Josh Hamilton Return Boosts Rangers but Doesn't Solve Biggest Problem

There should be no mistake about the importance of Josh Hamilton’s return to the Texas Rangers’ lineup.

Assumptions with the slugger can be iffy, but assuming Hamilton can still produce at least at his 2014 level, when he had a 115 OPS-plus, upon his return from a hamstring injury, he will be a huge asset to a team in the thick of the American League West and AL wild-card races.

Hamilton provides power, on-base ability and length to a lineup that needs a boost. He showed a semblance of what he can be worth in his first game back from the disabled list Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles. Hamilton hit fifth and went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the win, which kept the Rangers within five games of the Houston Astros and 1.5 games out of a wild-card spot.

“I'm not trying to do too much,” Hamilton told reporters afterward. “I am trying to put the barrel on the ball. You start from there. Once you start from there, you try to put a little extra into it if you need to. Overall, I felt good with my at-bats. It was a good night overall.”

Still, though, he is not what the Rangers need most.

It is true the Rangers have an offense that ranked in the bottom half of the league in FanGraphs WAR (9.0), wRC+ (96) and OBP (.318) entering Tuesday, but they also were fifth in isolated power (.153) and home runs (85). The offense can find itself, especially if Hamilton is healthy and productive.

The team’s real need is on the bump. The rotation’s ERA is a respectable 3.84 in the AL, but it is 12th out of 15 teams in FanGraphs WAR at the start of Tuesday’s game. It was also 14th in strikeouts per nine innings (6.07) and had the third-most walks in the league per nine (2.94), the 13th-highest FIP (4.22) and the worst xFIP (4.47).

Yovani Gallardo has been their most consistent starter this season, but his .264 BABIP, 6.56 strikeouts per nine and 8.3 percent home-run-to-fly-ball rate are all career lows or close to it, in both good and bad ways. It would shock no one if a second-half correction whipped him back to more common career numbers, especially since his xFIP (3.73) is not far off from what it’s been the previous few seasons.

Rookie Chi Chi Gonzalez has been effective through six outings, but he has not been so dominant in his last two starts—nine earned runs in 11.2 innings—and he pitches to a ton of contact, evident in his 3.02 strikeouts per nine. That lack of strikeouts can eventually run down a pitcher who tends to flirt with disaster—3.67 walks per nine.

The rest of the Rangers rotation has just been OK, and that is why it has not been surprising to hear the team linked to big names on the trade market.

"

#Phillies scout is in the building to watch Chi Chi pitch. #Rangers

— Jared Sandler (@SandlerJ) June 23, 2015"

That would make a ton of sense since it would take someone like Gonzalez to start a conversation about Cole Hamels with the Philadelphia Phillies. There are obstacles, however, such as the additional payroll Hamels would bring along with the price in prospects.

The Rangers might not have wanted to part with the likes of Joey Gallo and Gonzalez before, but both have shown reasons for developmental concern—Gonzalez’s strikeout-to-walk ratio and Gallo’s strikeout rate—and that could make the Rangers reconsider labeling either of them as “untouchable.”

"

Sources: #Rangers and #Phillies having ongoing dialogue about Cole Hamels, and he is willing to waive no-trade to Texas. @FOXSports

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) June 23, 2015"

The price for a No. 1 starter like Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto would be significantly lower, but he is a rental, and the Rangers might value control for an arm like Gonzalez over Cueto’s potential contributions for half a season. No one could fault them for that.

If general manager Jon Daniels elects to hold his current position and not make a blockbuster trade, the Rangers could look to the relief market or do nothing. If either of those options unfolds, the team’s chances at making a run at a postseason berth would take a significant hit as teams around them jockey for trade position.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

The Rangers might wait and pray that the returns of Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Martin Perez after the All-Star break bring positive results. That, however, would be putting a lot of eggs in a basket with a flimsy bottom.

If Texas is planning to contend for a postseason berth throughout the summer, it will need more than Josh Hamilton. The AL contenders are plenty this year, and the Rangers are one of the surprises.

In order to keep that movement going, the rotation needs an external boost. It will cost the Rangers, but such a move would be very well worth the expense.

All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired firsthand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.