Texas Rangers Notes: Ogando, Kazmir, Bell, Scheppers, Webb

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Alexi Ogando the Hard Luck Loser

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You can't blame Alexi Ogando for what happened on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. He did exactly what he was supposed to do.

Thanks to two mental lapses by catcher Yorvit Torrealba, and a wild pitch by Ogando, the Braves were able to get three runs that inning which ended up making the difference in a 4-2 Atlanta win.

Ogando went five innings and gave up three runs though only one was earned. The only reason Ron Washington didn't go with Ogando into the sixth inning was because he was already at 105 pitches after he finished the fifth inning.

After a 7-0 start for Ogando, he's come up with losses in each of his last two decisions.

Rangers Interested in Scott Kazmir

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After the Los Angeles Angels released pitcher Scott Kazmir, you knew there were going to be more than a few teams who were going to show interest in signing him. Especially since he could be had for cheap.

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Texas Rangers are apparently one of those teams showing their interest. The other four teams, Cafardo says, are the Padres, Rockies, Marlins, and Diamondbacks.

Heath Bell Could be on Rangers' Radar

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According to a source I spoke to over the weekend, the Rangers apparently met with the Padres' brass at Petco Park three weeks ago. Though they couldn't say what was talked about, you have to believe the Rangers are showing interest in some of the San Diego relievers.

ESPN's Buster Olney talked about the Padres trade of their closer on Twitter saying "I'd bet that the Padres' sweep, at the hands of the Twins, will accelerate their decision-making on when to trade Heath Bell. It makes sense."

Olney went on to say, "The sooner that the Padres trade Bell, the more than can ask for -- certainly more than if they wait until July 31 deadline."

Tanner Scheppers Dominates

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The Texas Rangers officially re-activated one of their top pitching prospects, Tanner Scheppers, and sent him to the bullpen of the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders. Though two innings, Scheppers looked nothing short of dominant.

Through two innings of relief, the young right hander didn't give up a single hit, struck out four, and has his fastball up around the mid-90's.

While he was expected to be a starter, his domination out of the bullpen could have him seeing the big leagues sooner rather than later.

However, it's going to be awhile before he moves himself back up to Triple-A Round Rock, which is where he was before he went to the disabled list back in late April. Rangers' general manager Jon Daniels has already been quoted as saying they want to make Scheppers prove he's ready to move himself up to the next level.

Things Could Not be Worse for Brandon Webb

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I don't know if Brandon Webb is going to make it back to the big leagues let alone make it out of Double-A.

Webb made the start for the Frisco RoughRiders on Sunday and couldn't have looked any worse. The right hander lasted just two-thirds of an inning, giving up four runs on six hits before being taken out with two outs in the very first inning.

You have to wonder just how much longer the Rangers are going to wait for him to come around. From the way things have looked, I don't know if things will ever 'come around' for him.

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.