Michael Kirkman

Kirkman returned following a midseason scare with skin cancer, but control problems continue to limit his effectiveness in any role other than a lefty specialist. On a team with Robbie Ross and Neal Cotts rostered, Kirkman doesn't have a clear path to getting limited use out of the Texas bullpen at the present time. Even if he manages to stick on the Opening Day roster, there are a multitude of better options in the Rangers' relief corps positioned to compete for saves.

Kirkman had basically pitched himself into a LOOGY role heading into 2012 thanks to continued poor control and an inability to get right-handed hitters out. His numbers evened out a bit in 2012, which is a kind way of saying he didn't get lefties out at an acceptable rate either. He ran into some BABIP-inspired luck at the major league level to hold opponents to a .182 average against, but the underlying peripherals remain poor. He'll be miscast as anything but a lefty specialist.

Kirkman bombed as a starter early in the year at Triple-A Round Rock, resulting in a move to a relief role. He appears to have made the permanent transition to the bullpen as anticipated given his shaky control numbers. His numbers in the minors as a reliever (40.2 IP, 37 hits, 58:24 K:BB) were markedly better than as a starter (32.1 IP, 50 hits, 26:13 K:BB) and he was particularly effective (31 IP, 27 hits, 36:7 K:BB) against lefties and every bit as dreadful (42 IP, 60 hits, 48:30 K:BB) against righties. He fanned just 12 of the 73 right-handed batters faced in the majors and yielded 11 extra-base hits to them (good for an 830 OPS against) but maintained some success against lefties (holding them to a .214/.313/.265 slash in 49 plate appearances). With the departure of Darren Oliver, there could be a lefty specialist role for Kirkman as early as 2012.

Kirkman pitched well at Triple-A Oklahoma City after struggling at Double-A Frisco in 2009, striking out 130 batters and allowing just eight home runs in 131 innings. He also walked 68 batters, but showed some promise as an eventual lefty specialist (44 innings, 34 hits, no homers, 43:12 K:BB against lefties in 2010). He made 14 appearances out of the Texas bullpen, and retained his effectiveness against lefties in a limited role. He walks too many to project as a starter, but has the size (6-foot-4) and recent success against lefties to be an effective member of the Texas bullpen in that role going forward.

Kirkman entered the season with a pretty pedestrian minor-league career, but early success at High-A Bakersfield (48 innings, 43 hits, 54:18 K:BB) earned him a promotion to Double-A Frisco. He struggled in 18 starts, allowing 93 hits and 43 walks in 96.2 innings and fanning just 64. He projects well as a 6-foot-4 lefty, but falls short of the upper end talent in the Rangers' system.