The Rangers will be without one of their top pitching prospects for all of the 2020 season, as the organization announced Monday that lefty Brock Burke will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair fraying and a partial tear in the labrum of his left shoulder this week. He’s not expected to pitch again until 2021.
Burke wasn’t projected to crack the Opening Day roster, but he would’ve functioned as a key depth piece for the club’s reworked rotation. He’s already on the 40-man roster and made his MLB debut last August — shortly after his 23rd birthday. Burke struggled in six big league starts (22 runs in 26 2/3 innings), but he posted a 3.90 ERA with 9.2 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a minuscule 0.4 HR/9 across three minor league levels last year. The Rangers initially acquired him from the Rays in last offseason’s three-team swap that sent Jurickson Profar to Oakland.
Texas’ offseason acquisitions of Corey Kluber, Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles pushed Burke and fellow left-hander Kolby Allard out of the rotation mix early in the season, but both pitchers were one big league injury away from being summoned from Triple-A Nashville to the newly constructed Globe Life Field in Arlington. Earlier this winter, Baseball America ranked Burke 21st among Rangers prospects — the same slot he occupied on FanGraphs’ most recent ranking of the Texas minor league system. He’s generally regarded as a potential back-of-the-rotation starter who gets by with average across-the-board stuff rather than a particular plus offering.
Burke will likely be placed on the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot at some point this spring, thus positioning him to accrue a full year of Major League service time while he rehabs from Friday’s upcoming procedure. That’s surely not the way that the Rangers would’ve preferred to open a 40-man spot, but the club does have several non-roster invitees in camp who stand a realistic chance of making the team. Matt Duffy, Greg Bird, Sam Travis, Cody Allen, Blake Swihart, Edinson Volquez, Juan Nicasio and Derek Law are among the notable non-roster players in big league camp with Texas in 2020.
CRAP!!! Burke looked really promising last September, and now he’s gonna be out for the year… CRAP!!! Now for pitching depth we will have to depend on Allard, Palumbo, Hearns, and Hernandez. Well, hopefully some lower level guys like Hans Crouse will have great years and shoot through the system to AAA so that in 2021 we will have more depth then too.
Have Phillips as well. Rangers might need to check on Harvey, Cashner, Vargas or Mchugh as depth for this year esp if Hernandez or Hearns break camp as relievers. Also still need to make a call to Puig if you aren’t going to make trade for Bryant or Arrenado. Wouldn’t hurt to ask TB about Kiermier put Solak at Second and jettison Odor for whatever you can get.
Curious…What would Texas have to offer for a KK trade?
Oh and btw @StPeteStingRays, here’s a Kiermaier trade:
Rangers get Kiermaier
Rays get Joe Barlow, Scott Heineman, and Bubba Thompson.
If I were the Rangers, I wouldn’t do that, but I think that’s what it’s take to get Kiermaier.
Our farm system is stacked, so TB would have to be blown away. I don’t think that trio will do the trick.
We do, however, need some more depth at catcher.
Curuous as to why you think the Rays would have to be blown away. Dumping that salary would be amazing
Not so sure Tampa does not do that dea or something similar. The Rays are on the hook for roughly 46 million in payroll to Kiermaier and he is a nice piece but then again he would need to save a ton of runs in the next 4 years as his OPS has been sub 700 the last couple of seasons. That and the fact he has missed over 100 games in the past two seasons.
You know, I’m kind of on the side that, the Rangers shouldn’t make anymore moves this offseason. I mean look at the team, a great rotation, and we will have Calhoun, Solak, and Santana for entire seasons, plus Frazier at 3rd is way better than before (despite it still being Frazier) and we have Chirinos back. We will be better, and we will compete for a WC spot. Then in 2021 30 million will come off the books from Choo’s contract plus Fielder contract each expiring. The budget right now is around 150 million, and the owners said they want to get the budget up around 180.If 30 million comes off next season, that means we would have a budget of 120 million.WE’D HAVE 60 MILLION TO SPEND NEXT YEAR!!! That just seems so crazy to me, and that’s why I think we shouldn’t get anybody else this offseason, then next year go get Mookie!
Mookie would be great but do not see JD handing out 400 m plus for 10 plus years. More likely Springer extensions for Minor and Gallo and maybe Realmuto and move Huff to 1B.
True, and Springer could fill the leadoff spot when Choo leaves. Though I would still like to see Huff be our future catcher since it is so easy to find a 1b. Gallo should be extended once his arbitration runs out though, but I would love to see Minor extended maybe another 2 years after this year.
“great rotation” is an absurd statement when you have Gibson and Lyles as your 4 and 5.
Brocke or Brock?
Augh! Thank you for that. Fixed now.
BTW, it’s Brock not Brocke.
To me it always stinks when players go down with an injury, especially pitchers. Get well soon, brother!
Thinking at three or more of Allen, Duffy, Bird, Swihart or Nicasio make team. So maybe Jurado, Méndez and Odor go to Balt, KC, or Pitt.
If Jon Daniels finds a way to dump Odor’s contract, he is gm of the year, and Rougie would probably be a Giant, lol.
Rangers ARE NOT cutting loose of Odor – he will ride the bench b4 that happens.
Karma is a B for trashing Astros fans all winter. Enjoy another terrible season Rangers!
You call Burke’s injury Karma for Ranger fans? Last I checked 28 other teams (fans, players, FO employees etc) along with the Rangers fans, players, and FO have trashed the Astros all winter. Keep holding that undeserving trophy held high you jackazz.
ASTROS CHEATED, HOW IS BURKE’S INJURY KARMA? IDIOT!!