The Texas Rangers are struggling to fill out their starting rotation with guys like Matt Harrison, Colby Lewis and Derek Holland not ready to start the season, and the news on Tuesday that Yu Darvish will miss his Opening Day start — possibly more.
According to a report from MLBDailyDish.com’s Chris Cotillo, the Rangers are “making progress,” with right-handed veteran Scott Baker, who was recently released by the Seattle Mariners.
Baker is a guy with a good track record who struggled to bounce back from elbow surgery in 2012, but before that, he was a respectable starter for the Minnesota Twins. In his four seasons with the Twins, Baker was 46-28 with a 3.92 ERA and averaged 169 1/3 innings per season.
Baker would likely join the club on a minor-league deal, but it would probably signify the end of the road for Tommy Hanson as a Ranger, and he could be put into the rotation as the club's No. 5 starter if Darvish is out for any extended amount of time.
