Kuzul

When it comes to acquisitions this offseason, don’t expect the Los Angeles Angels to act like an organization planning for an episode of Supermarket Sweep.

After a long season riddled with injury, pitching issues, and lack of production from high-priced pieces in Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols, we know the team will certainly look to restructure from a 78-84 record.

But a winning formula won’t involve rushing around the offseason market, attempting to fill the proverbial shopping cart with expensive, top-tier players. 

It can’t, actually.

From a tax threshold perspective, that’s not the kind of reality afforded to this team—not when they are still on the hook for past moves like Vernon Wells (18 million), present moves like Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton ($71 million total) and questionable tie-ins for next season like Joe Blanton ($8.5 million).

Instead, with $125 million already on the books for next season, the Angels’ offseason shopping list will be more of the money-saving variety, filled with smart moves that may not make a huge splash among the media, but will help the team progress into next season and after that.

Problem is, though, we still aren’t 100-percent sure who will be orchestrating this new cost-controlled method, or overseeing any of the looming arbitration.

The Angels’ season wasn’t even a day past old before we started to see the question of the Angels’ offseason pop up:

As it stands today, any such drastic and quick-to-the-point actions by Arte Moreno toward either Jerry Dipoto or Mike Scioscia have not happened. And I’m still on board with keeping both of them next season, giving more attention to development and less to moves that will waste time due to acclimation this winter.

However, I don’t think my opinion is of the majority out there.

If there were a change, then, oddly enough, the first category on the Angels’ list would have to be names of free agent GMs and managers.

But the list would not be equal parts.

Managers, at least the kind that could handle Moreno, aren’t really in abundance. And Joe Girardi isn’t coming to Anaheim via New York. Simple enough.

So by default, and a lot of cash left on his contract, Scioscia looks to be safe. Or, at least, safer.

Jerry Dipoto? Well…

The real interest should come from the GM position, in my mind, and now ex-Marlins GM Larry Beinfest.

Though nothing has been whipped up yet, the idea of Beinfest replacing Dipoto—the more expendable of the two sacrifice candidates—is a possibility.

(The interesting thing: Much like the Dipoto/Scioscia head-butting, I have read that Beinfest had similar issue in Florida.)

Either way, we should expect to see more and more of the dysfunction—the behind-the-scenes drama played out in front of the cameras. And, of course, a verdict from Moreno.

After that, it’s all about the pitching—yep, baseball stuff, I know…very cool.

The Angels’ pitching staff did have the unfortunate obstacle of injury throughout the season. Players who were brought in to help the bullpen—Sean Burnett and Ryan Madson—didn’t have the impact the Angels expected simply because of health, and the rotation suffered setbacks seemingly every month too.

Jered Weaver, the one arm that needed to be healthy for the rotation to have a chance, suffered a broken elbow.

Jason Vargas, a complement to C.J. Wilson as a left-handed option had a blood clot in his armpit, and his fellow first-year Angels pitcher Tommy Hanson had both on-field and off-field circumstances.

It was a mess, no question. And sometimes, when there has been such a string of bad timing, the question then becomes: What if?

What if the rotation stayed healthy?

What if the bullpen stayed healthy?

There is nothing wrong with that feeling, either.

When you look at some of the improvements from Garrett Richards in the rotation, the continued growth of Ernesto Frieri as a closer and the ability of relievers Dane De La Rosa and Michael Kohn, things aren’t as dire as one might expect.

When Jerry Dipoto addressed the media, he sounded like he had confidence in some of the current options on the 2013 Angels’ roster:

There’s a championship core there. And now we have to figure out, amongst ourselves, as we collaborate throughout the offseason, what are the moves that we can make that will improve this.

Improving on a tight budget? It can be done (see 2013 playoff-bound teams).

Sure, it would be nice if things could fit into a category like Chevy Chase’s rubber gloves in Fletch (he leased them, with an option to buy). But that isn’t the case for the Angels, unfortunately, so the team will have to be extremely delicate with each decision.

Vargas, the one and only free-agent option, is second on the list behind a manager or GM—if applicable.

The left-hander showed decent stuff this season, with a curveball that actually improved the life (the look of it, at least) of his fastball.

He wasn’t completely strong following the blood clot that sidelined him this summer—he went 3-4 with a 4.60 ERA in his final 10 starts, ending at 9-8 with a 4.02 mark—but lefties are always a commodity when it comes to offseason moves, making Vargas an intriguing free agent.

It also makes him expensive—too expensive for the Angels?

I imagine the team will attempt to negotiate with Vargas, though it’s doubtful they will have the flexibility to offer the $14 million before Vargas hits the market.

That leaves only the unknown—something manager Mike Scioscia knows is difficult:

Free agency gets complicated. There’s no doubt that he’s given our rotation a boost as he’s come back into it from being injured. You’d love to see him in an Angel uniform, but we’ve been through this before. You just never know how free agency works out.

If Vargas does fall through it’s not the end of the world. The Angels have other options to acquire cost-controlled arms through trades and even the international market.

The latter of the two sheds light on an interesting story: The Angels, a team that has not exactly been an international presence in the past, reportedly will bid for the service of 24-year-old Masahiro Tanaka of Japan.

Though his posting fee, as LA Times’ Mike Giovanna explains, would be around $25 million, none of that cash would go toward the luxury tax threshold ($189 million).

Tanaka, then, could be the best game-ready, cost-controlled arm—assuming the Angels would be enticing enough to win the bidding war. That, like everything else in the offseason, is still an unknown.

If that doesn’t play out in favor of the Angels, the option would be to trade a player or package a deal of players for pitching.

This scenario will sting a bit.

As I had previously written, Mark Trumbo stands as the best chip for the Angels. His bat and youth are certainly worth a quality, young arm.

The Pirates had reportedly shown interest in him around the trade deadline, but nothing came of it. (In light of their current playoff position, I am not sure the Pirates would be willing to part with an arm like prospect Jameson Taillon now like they would have then.)

The option will need to be explored by the Angels, though. Whether favorable or not, the spending ceiling the Angels have only allows for so much wiggle room.

Trumbo will help alleviate some of that pressure. And, because of the progress of Kole Calhoun and the hope of Albert Pujols returning to form next season, Trumbo is actually an expendable player.

Not happy about that? I get it.

The next option would be to throw Howie Kendrick into the discussion.

The veteran second baseman was on his way to a really solid season before the leg injury that caused him to miss most of the final month.

Out of that situation, however, came Grant Green—who has the ability to take over the second base role next season.

That leaves Kendrick, like Trumbo, in sort of an expendable position. If he can’t be moved in a one-for-one type trade, then perhaps a package deal—with the likes of Peter Bourjos, J.B. Shuck, Kole Calhoun, Kevin Jepsen, etc.—could get done.

Again, there isn’t a real certainty there. The Blue Jays reportedly had interest in Kendrick at the trade deadline (and after), but the Angels were not willing to negotiate.

With the Blue Jays current debacle, I wouldn’t think their biggest priority would be landing Howie Kendrick. Like the Angels, I would imagine it’s more about pitching, pitching, and more pitching.

Isn’t that true for every team, though? Pitching is key.

Mike Scioscia explained that (per Mike DiGiovanna):

If you look at any team that wins, they’re pretty good at controlling the game on the defensive end. And that begins with your rotation.

Sounds like 2012 going into 2013, doesn‘t it?

It’s like a bad joke: Pete and Repeat walk into a room. Pete leaves. Who’s left? Repeat.

The Angels need pitching…again.

They need rotation help…again.

Taking another crack at solidifying the bullpen won’t hurt either…again.

And when you really dissect the entire offseason maneuvering, the Angels shopping list is actually less of a list and more like one post-it note.

P.S: “Don’t forget to pick up some pitching while you are out.”

Note: All stats provided were courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

Follow Rick Suter on Twitter@rick_suter

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

On August 31, the Texas Rangers won their 79th game of the 2013 season by defeating the Minnesota Twins in Arlington. At that juncture, heading into the final month of the regular season, the Rangers were 23 games over .500 (79-56), held a two-game lead over the Oakland Athletics in the American League West and seemed poised to head back to the postseason for the fourth consecutive October.

Since that night, Texas has won six baseball games. They’ve long since surrendered the AL West to Oakland and sit on the outside of the postseason picture with just six games remaining in their season.

After a disastrous month (6-15 in 21 September games), Texas is limping to the finish line, possibly headed home without playoff baseball and into an offseason of questions. Yet, if they can rally to surpass either Tampa Bay or Cleveland for a wild-card spot, the American League will welcome a very dangerous contender into the postseason party.

Here are five reasons why the Rangers are a team that Boston, Detroit and Oakland should all fear.

1. The three-headed monster of Darvish-Holland-Garza

In October, strikeout pitchers rule.

The ability to miss bats, dominate the strike zone and limit big innings by keeping balls out of play is the formula pitching coaches look for to navigate through the best and most powerful lineups in baseball.

In Texas, thanks to a midseason trade for Matt Garza, the Rangers have a three-headed pitching monster that profiles as well, if not better, than the top three arms in Boston, Detroit or Oakland.

During a 2010 conversation with USA Today, Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey had this to say about strikeout pitchers in October baseball: “I think every team would prefer to go in with power arms. If you get a dominant pitcher who strikes people out … there’s no other variables.”

One of the arms on Hickey’s staff in 2010? Matt Garza.

2. Joe Nathan’s presence

If you’re a New York Yankee fan, laughter is likely ensuing. While it’s true that Nathan doesn’t have the most sparkling career postseason ERA (9.00), he is healthy and proven. Unlike the closing situations in Pittsburgh or St. Louis, injury or fatigue isn’t a concern in the Texas bullpen.

When Ron Washington has a lead late in the game, Joe Nathan will be willing and able to shut the door down like he has 40 times this year. Plus, Nathan has actually become better with age. Barring a poor final week, the 38-year-old closer will finish with his lowest career ERA.

3. Adrian Beltre’s ability to take over a series

During my time watching and covering baseball, I’ve probably referred to Adrian Beltre in many different ways.

Steady. Defensive wizard. Underrated. Future Hall of Famer. Today, we’ll use another: Dominant.

As the unquestioned leader and best everyday player in Texas, Beltre’s leadership, defense and power bat can take over a short series. As we witnessed during a postseason series against Tampa in 2011, Beltre can shine brightest on the biggest stage.

If the Rangers do qualify and make a big run through October, the star quality of Beltre will be a big reason why.

4. Nelson Cruz’s potential return

Before accepting a 50-game suspension for his role in the Biogenesis scandal, Nelson Cruz was having a career year. Through 108 games, the Texas right fielder was on pace to set career highs in home runs, runs batted in, walks and runs scored.

Now, with his suspension up before the start of the postseason, the Rangers must make a decision: bring him back to the team or keep him away like the San Francisco Giants did with Melky Cabrera en route to a World Series title last year.

If Texas chooses to insert Cruz back into their lineup, he can provide protection for Beltre and add another major bat to Ron Washington’s order. As we saw during the 2011 American League Championship Series (6 HR, 13 RBI), Cruz can carry a lineup when he’s hot.

5. Experience

Last, but certainly not least. Texas isn’t a young team trying to make the leap or an old, over-the-hill group gasping for one last taste of October.

Although the team has gone in the wrong direction in three consecutive seasons (World Series runner-up, AL Wild Card, and, now on the outside of the postseason picture), many of the same players (Ian Kinsler, Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Mitch Moreland, Holland) are still around from a team on the doorstep of a title.

From 2010-2012, the Texas Rangers played in 34 postseason games. Reaching October will be a challenge, but the bright lights of postseason baseball won’t bother this Rangers group.

Due to a combination of talent, reinforcements and experience, the Rangers have a shot to do damage in October. Now, the tricky part: qualifying for a chance to make noise.

Comment below, follow me on Twitter or “like” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball.

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The Los Angeles Angels have sent scouts to see Japanese phenom Masahiro Tanaka, according to ESPN. A great talent, it would be dumb if the Angels didn’t try to sign Tanaka.

Tanaka is currently 20-0 with a 1.24 ERA and 155 strikeouts. In fact, the last time he took a loss was on Aug. 19, 2012, making it 25 straight wins.

While there is some risk with pitchers coming over from Japan (see Hideki Irabu and Kenshin Kawakami), others like Yu Darvish and Hiroki Kuroda have had success in Major League Baseball. Because of that, it’s worth the risk for the Angels to bid on Tanaka.

This Season

The 2013 season has been one of the worst for Angels starters in recent memory. They have combined for a 4.37 ERA, which ranks 23rd in baseball and is their worst since 2009, when they had a 4.44 starters’ ERA.

Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson have been pretty good for the Angels, with each having an ERA of 3.36. But the team needs more than just two starters. Jason Vargas, Joe Blanton, Tommy Hanson and Jerome Williams have all been unimpressive this year; especially Blanton, who is 2-14 with a 6.04 ERA.

Hanson is 4-3 with a 5.59 ERA, while Vargas is 8-7 with a 4.20 ERA. Both have also missed significant time due to injury this year, which hasn’t helped their case.

Vargas is scheduled to be a free agent after this year, while Hanson and Williams are still in arbitration years. But will the Angels even offer them a contract?

Frankly, Vargas is the only one of the bunch I’d want to keep with a 3.98 ERA over the last two years. Then again, he’s only gotten more than 10 wins once in his career. He’s also dealt with various injuries, including a torn labrum in his left hip (2008) and a blood clot in his armpit (2013).

While he did have 30-start season from 2009-11, there are still injury concerns nonetheless.

Starting pitching needs a serious makeover in Los Angeles, and this season proved that.

What Tanaka Brings

According to Baseball America’s Ben Badler, Tanaka has cemented himself as the best pitcher in Japan.

At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Tanaka throws a low-90s fastball that can touch 96 mph. Even though Tanaka can reach the mid-90s, his fastball is the pitch that gives some scouts pause because it comes in on a flat plane, making it more hittable than the velocity might suggest. Tanaka has two secondary pitches that have earned grades of 60 or better on the 20-80 scouting scale, including a 70 splitter with late downward action to keep hitters off his fastball. His low- to mid-80s slider is another plus weapon, while he’ll mix in a curveball as well.

While Tanaka’s stats haven’t been as consistent as Darvish’s were in his last seasons in Japan, he’s still yet to have an ERA higher than 2.50 since 2009. In fact, his ERAs in the last three years have been 1.27, 1.87 and 1.24.

Compare that to Kawakami’s last three seasons in Japan, where he had ERAs of 3.55, 2.30 and 3.86. While not bad marks, it shows Tanaka has had better success in Japan than Kawakami did, and I believe that success would translate better into MLB as well.

When you make him the No. 3 starter behind Wilson and Weaver, the Angels would have something to work with. Right now, there won’t be much until free agency works itself out.

The Money

The Angels have had no problem showing the money over the last few years. They gave Albert Pujols a 10-year, $242 million deal, Josh Hamilton a five-year, $133 million deal, C.J. Wilson a five-year, $77.5 million deal and Jered Weaver a five-year, $85 million deal.

While the team felt $20 million a year for Zack Greinke was too much this past offseason, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, this season’s struggles likely made them rethink that strategy.

While Tanaka won’t command $20 million a year, the Angels will still have to put up a posting bid, which could cost them close to $25 million, according to DiGiovanna in another story.

Tanaka, 24, could be worth it. Two scouts who have seen Tanaka pitch but are not authorized to speak publicly about him said that although Tanaka might not be in Texas ace Yu Darvish‘s class, he could be as good as or better than Hiroki Kuroda, who is 68-68 with a 3.37 earned-run average in six big league seasons.

With that said, the money would be well spent for the Angels, especially if they want to consider the signings of the previous four to be money well spent as well. There’s no point in spending the money if you’re not making the playoffs.

Why is it a Brilliant Move?

Plain and simply, if the Angels don’t improve their rotation, there will be no playoffs for them next year.

Of course they can go out on the free-agent market to try and sign guys like Ervin Santana, James Shields or Matt Garza. But will their cost and production be more than Tanaka’s?

Look at it this way, outside of the posting fee the Rangers placed on Darvish, they’re paying him $10 million a year over the next three years. In the last two years, they’ve paid him a total of $15 million. 

Now, figuring that Tanaka will get paid less than that, wouldn’t it be a better investment to go with Tanaka over the other three? You will have to add in the posting fee, but despite that, Tanaka will come in at a cheaper rate than other top pitchers on the market.

Some will say the other three are proven in MLB, but those are the ones that said the same thing about Darvish and Kuroda. Texas is reaping the benefits of taking a chance on Darvish and the Angels could do the same with Tanaka.

They’ll spend less money on Tanaka than they would on the other three, and they would be in just as good of position for the playoffs.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s no surprise the Oakland Athletics are playing well as a unit; it’s just a bit surprising who’s leading the charge. Likewise, guys who were originally expected to propel the A’s toward the postseason haven’t quite gotten the job done.

The team has a bit of everything.

There’s guys like Grant Balfour who have dominated, but it isn’t a surprise. There’s men like Jarrod Parker and Yoenis Cespedes who’ve had some ups and down but overall they’ve had decent years. Players like A.J. Griffin aren’t having the best of years, but it’s neither a surprise nor a disappointment.

To make it on this list, one of two things has happened.

The player entered the season with fairly big expectations and he hasn’t met them. But not just that, he hasn’t even come close. Or there’s the opposite. A player had little expectations and wildly overshot them.

There are eight players on this list: four in each category.

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There is a headline that constantly scrolls in my mind every time predictions begin to swirl around the Los Angeles Angels’ offseason moves—each scenario popping with the lights of a ‘50s-style camera.

Big names. Big money. Big moves. Big…mistakes?

Pop!

It never fails—especially in the past few seasons—making the Angels one of the more intriguing organizations to watch in the winter.

What will they do for an encore?

Remember: This is the Los Angeles Angels we are talking about here. If they went out on the first day of the offseason and acquired four top-tier pitchers for cash and the eating of a few contracts and Vernon Wells, would you really be surprised?

I wouldn’t.

However, to me, this offseason will be different. Not less interesting, but definitely different. For the first time in at least three seasons, I don’t think we see any major hype.

Sure, the cameras will be there, it’s 24/7 sports news in the offseason—they need filler. But the idea of big moves and bigger headlines coming from Anaheim just doesn’t make sense.

Granted, whenever it comes to predicting the Angels’ offseason moves, I also immediately think of those studies that explain the chances of winning the lottery.

Both instances, regardless of how you think it will go, are never an easy hit. Most often, it’s a miss—about a 1-in-175 million chance of getting it right.

In the case of the Angels, with owner Arte Moreno always poised for the unknown and astonishing, that number may be a little greater—like 1-in-180 million.

But I won’t let the odds keep me from throwing in my two cents. It’s fun. No shame in that.

And though I don’t think something drastic will happen—it’s way too early to completely exhaust every angle and detail anyways—I do feel there are three key scenarios that will lead to this revolution (let’s call it that) of an offseason.

So, let this be the first of probably thousands of prediction-based articles for the Angels this offseason.

Arte Moreno will surprise the guessers, as usual in the offseason, and keep both Jerry Dipoto and Mike Scioscia

What’s the rush on this? This team is not going to be fixed overnight, and it certainly isn’t going to get some high-powered boost if Moreno cuts loose either Scioscia or Dipoto (or both).

In fact, any such moves might set the team back even worse—if you can believe that.

Sure, I’ve seen the same reports, from the same writers as you, but I struggle to understand how this debate is clear to so many when there is obvious doubt towards the effect seeping from the cause.

We know the team is a ship without sails at this point. They have little room for spending money in the offseason, and the best efforts will be parting ways with good talent in order to secure the now and the future.

There is Albert Pujols, causing worry and concern.

There is Josh Hamilton, causing worry and concern.

There is a need for pitching, while understanding that Mike Trout is going to get more expensive.

It’s a difficult situation, no question.

But why take a ship with no sails and start removing the boards from the haul for the sake of blaming why the sails went missing in the first place?

Wouldn’t that ultimately just sink the ship?

In recent months, it seems as though both Dipoto and Scioscia have made nice, at least in the PR-latent form we hear spewed to reporters from time to time.

(It’s like watching two cast members on a sitcom, who dislike each other, smile pretty when the camera is rolling and the questions start flying their way. “No, no, we have had our differences…but I think we have a good thing going here and I think…”)

The truth is Scioscia likes to control the situation—the entire situation. But so does Moreno. To that, I imagine Dipoto would like a little flexibility to control things too, though his chances are slim.

They all like the idea of control.

In the end, it will always be a three-way struggle between Scioscia, Dipoto and Moreno, and ultimately that will be the downfall of the working relationship.

But that doesn’t mean the group needs to break up right now, dissipating like a baseball version of Guns and Roses.

There are more important things.

Dipoto has one year left on his contract. Scioscia has until the end of the 2018 season left on his—with some heavy cash to go with it.

The smart move would be to let both continue to attempt rebuilding the squad and act accordingly if failure continues in 2014 like it did in the past—a la Dipoto’s pitching acquisitions not performing well, or Scioscia struggling to manage effectively in one-run and extra-inning games.

If that kind of failure continues, then Moreno can unleash with fury, at the expected times—Dipoto at the end of 2014, followed by Scioscia not long after that.

It doesn’t need to be a surprise every time a move is made. After all, it’s thinking like that on Moreno’s part that originally cut the sails on this ship in the first place.

Mark Trumbo will overshadow Howie Kendrick on the market

I had some original doubt that the Angels would be completely willing to trade Howie Kendrick during the trade deadline. His value—in the clubhouse and on the field—seemed too great of an asset to the team.

Trading him, in my mind, equaled the same kind of sour deal that occurred with Torii Hunter.

Then I heard about the potential, almost-fulfilled, trade between the Los Angeles Dodgers and—well, I threw my doubts out on the 5-Freeway, along with the Angels’ pride, apparently.

Kendrick, almost by some “you tried to send me to the enemy default,” will be traded this winter.

And why not? There aren’t too many scenarios—especially with the teams Kendrick can block in a trade going from 13 to six—where I see the second baseman not gaining interest.

With that interest, there should be a chance for the Angels to pick up talented, young (that’s talented first, young second) arms to add to the pitching staff.

However, I don’t see Kendrick gaining the most interest of all possible trade candidates; that crown goes to Mark Trumbo, who comes with the same high-risk reasoning that got the Angels in trouble these last few years: ditch the small ball, dig the long ball.

Trumbo is certainly a long ball kind of guy. If the 29, 32 and 33 (and counting) home runs he has produced for the team the past three seasons doesn’t tell you that, then the 2012 Home Run Derby display should jog the memory.

The guy can crush a baseball.

The problem is, however, Trumbo’s average has suffered—even by new-aged power-hitter numbers—and his second-half dry spells the past two seasons have not helped the Angels.

Power aside, he is not the type of player that can provide much else. And the Angels have got other players—C.J. Cron and Kole Calhoun—that can fill in with better consistency.

There is also light at the end of the tunnel: Teams in search of a power bat will not care about the batting average. They look at the power potential and that is it.

And Trumbo has definitely got that—not to mention he will be turning 28, while Kendrick will be 30 (turning 31) next season. All of those factors could be enough to land Trumbo on the most-prized trade chip this offseason.

If you go by this next guy’s words of wisdom, it may also help the Angels get back to a winning form of old.

Jered Weaver’s thoughts and advice will impact how the Angels move forward

While there will be plenty of guessing from the talking heads, writers and fans about the Angels’ offseason moves and future, it really comes down to what the players think.

They are the ones in the clubhouse, and on the field, who have the best idea about what needs to be done for the betterment of a team.

Jered Weaver is that guy for the Los Angeles Angels.

If you didn’t get a chance to read the article MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez wrote about Weaver’s thoughts on the Angels’ situation, you are missing what I consider to be a team-changing moment for this franchise.

Or, at least, words from the clubhouse level to management level on how to reconstruct the club.

Weaver made it clear:

I think we changed our approach as far as how Angels baseball [was]. When I first got here, it was doing the little things—stealing bases, first-to-thirds—and we didn’t really sit back and wait for home runs and things like that. I think that now, we have some guys with some sock in the lineup and guys who hit home runs. The lineup is a little different from that regard.

And by different, he didn’t mean bad or good. Mediocre perhaps.

We have a lot of talent in this clubhouse, man; it’s just a matter of time before it starts clicking. I think that the way we used to go about things and the way we go about things now has taken a little bit to get used to. We’ve seen glimpses of us working together and playing well, and there’s obviously been times where it hasn’t worked out and we’ve been struggling. We have to find that happy medium where we’re playing good, consistent baseball.

Remember that goal: a happy medium.

When the seemingly right answer this offseason is to add pitching, then add some more pitching, getting rid of whoever is the man of the day. Remember what Jered Weaver has told us.

Basically, things are not all that bad; they just need a tweak here and there.

They don’t need to be flashy, highly paid or ready for ratings.

It can be as simple as relying on the learning curve of Cole Calhoun, Garrett Richards, J.B. Shuck and Grant Green, while Hamilton and Pujols, C.J. Wilson and Weaver do their thing.

Of course, Trout will do his part.

Will Dane De La Rosa, Ernesto Frieri and Michael Kohn do the same?

Will Sean Burnett?

If they do, then the predicting just got a whole lot easier.

Note: All stats provided were courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

For more thoughts and opinions from Rick Suter, follow him on Twitter@rick_suter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Texas Rangers are on the cusp of the playoffs as the MLB season is reaching its end. Their potential road to the 2013 World Series would include possible series against several different AL and NL teams.

One team the Rangers could face is the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers are currently in first place of the AL Central and might match up against the Rangers if they were to win the AL West. The Rangers played the Tigers seven times this season and won four of those games.

If the Rangers were to reach their ultimate goal of a World Series, one potential matchup would be against the Pittsburgh Pirates who are a wild-card team if the playoffs were to start today. The Rangers are currently in a three-game series against the Pirates in Arlington. Andrew McCutchen leads the Pirates offense, while the pitching ERA is ranked third in the MLB.

As the Rangers continue to battle for the AL West and try to secure a playoff spot, check out some of their potential matchups on the road to the World Series.

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When major league rosters expanded on September 1, the Oakland Athletics promoted a handful of players to compete for first place against the Texas Rangers.

While cellar-dwelling teams are warming their prospects up for future big league opportunities, the A’s called up four players who will contribute in the playoff run.

Outfielder Michael Choice, infielder Andy Parrino, utility man Jemile Weeks and relief pitcher Pedro Figueroa were all promoted from the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats with specific roles in mind.

Michael Choice

Sonny Gray has reached the majors. Addison Russell is playing for the River Cats at the age of 19. And Choice, the organization’s third phenom, is on his way to breaking into the crowded Athletics outfield.

Choice rose through the minors after being taken with the A’s first pick in the 2010 draft. The outfield mashed 30 home runs at High-A Stockton in 2011, impressing baseball insiders like Peter Gammons.

After emerging as a middle-of-the-order threat for the River Cats, Choice was rumored to be the headliner in a deadline deal for Jake Peavy, per the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Susan Slusser.

The A’s refused to part with Choice, and he rewarded them with a .303/.390/.445 line before being called up. He started two key games against the Rangers last week, collecting his first major league hit off of Martin Perez.

Though Choice came up as a center fielder, he switched off with Shane Peterson between all outfield positions in Sacramento and has played in right field and designated hitter since coming to Oakland.

Minor league scouts, who judge players on a scale from 2-8, gave Choice’s speed a 5, his glove a 5 and his arm a 4. With good-not-great defensive tools, he seems destined for a corner outfield spot.

Andy Parrino

Parrino became Oakland’s backup second baseman after Scott Sizemore tore his ACL early in the year but was demoted after recording three hits in 10 games.

The A’s will use Parrino largely as a defensive replacement, since he has played second base, shortstop, third base, left field and right field. He made no errors in 140.2 major league innings with San Diego in 2011.

His versatility is an asset, but Parrino‘s .210/.300/.302 line in Sacramento suggests that the switch-hitter will be the last bat off the bench.

Jemile Weeks

Flash back to 2011 when Weeks tore up the basepaths as a rookie. He hit .303 with eight triples and 22 steals in 97 games.

But like his brother Rickie, Weeks proved to be more hype than performance. He crashed back down to earth with a .221 batting average in 2012 before being demoted in August.

Weeks struggled defensively in Oakland and moved to center field after his demotion to capitalize on his wheels. With Chris Young, Coco Crisp and Yoenis Cespedes all capable of playing center, Weeks probably won’t get many innings in the A’s outfield.

He is also unlikely to crack second base, since the A’s brought in Alberto Callaspo and have Eric Sogard on the bench. Weeks also played 23 games at shortstop for Sacramento, but Sogard and Jed Lowrie are blocking his path.

The “Jemile High Club” will likely see their man as a pinch runner in late innings, where he can motor around the bases in a throwback uniform.

Pedro Figueroa

P-Figs is armed with a nasty 95-mph sinker, as well as a low-90s four-seamer and a high-80s slider. All 12 pitches he threw in his first game on September 3 were sinkers.

In 19 games as a reliever for the A’s last season, Figueroa compiled a 3.32 ERA and held hitters a .216 batting average.

To stick in the majors, Figueroa needs to improve his control. He allowed 6.23 BB/9 last season and had a 1.43 WHIP despite his low BAA.

The A’s already have Sean Doolittle and Jerry Blevins for late innings, and Brett Anderson has been a long reliever since returning from a broken foot. Figueroa should be nothing more than the last mop-up man out of the ‘pen.

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Rangers fans are hoping their team learned a thing or two from last season’s meltdown that left many in Texas sick to their stomachs. That 2012 team had hopes of returning to the World Series for a third-straight year, but a tumultuous nine-game stretch to finish the season saw a five-game lead and the division title disappear.

After an uninspiring performance in the Wild Card Game with Baltimore, the Rangers front office found itself facing difficult questions in the offseason. There were many writers and critics that saw the offseason as a complete failure.

Jon Daniels, Nolan Ryan and Co. failed to sign the prized free agent that was Zack Greinke, while Texas’ own free agents found other homes in Los Angeles (Josh Hamilton), Boston (Ryan Dempster, Mike Napoli, Koji Uehara), Philadelphia (Mike Adams) and Chicago (Scott Feldman).

No one thought Texas had lost all of its punch, but it appeared the team had some red flags as a result of all the offseason roster change. Nevertheless, the Rangers find themselves in September again with a situation similar to that of last year’s team: battling the Oakland A’s for the division crown with a likely consolation prize of a one-game wild-card matchup.

“Everything happens for a reason, and it just wasn’t meant to be for us last year,” shortstop Elvis Andrus said in an interview with Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram. “That’s baseball. We learn from that and make sure we don’t take anything for granted this year.”

Here, we take a look at the three similarities and differences between the 2012 and 2013 Texas Rangers‘ stretch run that could make all the difference in the outcome of the season.

Pitching Rotation

By the time September 2012 rolled around, the Rangers managed to put together a nice rotation with Matt Harrison, Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Ryan Dempster as the top four starters. Each of these four pitchers earned three wins in the month of September, and only Dempster had an ERA over 4.00. What absolutely killed this pitching staff was the No. 5 slot where Scott Feldman, Martin Perez and Roy Oswalt combined to go 0-4 with a 6.25 ERA for the month.

This year’s starting five has only two holdovers from 2012 in Darvish and Holland, both of whom are markedly improved pitchers in 2013. After a rough start Wednesday in Oakland, Darvish still maintains a 2.91 ERA and Holland a 3.07 ERA. They had 3.90 and 4.67 ERAs last year, respectively.

Matt Garza’s mediocre performance since arriving in Arlington is essentially a wash with last year’s big acquisition of Dempster, but there is still hope that he will turn it around and be a major contributor.

What makes this year’s rotation better, though, is the emergence of Martin Perez and the under-the-radar acquisition of former Ranger-killer Travis Blackley.

While Perez didn’t contribute much in 2012, his nine wins this season are tied for second on the team. He also has a nice 3.41 ERA that shrinks every game he pitches.

Blackley has shown he can hold his own in the back of the rotation. If he can find a way to eat up enough innings in his starts and keep the score close, it would at least be an improvement from what the Rangers had in 2012 in the five-spot.

Looking forward, the most important pitcher will be Darvish. Warranted or not, Yu has received criticism for his tendency to surrender the lead late in the game. If he is able to stay focused and continue to lead this staff, it will give the Rangers a brief moment to breathe down the stretch.

Offense

Gone from the Rangers’ offense are Hamilton, Mike Napoli and Michael Young. Coupled with the suspension of Nelson Cruz, the lineup is definitely missing some of that familiar pop. Texas’ offense in 2013 isn’t nearly as dangerous as last year’s, but it is still capable of putting runs on the board.

Adrian Beltre has continued to fly under the radar. He is one of the best hitters in baseball, but he needs more help to get this team into the playoffs. Texas showed its versatility in the days following Cruz’s suspension by stealing bases and putting pressure on the other team’s defense. It may have to do more of the same down the stretch.

Leonys Martin, Elvis Andrus and Alex Rios have all swiped more than 30 bases this year, and Craig Gentry is another threat on the base paths.

The Rangers really just need for guys to play at their expected level in order to take some of the pressure off the pitching staff. There are plenty of guys who are capable of doing this.

David Murphy has struggled at the plate all season long and has lost playing time as a result. After a year in which he hit .304 and set career highs in other offensive categories, Murphy hasn’t been the same spark this year and has an average of .222.

Lance Berkman, if healthy, could also be a source for additional offense. Berkman is likely to retire after the season concludes, but if there is any life left in his bat the Rangers could certainly use it.

 Bullpen

As good as the bullpen was in 2012, it is even better in 2013.

Despite the departures of shutdown middle relievers Koji Uehara and Mike Adams, the bullpen’s ERA is down from 3.42 to 3.02 this year. Spurts of dominance by Tanner Scheppers, Robbie Ross, Jason Frasor and Neal Cotts have paved the way for another stellar year by closer Joe Nathan.

Nathan has been lights out this year. He’s converted on 38-of-40 save opportunities and nearly cut his ERA in half this season, down to 1.48.

Pitching Coach Mike Maddux has to be excited about the return of fireballer Neftali Feliz. After missing over 15 months due to elbow surgery, Feliz appears ready to contribute in the bullpen for the remainder of the season.

Former All-Star closer Joakim Soria could also play an important role in relief.

If the Rangers can hand the ball over to these guys with the lead, they are going to be in great shape in the playoff hunt.

All statistics are from MLB.com.

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After winning Wednesday’s series finale against the Texas Rangers, the Oakland Athletics are in spitting distance of first place in the American League West with a favorable September schedule ahead.

Breakout seasons from Jarrod Parker, Josh Donaldson and Jed Lowrie have helped the A’s repeat as surprise contenders.

As ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick said, September is the best time for baseball. A’s fans can look forward to the home stretch, where 20 of the 22 remaining games are against teams with losing records.

Houston Astros

The A’s go from battling the AL West’s best to the sorry Lastros, who will spend September 5-8 fighting at O.Co Coliseum.

Third baseman Brett Wallace, first baseman Chris Carter and catcher Max Stassi all played for the A’s minor league affiliates. Carter leads the Astros with 27 home runs, but sports an ugly .217 batting average.

Thursday night’s game featured Sonny Gray against another former Athletics farmhand, Brad Peacock. Peacock has struggled to a 5.62 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, but didn’t allow a run until the eighth inning in Houston’s 3-2 win.

The A’s face rookie Brett Oberholtzer on Saturday, who is 4-1 with a 2.79 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in his first six starts. Oberholtzer outdueled Hisashi Iwakuma last week, and will be the A’s toughest test over the weekend.

At 47-93, the Astros are the only MLB team without 50 wins this season. Oakland is 12-5 against the ‘Stros, and will be looking for an easy series win.

Minnesota Twins

The A’s hit the road for Minneapolis after the Houston series, then host the Twins from September 19-22.

While the Twins are well under .500 and recently lost Justin Morneau, the roster has some talent. Second baseman Brian Dozier has 17 home runs, while Glen Perkins has 32 saves in 36 chances.

Problem is, Perkins is essentially useless if Minnesota’s starting pitchers get shelled early in the game. Recent call-up Andrew Albers is the only starter with an ERA under 4.00. 

The Twins have won four of their last six games, two of which were against the Rangers. The A’s can’t afford to underestimate their opponents, especially if Joe Mauer returns soon.

Texas Rangers

The rival Rangers are the A’s only remaining opponent with a winning record. As both teams attempt to avoid the unpredictability of a wild-card spot, the September 13-15 series could have a major impact.

Texas is 9-7 against the A’s this season, but Oakland took two of three in the last series. If players like Brandon Moss, Coco Crisp and Daric Barton stay hot, the A’s will crush the ball all over Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

The A’s pounded a combined six home runs in the first and last games of the recent series, but managed just one run against Martin Perez in Game 2. 

The Rangers precede the series with three games against the Pittsburgh Pirates, then move onto the Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals after the A’s leave town.

Facing four contenders in a row could drop the Rangers deep into second place, and the A’s have a chance to bury them in the Texas dirt. A sweep could give the A’s a firm hold on the division.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Diehard A’s fans remember going into the last series of the 2004 season tied with the Angels for first place, only to watch in horror as Anaheim took the first two games thanks in part to a fella named Bartolo Colon.

The A’s and Angels don’t hate one another like the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, but as SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee said, the “other” California rivalry is picking up steam.

Oakland hosts the Angels from September 16-18. After a three-game series against the Twins, the A’s head south for a rematch in Anaheim.

The Angels have offensive stars like Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and Howie Kendrick, but the A’s pitching and depth has been better over the last two years. Oakland went 10-9 against the Halos in 2012 and is 8-2 this season.

Seattle Mariners

The A’s went 12-7 against Seattle in 2012, including a 7-0 run to end the season. The dominance hasn’t carried over to this season, as Oakland has lost every series after the opening four-game split.

The two teams face off again in the final days of the season, when the A’s are likely to be fighting for the division.

Relievers Jerry Blevins, Sean Doolittle and Grant Balfour need to iron out their kinks before playing the Mariners. The A’s don’t want to give up another walk-off like the highlight on the right.

If the Mariners’ current rotation holds up, Felix Hernandez will start the first game against Dan Straily. The game’s 7:05 PM start time is bad news for Straily, who has a 2.63 ERA during day games and a 5.21 mark at night, 

Oakland aces Bartolo Colon and Jarrod Parker will finish the year against Erasmo Ramirez and Taijuan Walker. Both Mariners starters are inexperienced, but Walker is considered the No. 5 prospect in baseball and Ramirez has a 2.81 ERA in his last four games.

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Don’t go reaching for the TV Guide or unloading your remaining Los Angeles Angels tickets to the closest person willing to take them just yet. The final month of the Angels’ season has plenty of opportunity to provide must-see TV, with interesting scenarios, mini drama and difficult decision-making.

You just have to know what is what. Think of it as the final act: the beginning of the end, the end of the end, and the beginning of the new beginning.

It’s all there, wrapped up in one, final month.

Sure, from now until the beginning of October, there will be mostly an abundance of second-guesses and couch coaching/managing towards the Angels; with the payroll, the top-tier talent and the heavily covered hype form the offseason, not making the playoffs—not making the World Series—will sometimes cause that to happen.

But all is not lost, unlike the Anaheim part of the Angels name, apparently. But I will leave that to owner Arte Moreno to decide. There are more important matters to dissect.

Because the team is so far out of the MLB playoff race, they are in a unique—and unwanted—position: They can begin the rebuild for 2014 while 2013 is still two months from completion.

Lucky them.

While most of the position battles will be left to the days of spring training to finalize, all of the current players are being looked at again and again, with the understanding that change is near. (Yep, even Mike Trout, though his scenario weighs more in 2015 and 2106.)

And if playing spoiler is not enough to sway watching your habits during this seemingly never-ending season, well, then here are six things to look for in September.

The final act…

Note: All stats and schedule info was provided courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

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