Considering what ace left-hander Cliff Lee accomplished for the Texas Rangers last season, losing him to the Philadelphia Phillies had to be difficult to stomach for a franchise that reached the World Series.
But despite lacking one of the best pitchers in baseball, the Rangers signed a potential replacement on a one-year deal.
In August of 2009, Brandon Webb had shoulder debridement surgery, which essentially cleans out loose debris and inflamed tissue. He failed to make a start this past season, still rehabilitating his damaged shoulder.
Even if he wasn’t at full strength entering the heart of the free-agency period, he would be a risk worth taking. But then agent Jonathan Maurer announced during the Winter Meetings that his 31-year-old client was healthy and preparing as he normally would for Spring Training.
The number of suitors increased with this news. The Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Rangers all expressed serious interest in the former Cy Young award winner.
Before the surgery that shelved him for over a year, Webb, as this aforementioned accolade suggests, was one of the better pitchers in the game. He went 22-7 to win in 2008 and had an 82-27 record with a 3.27 ERA, 1,065 strikeouts and 15 complete games in his seven years with the Diamondbacks.
He continuously confused the opposition with a dazzling repertoire built around a sharp sinker and a fastball thrown in the high 90s.
The movement on his pitches is said to be unchanged, but the velocity on his fastball has dipped post-surgery as demonstrated in various tryouts. Historically tremendous at inducing ground balls, a great speed disparity is needed between his fastball and sinker.
He’s never been a power pitcher, but he can’t be the pitcher he was if he’s barely touching 90 on the gun. If he can maintain a fastball in the mid-90s to complement his biting sinker, a lot of ground balls will be gobbled up by Texas’s excellent infielders and the Rangers will get an ace.
Last year, Texas signed oft-injured Rich Harden to a one-year deal. He was a low-risk, high-reward signing. Once an ace for the Oakland Athletics, Harden failed to pan out with the Rangers, throwing only 92 innings with a 5-5 record and a ghastly 5.38 ERA.
Webb is this year’s version for Texas, as the team takes a wise chance on a former star.
He joins C.J. Wilson, who won 15 games in 2010 as Lee’s sidekick, Colby Lewis and presumably Tommy Hunter and Derrick Holland in the rotation.
Hunter went 13-4 last season with a 3.73 ERA and was particularly effective at home.
Holland, 24, made 10 solid starts and worked well out of the bullpen in the postseason. If manager Ron Washington isn’t confident in either Hunter or Holland, he could turn to Neftali Feliz. Feliz won the American League Rookie of the Year award compiling 40 saves.
The Rangers have said they will extend his outings during spring training and then evaluate if he should remain in the bullpen or make up the back end of the rotation.
If Feliz does join the rotation and pitches well, the Rangers will still need Webb to perform. Losing Lee leaves a gaping hole. Wilson is capable of filling his shoes as the team’s No. 1 starter, but a fully recovered Webb could duplicate his production.
This team wants to return to the World Series, with a different ending in mind. It has been proven that pitching wins championships. The Rangers have the offense to support a solid staff, but their staff needs to be solid. An effective Webb would transform a rotation with some question marks into a formidable one to be reckoned with.
Webb is taking a risk though. He is joining a team with a hitter-friendly park, which isn’t an ideal situation for a pitcher trying to restore his value. Still, Texas knows what kind of pitcher he can be in spite of their stadium’s offensive-minded layout. He knows he can be that pitcher.
If their confidence in him and his confidence in himself pays off, the Rangers will be a dangerous team once more come playoff time.
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