Both of the 2011 league champions made moves in July and August to fortify their teams. The Cardinals brought in shortstop Rafael Furcal, and a cadre of pitchers, including Edwin Jackson, Mark Rzepczynski, Octavio Dotel, and Arthur Rhodes. As for the Rangers, they focused on their bullpen, bringing in Koji Uehara, Mike Gonzalez, and Mike Adams. The results for these players have been varied over the course of the playoffs, but I’m going to take a look at how they’ve performed in the playoffs for their teams this year.
Rafael Furcal has taken over at shortstop for the awful Ryan Theriot, and this postseason, he hasn’t been great. The veteran Furcal has a .570 OPS in these playoffs, with just a .185 batting average. He’s actually been worse in the World Series, with just a .451 OPS. Only center fielder Jon Jay (who doesn’t has a hit in the World Series) has been worse. Ironically, Jay got his starting job when the Cardinals traded Colby Rasmus in July to add Jackson, Rzepczynski and Dotel to their team. Dotel has been excellent so far in the playoffs, allowing just one run in nine innings, with 11 strikeouts and just one walk. He’s allowed one hit in 2 1/3 scoreless innings in the World Series. Rzepczynski has been used mostly as a situational reliever in the playoffs, throwing just seven innings in ten games. He has a 5.14 ERA in those ten games, logging eight strikeouts and one walk over that time period. Here’s the good news: three of those runs game in one outing in the NLDS against the Phillies. In the World Series, Scrabble has thrown 1 1/3 scoreless innings, with three of his four outs coming by way of strikeout.
Jackson was the one starter acquired by the Cardinals at the break, and his results haven’t been good in the playoffs. In 17 2/3 innings, he’s walked nine, struck out 12, and has 5.60 ERA. In the World Series, he has a 5.06 ERA with seven walks and three strikeouts. His performance has left a lot to be desired. The final acquisition at midseason for the Cardinals, Arthur Rhodes, was actually released by the Rangers in August before signing with the Cardinals. He’s pretty much been a one batter guy, getting into seven games and recording seven outs. He’s struck out three, and walked one. In the World Series, he’s faced two batters, and gotten both of them out.
As for the Rangers, they focused totally on their bullpen, bringing in Uehara and Adams in July, and Gonzalez in August. I find it a little funny that they brought in two Orioles relievers (you know, the 93 loss Orioles), but I digress. Anyway, we’ll start with Uehara. He’s been the worst of the bunch this October. Uehara has only gotten four outs this October, has allowed five runs, three homers, and walked two. He’s not on the World Series roster, so his contributions to the Rangers this month have been a bust. Gonzalez has essentially been Texas’ version of Rhodes. He’s pitched 3 1/3 innings over seven games this October, and has allowed two runs, one homer, one walk, and has struck out two. Both of those runs allowed have come in the World Series, as has the homer, by Albert Pujols in game three of the series.
Adams was the big acquistion by the Rangers at the deadline, and he’s been….not as good as he was when aided by Petco Park. In 7 1/3 innings, he’s allowed just two runs, but has allowed two homers and five walks while striking out five. He’s only pitched one inning in the World Series, putting a pair of runners on but not allowing either to score.
What’s the moral of the story? Acquiring players at the deadline helps, but because the playoffs are such a crap shoot, who knows what will end up happening. Gonzalez was the lowest profile acquisition that the Rangers made, but he’s been arguably the most effective. As for the Cardinals, the franchise-shattering deal of trading top young star Rasmus looks like something that could cripple them in the future, but they’re absolutely not where they are right now without making the deal.
