Should Texas Rangers Call Up Top Prospect Evan Carter For Playoff Push?

With the Texas Rangers mired in a slump, manager Bruce Bochy was asked about adding calling up top minor league prospect Evan Carter.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. The Texas Rangers are certainly desperate for change before things run completely implode in a push to make the postseason.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy is leaving everything on the table for the American League West contenders amid another skid in the standings. The Rangers (76-63) haven't won a series against an AL club since mid-August and were just swept by the rival Houston Astros, being outscored 39-10 in three games, including 12-3 in the series finale.

During Tuesday's appearance on the 105.3 The Fan's K&C Masterpiece, Bochy mentioned a potential call-up for outfielder Evan Carter entering the final stretch of the regular season to help alleviate pressure on the offense. In their last 15 games going into Wednesday, the Rangers are hitting .242 as a team with a .751 OPS and 20 home runs against 142 strikeouts.

"When you're having your struggles offensively, bullpen stuff, whatever, oh yeah, there's been discussions about everything. I'm not ruling anything out. Everything's on the table," Bochy said. "(General manager Chris Young) and I talked last night, so you'll see that we're open to doing things, making changes, whatever.

"You don't rule anything out. I'm not just talking about him (Carter) but as far as relievers, things like that."

Carter, the No. 8 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, has continued to see the ball at an exceptional level since being promoted to Triple-A Round Rock. In his first eight games, the 21-year-old outfielder was hitting .353 with a .382 slugging percentage and .818 OPS.

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Carter has hit safely in seven games with eight runs scored. His plate discipline remains a factor in his hot start with the Express, posting a 6-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

While the offense has seen anemic stretches at times since the All-Star break, the bullpen woes continue. Texas is 16-17 since the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline, but has yet to find a consistent rotation among relievers. Since the start of the second half, the Rangers bullpen has an ERA higher than 5.00.

Pitching problems have been prevalent all year yet haven't handcuffed the Rangers from struggling due to offensive consistency. Over the last 18 games, Texas has averaged 3.9 runs per game, second-lowest in baseball.

The race for first place in the AL West remains close. The Rangers trail both the Astros and Seattle Mariners in the division, along with the Toronto Blue Jays for the final AL Wild Card spot.

Texas welcomes the Oakland Athletics for a three-game series beginning Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. 

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