Tanner Scheppers

Scheppers battled ankle and knee injuries in 2015 after coming into spring training with questions regarding the health of his elbow. The elbow issue popped up when the Rangers tried to stretch Scheppers back out into a starter and limited him throughout the 2014 season. When healthy, he did little to regain his status as a weapon out of the bullpen, walking 23 and fanning just 32 in 38.1 innings and allowing six homers. His peripherals were shaky even during his "breakout" 2013 season, and there's nothing in his recent history to suggest the former first-round pick will be anything other than a middling reliever. With the Rangers' cadre of power right-handed arms out of the bullpen, Scheppers will be an afterthought.

Scheppers was a 2009 first-round pick out of college, and as such, was supposed to be a quick riser through the system. He also had the talent to be a premium prospect, seemingly giving him the rare high-floor/high-ceiling combo. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stay healthy, settle into a role or regularly command his stuff in the minors. He was a relief stud in 2013, posting a 1.88 ERA in 77 innings, and his future seemed set. All of a sudden, the Rangers decided to once again try him as a starter. Spring training injuries put Scheppers in line to make his first MLB start on Opening Day. The right-hander was pummeled for seven runs, but the bigger issue was how flat his stuff was, suggesting he might be hurt. Two weeks later, he landed on the DL with elbow inflammation. He returned to the bullpen in June, but lasted just four appearances and then missed the rest of the year. The starting experiment is over and he doesn’t carry much value as a middle reliever, but Neftali Feliz isn’t the strongest incumbent in the closer role, so Scheppers could be a useful speculative pickup in very deep leagues.

Scheppers was blessed by a .252 BABIP last season, resulting in a tidy 1.88 ERA and 58 hits allowed in 76.2 innings, despite shaky command and the lack of strikeouts traditionally associated with a late-game reliever. He figures to enter spring training as a long shot to inherit the closer's role vacated by Joe Nathan's departure, but there are several more qualified candidates ahead of him in the pecking order (specifically, Joakim Soria and Neftali Feliz). A year removed from a 4.45 ERA, 1.73 WHIP season, tread carefully here.

Scheppers' improved control in 27 relief appearances at Triple-A Round Rock finally earned him the promotion to the majors that seems imminent two years back. He was far from dominant out of the Texas bullpen, allowing 47 hits and six homers in 32.1 innings, but did manage 30 strikeouts against just nine walks. It's progress, and while there could be glaring holes at the backend of the Texas bullpen with Koji Uehara and Mike Adams bolting via free agency, it doesn't appear that Scheppers has the skill set to take advantage of any opportunity landing at his feet at the present time.

The Curious Case of Tanner Scheppers continued its theatrical run in 2011, albeit with a slightly delayed premier date thanks to a balky back. Once healthy, Scheppers was moved back to a relief role but still has been unable to find his early 2010 form when he projected as a solid late-inning reliever before Texas toyed with the idea of making him a starter. His numbers at Double-A Frisco were a far cry from his dominating numbers at the same level the year prior, and he continued to show control problems after his promotion to Triple-A Round Rock. His numbers in winter ball with a team in Venezuela weren't very good either (13 innings, five hits, 16:13 K:BB). You'd expect a lot more from a former first-round pick out of a major college program. While he's shown too much talent as recently as 20 months ago to toss him on the scrap heap, it's clear that 2012 will be a pivotal year for his development.

Scheppers tore through the Texas League out of the bullpen last season at Double-A Frisco (11 innings, three hits, 19:0 K:BB) and was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City where he was solid in a relief role before the wheels fell off when Texas decided to try him as a starter due to the struggles of Rich Harden at the major-league level. In seven starts, Scheppers yielded 38 hits and 18 earned runs in 27.2 innings, and saw his strikeout rate drop considerably. Moved back to the bullpen, Scheppers was a shell of his prior form as his numbers down the stretch (18.1 innings, 31 hits, 20 earned runs, 19:10 K:BB) were a disaster. Once thought to be major-league ready as an impact reliever, there are considerable questions regarding his 2011 future. He'll be included in any and all trade talks if Texas elects to fill the Cliff Lee void via trade and figures to begin the year at Triple-A Oklahoma City if he remains with the Rangers.

Scheppers had the best arm in the June draft that wasn't attached to Stephen Strasburg's torso, though a past shoulder injury had him slip to Texas at 44th overall. Scheppers signed late, and hasn’t made his pro debut as a result, though he made seven appearances out of the bullpen in the Arizona Fall League (11 innings, nine hits, seven runs, 9:4 K:BB). It's expected that Texas will use him as a starter to begin the season, and Texas has promoted their pitching prospects quickly when they performed well, so Scheppers could be in line for a 2011 major league debut. If he doesn't pan out as a starter, Scheppers has closer stuff including a high-90s fastball and a plus curveball.