Texas Rangers Notes: Josh Hamilton, Francisco Rodriguez, Neftali Feliz, Brett Myers

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Josh Hamilton Blames His Blue Eyes



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Texas Rangers' outfielder Josh Hamilton has been notoriously bad as a hitter during day games. Well, apparently we now have the reason as to why he struggles.

He told the Rangers' Radio Network that having blue eyes makes it harder to see during the day. He has bought sunglasses to try and remedy the situation but it seems the damage is already done with the Ranger fans. Most calling him out for just being plain bad and others wanting Hamilton to stop with the excuses.

Whatever the reasons might be, Hamilton is hitting an abysmal .122 during day games this season without a single home run.

Rangers Scouting Mets' Closer?

With the New York Mets coming to town, the Rangers will get a first hand look at young reliever Francisco Rodriguez, a guy some thing the team could look at as a trade option at the deadline next month.

While he is one of the options I talked about yesterday, his recent struggles might keep him as a third or even fourth option if the other names the Rangers are after fall through.


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 Rodriguez has blown two of his last three saves and has given up eight earned runs in his last 10 innings pitched. He's not the same guy who set the baseball world on fire with the then Anaheim Angels.

The problem with K-Rod could have been told in an SI.com piece three years ago that talked about his inability to command his fastball.

A reliever like Rodriguez tends to try to throw a mid-90's fastball by Major League hitters but without command of that pitch, it's going to look like nothing but batting practice.

While he may not be their first option, the Rangers will still be looking carefully at the young reliever and how he handles himself in one of the biggest hitters parks in baseball.

What to do With Neftali Feliz?

With the Rangers looking to bolster their bullpen the question it will bring up with most fans and media alike is what will the team do with their current closer, Neftali Feliz.

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If you bring in a guy like Heath Bell it will mean the end of Feliz's closing days. You can't bring in a proven closer and a guy who has all the confidence in the world, and only allow him the set up roll.

There's no question demoting Feliz might bruise his confidence a little bit, maybe he needs to learn from a real professional and how he goes about his business as a shut down closer. Maybe he can learn from a guy like Bell on how to prepare himself both mentally and physically before he comes trotting out for the ninth inning.

As for next season, the Rangers had attempted to look at him as a starter but he didn't have the command or the pitches to be effective. But if Ogando can come out of the bullpen, become a starter, and be effective there's no reason Feliz can't do it as well.

If he continues to struggle in the back end of the bullpen, it gives manager Ron Washington even less confidence to keep giving him the ball with the game on the line.

Rangers Interested in Brett Myers?

Not only are the Texas Rangers looking to bring in a name or two to solidify their bullpen but they're also looking at bringing in a proven starter to add to their rotation.

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Young left handers Matt Harrison and Derek Holland have struggled and some wonder if these two pitchers can continue to be trusted in the rotation down the stretch. Maybe one or both would be better off helping the team out of the bullpen?

Holland has that experience and has proven to be a solid reliever with exception to his problems during the playoffs. Pitching one inning is a lot different than trying to go five, six, or seven innings and anywhere from 90 to 100 pitches.

One of the names that has surfaced is Houston Astros right hander, Brett Myers. He was a name a lot of teams were interested in after a 14-8 record and a 3.14 ERA with the Astros last season. However, Myers has not had the same kind of success in 2011.

In 16 starts, Myers is 3-6 with a 4.65 ERA and has given up two or more runs in each of his last four starts including giving up five runs over six innings against the St. Louis Cardinals back on June 7th.

He definitely brings a veteran presence to the rotation and a guy who can take the ball every fifth day and will battle from start to finish.

He's not a guy who will be on and off the disabled list throughout the season and he's someone who could be a solid No. 2 starter behind C.J. Wilson and in front of Alexi Ogando. The way Colby Lewis is throwing right now and with Tommy Hunter due back, you'd have a solid rotation from top to bottom.

Texas Rangers Notes: Lewis, Matthews, Cone, Rodriguez, Scheppers

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Colby Lewis Finally Gets it Right

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Texas Rangers' right hander Colby Lewis couldn't have picked a better time to finally have a good outing for his team.

After giving up 15 earned runs in his last two combined starts (4.2 IP), Lewis came out and had a solid outing against the Atlanta Braves, giving up just two runs and striking out 10 through six and two-third innings in a 6-2 Rangers' win. A win this team desperately needed after dropping seven of their last nine going into Friday night's game.

This is the kind of start Lewis needs to be able to carry a little bit of momentum and confidence into his next outing which will likely come at home against the Houston Astros next week.

Rangers Sign Both First Round Picks

On Friday afternoon, the Texas Rangers made the announcement they had reached an agreement with their two first round draft picks, right hander Kevin Matthews and outfielder Zach Cone.

Matthews, a right hander from Richmon Hill High School in Georgia. Thought to be a solid commit to the University of Virginia, word quickly spread that Matthews had every intention of signing with the team. He made good on those rumors, signing for $936,000 and will report to the Arizona Rookie League.

The other first round pick the team was able to sign on Friday was former Georgia Bulldog outfielder, Zach Cone. You might remember Cone was involved in a collision with teammate Johnathan Taylor on March 6th that left Taylor partially paralyzed with a broken neck.

Not only did the Rangers draft Cone but they also surprised Taylor by drafting him as well. Cone signed on Friday for $873,000 and will report to Class A Spokane.



Francisco Rodriguez a Possible Target



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It's well known the Rangers will be one of those teams looking to add pitching depth at or before the trade deadline at the end of July. With that date quickly approaching, the list of names this team could be interested in has grown by the day.



We have heard the likes of San Diego Padres' closer Heath Bell, Washington Nationals' relievers Todd Coffey and Tyler Clippard, and Kansas City Royals' closer Joakim Soria just to name a few.

But one other name who has been mentioned is former Los Angels Angels' and current New York Mets' closer, Francisco Rodriguez. You might know Rodriguez as the young star with the Angels who came in to a game against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series and made them look like little leaguers at the plate.



Rodriguez is currently 1-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 19 saves on the season but has given up almost as many runs this season (12) as he gave up all of last season (14).

Tanner Scheppers Re-Activated



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Though the Rangers will look for bullpen help as well as another starter at the trade deadline, they may not have to look any further than their own minor league system for a pitcher who can make an immediate impact.

Tanner Scheppers is one of the top pitching prospects in the Rangers system and had been just one move away from the big leagues at Triple-A Round Rock.

Unfortunately, Scheppers struggled before going on the disabled list with a back injury.

On Friday, the young right hander was re-activated by the team and sent to Double-A Frisco to join the RoughRidgers' bullpen. According to general manager Jon Daniels, it might be awhile before Scheppers makes his way up the ladder again. "Coming off the injury, we want Tanner to get his routine down before we challenge him at a higher level," he told Jeff Wilson of the Star Telegram.