Feliz to the bullpen at Oklahoma City
The Rangers are moving top pitching prospect Neftali Feliz to the bullpen at Triple A Oklahoma. It could lead to a promotion to the Rangers at some point similar to what they did with Derek Holland.
"We'd like to see if he's an option to help the Major League club in that role," general manager Jon Daniels said. "He's scheduled to throw an inning there tomorrow. We still feel he may start for us in the future but we're going down that road first."
Feliz is 3-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 13 starts at Oklahoma. He has pitched 60 2/3 innnings and allowed 59 hits and 27 walks with 55 strikeouts. Daniels said he has been looking for ways to strengthen the Rangers bullpen.
His command early on at AAA was severly lacking, but it's been good over his last 8 outings. I'm liking the Earl Weaver approach with the high end talent. I'm betting he takes to the bullpen just fine.
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I am happy to see the team putting Feliz in this position. I feel he could be a real huge part of the Ranger bullpen. I know everyone wants him to start, but the best thing for him and the team now might be to have him in relief. This will give him the chance of working on his secondary pitches more and allow him to come in for one or two innings and show his explosive fastball. I would like to see the Rangers take this same approach with Diamond. Make this team better for next year by getting young players in now and letting them work through this all together as a team.
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I say we give A.J Murray some more time at the Triple-A bullpen and eventually call him up to the Rangers and he can be in the rotaion or the bullpen. So far he is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA.
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I like Eddie Guardado the clubhouse guy/mentor but I wish they'd call AJ up to raplace him in the 'pen.
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I read thru another news source that this was an attempt to make feliz a long term bullpen option, and to end any chances of him contributing as a starter to the big league club. I don't know if this is true, but if it is then that would be a big mistake. I'm tentatively okay with this move.
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Its a dissapointment to hear the Rangers are moving Feliz to the bullpen - I guess they don't need starting pitching. Feliz has trained his entire career to date as a starter, so to just stick him in the bullpen is a mistake.
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I guess this is ok if the team is trying to limit the number of innings he throws, but I am generally not supportive of moving our starters to be relievers. It smells of 'win-now', and isn't really in line with the plan.
We have seen how it affected Holland though - not negatively (that I can tell) other than it affected his stamina when he returned to starting.
Guess this means the Rangers didn't like the prices for relievers on the trade market.
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Mr. Sullivan -
I've missed Toby's picture and your remarks about him in your postings. I hope nothings happened to him. Would you be willing to address this question in one of your daily postings. Toby is at least as important as Feliz....
Thanks,
Jim Sawyer
Double Oak, TX
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