After Anaheim, the Rangers have a 12-game trip against Seattle, Oakland, the New York Yankees and Minnesota. The world-champion Yankees, Cleveland and Boston. You want to keep your inventory to be able to make a deal for pitching. Oates began making plans based upon current players. His first decision was Stevens will be the everyday first baseman, with the footnote that a trade could change that.
Oates likes to play percentages.
For Stevens, that has meant facing few lefthanders. He had only 30 at-bats against lefthanders last season and 119 against them in three seasons with the Rangers. In that span, Stevens hit .227 with five homers. Stevens produced when he received increased at-bats against lefthanders in 1997. He hit .284 with four homers in 67 at-bats.