Last season was supposed to be a bounce-back year for Texas Rangers starting pitcher Colby Lewis, who last pitched in a big league game in July 2012.
Lewis rehabbed from arm surgery and was on the comeback trail last season, pitching on a one-year deal, before hitting a setback during his rehab assignment involving a hip issue that required season-ending surgery before his big-league season even began.
Now, he's looking for another shot to pitch in the bigs without pitching a game in the majors last season, and the Rangers appear to be adequate suitors.
It wouldn't involve a major-league contract for Lewis from the Rangers, something another team might be willing to give him. But that's unlikely for a guy Lewis' age with his surgical rap sheet over the last two seasons.
Lewis told MLB Network Radio over the weekend that the Rangers have made him a "fair offer" and he would like to return to Texas, but the situation could be better for him elsewhere.
With the way the Rangers' starting rotation is heading into 2014, there's basically one spot to fight for, and that's the fifth spot in the rotation, and that assumes the Rangers don't go out and trade for a starting pitcher this winter.
The Rangers' thinking here is good — too much pitching isn't a bad thing. Just look at what happened last year when the Rangers were plugging in stop-gaps in the rotation on a pretty consistent basis. But Lewis might want to go somewhere where there are two or three spots up for contention, not just one.
Lewis has done nothing but earn the respect of Rangers fans during his time in Arlington, and he is, until further notice, the greatest postseason pitcher in club history. So yeah, it'd be awesome if he's back fighting for a spot in the Rangers' rotation in 2014, but don't be shocked if he's in someone else's rotation come Opening Day.
