Wow this has been a very boring postseason. Perhaps the lamest in recent memory for me. However, there is still one topic that hasn't been touched by all of the elitists on this site. However, it's not that interesting per my opening statement, but here it is anyway.

Now is the time for Tanner Scheppers to prove himself. The one time golden boy of the Rangers farm system pitchers turned minor league bullpen hand not even good enough to throw into trade talks has a chance to finally make due on some of that once immense talent that had the Rangers world salivating so many years ago.

Keep in mind it's not that he just was as talented as once thought, but just that injuries seemed to doom his career before it go off the ground. Once a revered starting prospect the Rangers turned him to the bullpen with hopes of maybe on day seeing him replace Feliz as the closer. Now with Soria and Feliz on the DL for half of the year, Scheppers may be able to prove himself in a set up role. The Rangers have very few options for that role, and even fewer with any kind of substantial experience. Basically if the job were awarded based on experience it would be Jeff Frasors to lose, and it may very well be, but please forgive for not being over joyed by having him as the 8th inning man.

Scheppers, if he knows it or not, has a real shot this year to finally step up to the big league level, and make us all believers again. Sure, it won't be as a starter like we had all hoped, but a starter is really what is needed as much as some very talented arms in the pen (yes I'm aware of the 5th starter situation, but outside of Nathan who is reliable?). He showed some real improvement last year with perhaps his biggest fault, bb/k's. This improvement shows he may finally be big league ready. What does everyone else think? Who should be the set up man?

Obviously didn't proofread. Sorry about the typos. Phones suck to type on.

Scheppers is a girl... wears panties on the field. Did you see him rolling in agony next to home plate just because he bumped his poor little knee? Did you see the run score because he missed the throw? I'm not upset with that one, I'm upset with the NEXT run that scored because he was so busy being hurt he failed to stay in the play.

If he can't man up, I'd like to see him go away. Get some pain tolerance, little man. Knee bruise? Seriously? And, that took you out of the play?

Still, Jason Frasor can set up. Lindblom can set up. Maybe even Tepisch. Scheppers better bring an A Game or he'll just be another bust.

I agree that Scheppers needs to bring his A game. That was the whole point of the post. I'm not saying he should be the set up man. I'm saying it would be nice to see him finally live up to some of his potential. He's an example of one of those players JD never wanted to part with, and now we are stuck with. He's a perfect example of why betting on the unproven isn't a smart bet. Always go with the proven commodity. Sure that doesn't always pan out, but it does more often than the alternative. Scheppers has to step up now, not for the Rangers, but for himself and his career.

Hell we are still waiting on David Druggle to bring an 'A' post.

Nice post, colt. Not in the hunt with Scheppers, he hasn't been on my radar as a player to watch but you do bring a few questions to the front. I like to see people talk about all of the players on the team. Looking at his numbers he IS just.....average right now. You are correct that he needs to make a step, good or bad and let us see what he is capable of. I hope to see him and many others step out this year! Since 2007 the roster has evolved and only Kinsler, Cruz and Murphy remain from that year. For all the naysayers that booohooo Washington, he has put everyone else in the lineup on go and hopefully Scheppers gets his chance to say yay or nay on the score.

In 2007 & 2008 the 2 big arms out of southern California college baseball were the S-boys: Tanner in Fresno and at SDSU Steven Strasburg. Both could touch 100mph with a moving fastball, but Tanner was thought higher because of conditioning and maturity levels. Tanner was headed to the CWS when shoulder issues arose, and this dropped his value drastically. Shoulder issues are a serious problem just ask two ex-Rangers: Brandon Webb or Chris Young. If Tanner had not had shoulder issues he may have been drafted ahead of Strasburg, but would have never fallen to the Rangers in the 2009 supplemental round. It is time for Scheppers to step up even if blowing out a shoulder is a pitch away. He does have high upside, even disregarding mediocre minor league numbers, and could evolve to the Rangers closer for the 2015 season.

Throw Kirkland and Dutch into that circle too. Dutch must go beyond a good 4th arm in 2013... period.

First, the idea that that the off-season has been "lame" or "boring" is laughable to me. The off-season shouldn't be a source of entertainment; it's a time to build a roster for the upcoming season and seasons beyond.

As far as Scheppers.....he's another arm with potential. JD's bullpen approach every year seems to be to bring in as many arms as possible without spending too much money any of them. So between Grimm, Ross, Scheppers, Soria, Kyle McCllellan, Frasor, Lindblom. Between the lot of them JD and the team expect to assemble a bullpen. There's certainly enough talent, but it's all either unproven, injured or recovering from injury.

I personally like this approach. I don't think it makes sense to devote tons of payroll to guys who are going to pitch around 50 innings and are often interchangeable parts. JD has usually been able to piece something together each year, even if mid-season acquisitions are necessary (the 2011 BP was a pretty big question mark until Adams and Uehara arrived).

I hope Scheppers does develop because he's got a pretty high ceiling, is young and doesn't have as many of the injury issues as some of the others. If he became a reliable 8th inning guy that would make filling in the rest of the BP slots that much easier.

Scheppers is good, but he will always be one pitch away from blowing his arm out. The Rangers are certainly expecting this, based on his shoulder history. Rotator cuffs are a dangerous thing, much more dangerous than Tommy John surgery.

Either way, he should start the year as the primary 7th inning option, and if he can control his stuff he'll be excellent as Joe Nathan's setup man.