Some things are better left unsaid—especially when you’re managing a billion-dollar baseball franchise. But the Texas Rangers skipper didn’t get the memo. Instead, he dropped a statement so absurd that even the ex-Marlin president couldn’t resist a scathing comparison. And at the center of it all? Jacob deGrom is a pitcher whose arm isn’t the only thing causing concerns.

Everybody makes mistakes but when a professional who has been in the field for years makes one, it is called a blunder. This is exactly what Texas Rangers manager, Bruce Bochy did. He made a statement that will surely have some consequences. A Mets manager had previously gotten suspended for the same thing. During an interview, Bruce Bochy said that he will wait for Jacob deGrom to be fully ready to pitch and will even skip the start or put him on the IL to keep him fresh. But there is one problem, it is not allowed to do that.

Ex-Marlins president David Samson jumped right into it on his YouTube channel. Samson said, “It appears that Bruce Bochy has forgotten what happened to Billy Eppler and the New York Mets When Billy Eppler was using the injury list as his own personal sandbox of hiding players and doing roaster manipulation in a way that would bring a tear in my eye… and it was made very clear by Major League Baseball that, that is not allowed.”

The line has been crossed and now everyone is watching the Rangers. Samson says that this is illegal because it will help the teams in manipulating roaster size and management. Samson used Billy Eppler and the Mets as an example of this.

The same tactic was used by the Mets when Eppler was their GM, and he placed some healthy players on the IL to make the roaster more flexible. This was called “phantom IL placements” and Eppler was suspended for a year from MLB.

If the Rangers follow through, they won’t just be testing deGrom’s durability—they’ll be testing MLB’s patience. And if history is any indication, the league doesn’t take kindly to creative roster “management.” Bochy might want to brush up on the rulebook because the last guy who tried this spent a season watching from the sidelines.

Jacob deGrom 2.0: smarter, sharper, and built to last

Jacob deGrom has never been just another pitcher—he was a force of nature, a human cheat code with a 100-mph fastball and laser-guided precision. But even the best arms have limits. Now, after years of dominance interrupted by injuries, deGrom isn’t just throwing heat—he’s outthinking the game. The flamethrower has evolved, and the league better pay attention.

With many injuries to his arm, DeGrom is now pitching with a different mindset. As seen from his training sessions, Jacob deGrom has lowered the velocity of his fastball. His goal is to remain injury-free for a longer time. He says that he is more focused on inducing weak contact rather than strikeouts.

During an interview, he said “I have to look at it like, hey, I can pitch at that velocity [from 2018]. It is less stress on your body.” The same was seen in spring training as he got most of his outs through ground balls. He says that he worked with the team staff and the doctor to change his pitching action and lower the stress.

DeGrom, once dominated by overpowering hitters—now, he’s outmaneuvering them. His evolution isn’t just about longevity; it’s about mastering the craft in a way few can. If this new version of deGrom stays healthy, the league won’t just fear his fastball—they’ll fear his mind. And let’s be honest, a smart deGrom might just be scarier than a 100-mph one.