Rangers opt for rookie Gonzalez over Freeman for ALDS roster
The Texas Rangers revealed their 25-man roster for the American League Division Series on Thursday morning, with manager Jeff Banister electing to carry rookie right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez over lefty reliever Sam Freeman for the best-of-five matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Leonys Martin, who logged 95 games for Texas this season but missed almost all of August and September with a broken hamate bone, was also omitted from the roster.
POSITION PLAYERS
| Pos | Player | B/T |
|---|---|---|
| C | Robinson Chirinos | R/R |
| C | Chris Gimenez | R/R |
| 1B | Mitch Moreland | L/L |
| 1B | Mike Napoli | R/R |
| 2B | Rougned Odor | L/R |
| 3B | Adrian Beltre | R/R |
| SS | Elvis Andrus | R/R |
| IF | Hanser Alberto | R/R |
| OF | Shin-Soo Choo | L/L |
| OF | Delino DeShields Jr. | R/R |
| OF | Josh Hamilton | L/L |
| OF | Drew Stubbs | R/R |
| OF | Will Venable | L/L |
| DH | Prince Fielder | L/R |
Though none of Banister's roster decisions were all that shocking, Freeman's omission likely means left-hander Martin Perez, who hasn't made a relief appearance since his rookie campaign in 2012, will work out of the bullpen. Freeman crafted a 3.05 ERA over 54 appearances this season - third-most on the Rangers - but was unlikely to receive much work against Toronto's overwhelmingly right-handed lineup.
PITCHERS
| Pos | Pitcher | Throws |
|---|---|---|
| SP | Yovani Gallardo | RHP |
| SP | Cole Hamels | LHP |
| SP | Derek Holland | LHP |
| SP | Colby Lewis | RHP |
| CL | Shawn Tolleson | RHP |
| RP | Jake Diekman | LHP |
| RP | Sam Dyson | RHP |
| RP | Chi Chi Gonzalez | RHP |
| RP | Keone Kela | RHP |
| RP | Ross Ohlendorf | RHP |
| RP | Martin Perez | LHP |
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, released their roster Tuesday evening, almost 48 hours ahead of their Game 1 matchup at Rogers Centre. Manager John Gibbons decided to carry 11 pitchers and 14 positions players, notably handing out a bench spot to rookie outfielder Dalton Pompey while omitting left-hander Mark Buehrle and right-hander Drew Hutchison.
POSITION PLAYERS
| Pos | Player | B/T |
|---|---|---|
| C | Russell Martin | R/R |
| C | Dioner Navarro | S/R |
| 1B | Chris Colabello | R/R |
| 1B | Justin Smoak | S/L |
| 2B | Ryan Goins | L/R |
| 3B | Josh Donaldson | R/R |
| SS | Troy Tulowitzki | R/R |
| IF | Cliff Pennington | S/R |
| OF | Jose Bautista | R/R |
| OF | Ezequiel Carrera | L/L |
| OF | Kevin Pillar | R/R |
| OF | Dalton Pompey | S/R |
| OF | Ben Revere | L/R |
| DH | Edwin Encarnacion | R/R |
PITCHERS
| Pos | Player | Throws |
|---|---|---|
| SP | Marco Estrada | RHP |
| SP | R.A. Dickey | RHP |
| SP | David Price | LHP |
| SP | Marcus Stroman | RHP |
| RP | Brett Cecil | LHP |
| RP | LaTroy Hawkins | RHP |
| RP | Liam Hendriks | RHP |
| RP | Aaron Loup | LHP |
| RP | Mark Lowe | RHP |
| CL | Roberto Osuna | RHP |
| RP | Aaron Sanchez | RHP |