the DL four times since 2008. Last season's two visits were somewhat of an aberration.
Given his track record, this wasn't some type of enormous risk. If he doesn't succeed because of rust or injury, it's not like the Rangers' postseason hopes are destroyed. This was an opportunity to create more depth on this pitching staff. If Feliz's recovery goes well, it's likely he'll head to the bullpen.
With Feliz, Alexi Ogando, Mike Adams and Joe Nathan in the mix for the late innings, this bullpen could be a lot deeper for the postseason, when starters typically last an inning less than in the regular season. This organization hasn't shown any signs of satisfaction with winning back-to-back American League titles. And that's one major reason fans are showing up at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in record numbers.
Compared to this season's Mavericks, and the Cowboys' annual holiday fade, the Rangers are a much better value when it comes to the price of a ticket. The signing of Oswalt only enhances that value, which is a good thing for those of us who endured Wednesday's drubbing by the Mariners.
We used to groan when the Yankees or Red Sox would add a quality player during the season. It was a case of the rich getting richer. It seemed unfathomable the Rangers ever would belong in that conversation. But with deep-pocketed owners Bob Simpson and Ray Davis and a talented farm system, it looks like the Rangers are here to stay.
Now, we have to wait for Oswalt to make at least four minor league starts for Triple-A Round Rock. And the Rangers have vowed to exercise extreme caution with their new pitcher.
"I'm looking very forward to having him, but it might be a while," Maddux told reporters Wednesday. "We've got to go through the spring training process. I spoke with him today, and we're going to go with the edge of caution and get ready one time. If we push the envelope, we don't want the risk of having any setbacks. All the hard work we've done to this point goes out the window. He's OK with that."
The fact that Oswalt's arrival is business as usual for the Rangers tells you everything you need to know. Now, if only they could find a way to beat the Mariners.
