Jon Rauch, RHP, Diamondbacks
Background: Rauch was a double major at Morehead State, dabbling in physics and business. The White Sox drafted, developed and gave up on the right-hander, trading him to the Expos. At 6-feet-11, he’s the tallest major leaguer ever.
What’s up: The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Rauch last week for speedy Triple-A second baseman Emilio Bonifacio. Bonifacio is an intriguing prospect. But you can’t steal first base, and there’s growing concern that he might not hit in the big leagues. Landing Rauch is a bold stroke by the Diamondbacks, who are white-knuckling the division lead in the National League Worst.
What’s next: In talking to multiple Diamondbacks executives, they were motivated to acquire Rauch for two reasons: It gives them versatility and can ease the burden on a tired bullpen that has failed to protect 16 leads after the sixth inning. Teaming Rauch with Randy Johnson does more than make the Diamondbacks the prohibitive favorite in any pick-up basketball game. Rauch has a rubber-band arm, never refuses the ball and can smell the “coughing up fumes” duo of Tony Peña and Chad Qualls.
Renck’s take: It was just two years ago that a traded reliever influenced the fate of the NL West — the Padres nabbed Cla Meredith. He turned into Dan Quisenberry-lite, helping San Diego to the division crown. The Rauch issue is simple: How will he respond to pressure? That he was working as a closer for the injured Chad Cordero is reassuring for the Diamondbacks. He’s walked into the burning building. Doing that in meaningful games is a different animal. If Rauch becomes a reliable bridge to Brandon Lyon, that could be the difference in three wins — and ultimately a playoff berth.
