The Rangers are in talks with veteran right-hander Edinson Volquez about a minor league contract, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com (via Twitter). If a deal is reached, Volquez would head to Spring Training in hopes of winning a spot in the team’s bullpen.
It wasn’t long ago that an elbow injury prompted Volquez to strongly consider retirement. As recently as late July, Volquez had said he merely hoped to be able to return to a big league mound in September to go out on his own terms rather than be forced into retirement by injury. However, as the veteran righty progressed through his rehab and began to feel healthier, he expressed interest in returning to the Rangers for the 2020 season, and it seems the two sides are now working to make that reunion happen.
To his credit, Volquez, who feared early in the season that he might require another Tommy John surgery, did make it back to the mound in September. The 36-year-old was tagged for six runs in 8 1/3 innings, though seven of his nine outings were scoreless and four of the runs he yielded came in one appearance. Upon returning to the hill, his fastball averaged a hearty 95.4 mph.
Volquez, who has pitched in parts of 14 Major League seasons, was originally signed by the Texas organization as an international amateur back in October 2001. He was they key piece that went from Texas to Cincinnati in the 2007 Josh Hamilton trade and found himself in another notable swap when the Reds included him (along with Yasmani Grandal, Yonder Alonso and Brad Boxberger) in the deal that netted righty Mat Latos from the Padres. Volquez was a key member of the Royals’ rotation when they won the World Series in 2015 and owns a lifetime 4.45 ERA with 7.7 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, 0.93 HR/9 and a 48.4 percent ground-ball rate in 1540 2/3 Major League innings.
After his injuries, maybe bring him back as a late inning arm?
This guy just doesn’t quit
The potential for a couple million throwing a baseball versus almost anything else would be reason enough to not quit until no one gives you the opportunity….
Wonder if he has anything left.
He was throwing 95 in September. Did you read past the headline?
Upvoted^
95 does not automatically mean success does it?
No but it means opportunity.
You questioned whether he had anything left, not whether he could be successful. A 95 mph fastball clearly means he has something left.
Championship !!!
Good for Eddie….I’m rootin for him. But then again…I root for all of the Forever Royal gang, wherever they’re playing.
I like it.
I’m all for a great comeback story and think its wise to sign as many free agent pitchers on minor league contracts as possible, hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with one or two of them. In Volquez’s case however, I think hes done. His career has largely been a disappointment, considering all the potential he had. Outside of his all-star ’08 season and maybe that one year he pitched in Pittsburg, he wasn’t very good. Hopefully I’m wrong. Maybe he can have a late career resurgence as a reliever.
Couple of good years in
2014 and 2015…..
Padres sure squandered that massive haul for that scrub Mat Latos.
Latos wasnt excatly a scrub
I thought that he said that he was going to retire after last season?