A couple of interesting items from Evan Grant's Rangers notes for Sunday morning...
First of all, C.J. Wilson is being dropped from the rotation for now.
While I'm happy that Wilson is out of the rotation, this little blurb concerns me:
Wilson's 0-6 record and 9.62 ERA have not impressed the Rangers.
While Wilson hasn't been impressive, he also shouldn't have been in the majors in the first place. The problem isn't with Wilson...it is with whomever in the organization thought it would be a good idea to bring him up this season. Wilson may be a good pitcher down the road...but Grant's comment is rather ominous, making me a little concerned that the organization is already writing him off. I've been afraid that Wilson would be this season's Sam Narron, the guy brought up too soon, then lost to waivers after the organization lost interest in him. I hope we don't see Wilson put on the waiver wire this winter...
Grant mentions John Wasdin, Kam Loe, and Josh Rupe as possible candidates to start next Friday, with the Rangers facing a doubleheader. Loe as a starter intrigues me, although having seen him a fair amount this season, he seems to be a better fit as a reliever than as a starter. Still, at this point, it wouldn't hurt to take a look at him in that role, and see how he performs...although he, like Joaquin Benoit, should probably be a fixture in the bullpen next season.
Josh Rupe is already on the 40 man roster, and after several awful outings after being promoted to AAA earlier this season, he's bounced back and pitched better as of late, so the Rangers may feel he's worth giving a start to down the stretch.
Edison Volquez, who has been sidelined the last month with a strained oblique, is also apparently under consideration for a starting spot over the last month. Volquez is the only one of the DVD guys who has to be added to the 40 man roster this offseason, so he'll probably be the only one of the three to get a look this September.
Finally, we have this on McDougall...
In his 48th day with the Rangers this season, utilityman Marshall McDougall got his first start in the field. He played right field. McDougall had one other start, but it came at designated hitter on June 22. Buck Showalter said he wants to start looking at McDougall as a potential super sub for next season who could play multiple positions.
Buck wants to start looking at McDougall as a potential super sub for next season?
Really?
If that's the case, then why in the hell did Buck wait until McDougall's 48th game with the team to give him a start in the field?
Particularly given his willingness to run Mark DeRosa out there on a semi-regular basis...