The Rangers have a way to go before the puzzle pieces finally fit together with their bullpen for the 2021 season. Texas has three starters loosely confirmed by manager Chris Woodward: Kyle Gibson, Kohei Arihara and Mike Foltynewicz. The Spring has been about situating the rest of those pieces into a solid pitching staff by Opening Day.

“We obviously have a lot of competition at camp that we're going to have to sort through,” Woodward said. “If everybody pitches well, it's going to be some difficult conversations. That's obviously part of the job, but I would much rather have that and maybe have some of these guys as depth in the Minor Leagues.

“Hopefully we can piece together a very trustworthy [bullpen] that we know we can rely on to help us win games.”

Woodward said he’s not totally sure who the Rangers will go to for a traditional closer role, but José Leclerc could slide back into that position again. Leclerc said he is more comfortable getting three outs than being a multiple-inning guy but is open to doing whatever the team needs.

Since posting a 1.56 ERA in 2018, Leclerc struggled in ‘19 with a 4.33 ERA and only pitched two innings in ‘20 because of a torn teres major muscle in the back of the right shoulder. He said he thinks he tried too hard to live up to the expectations he set for himself and struggled with overthinking.

“The good thing is he can pretty much do anything,” Woodward said. “He can be the multiple-innings guy or the dominant, back-end leverage guy. You can pitch him one day in the eighth or ninth and then the next day you can throw him six and seven. We're gonna have a pretty good back end and José is a big part of that.”

A number of the Rangers' non-roster pitchers have a chance to make the Opening Day roster, especially Hyeon-Jong Yang. Texas signed Yang from the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization. He pitched 172 1/3 innings in 2020 with a 4.70 ERA. Because of his inning total compared to those who pitched in MLB's shortened season, he could go multiple innings out of the bullpen.

Like Arihara, the Rangers' acquisition from Japan, Yang is getting used to a more “slippery” baseball in MLB. Yang said his pitching mechanics were not as good as he would’ve liked during Thursday’s bullpen session as he continues to adjust. In that session, he threw 32 pitches, including his fastball, curveball, slider and changeup.

Though he’s spent most of his career starting in the KBO, he’s ready to do whatever he needs to make the Opening Day roster, whether that’s starting or relieving.

“Right now, my goal is to show my best stuff on the field,” Yang said through his interpreter. “Even though I had a long experience in Korea, my mindset is a rookie right now, and that's why I'm trying to compete with other teammates for the spot.”

Other bullpen options
Taylor Hearn, Wes Benjamin and Kyle Cody are also pitchers the Rangers could rely on in different ways. Hearn, who made his MLB debut in 2019, pitched 17 1/3 innings in ‘20 and could be a big left-handed arm out of the bullpen.

Woodward said, especially with the younger pitchers, the coaching staff is going to build them up to go multiple innings instead of doing so right away. The Rangers see Hearn as a starter eventually, but he will likely work multiple-inning stints in 2021.

“Our message is always going to be, that's our ultimate vision for you but how you get there, there’s obviously a progression to that,” Woodward said. “We want to make sure he's having success and utilizing his stuff.”

Benjamin could be in the competition for a spot in the starting rotation if he performs in the spring. He made his Major League debut in 2020, pitching 22 1/3 innings with a 4.84 ERA.

“If we started looking, you know, at doing some creative things I think [Benjamin fits], no matter what we do,” Woodward said. “As far as his workload goes, and he's been pretty effective, so he can either pitch traditionally or be a piggyback option or he can just be a flat-out multiple-inning guy in the bullpen.”

Cody also debuted in 2020, going 22 2/3 innings with a 1.59 ERA. He said last season gave him the confidence he needed to know he could compete in the Major Leagues.

Though it may be cliché, Cody explained that “getting his feet” wet during the shortened season with no fans in the stands was a good way to get comfortable in the big leagues. Woodward said Cody earned a lot of respect from the coaching staff during his outings.

“When you talk about earning it, there's more to just throwing up zeros,” Woodward said. “It's how he prepares, how he works and like I said the makeup of the guy. How he fits in the clubhouse, how open he is to dialogue with his coaches, accept criticism, make adjustments, all those things factor in. That's how you earn it.”