Rangers have some decisions to make on Lewis and Gallardo. If not it could be another down April. They basically have three LH starters.
This is more appropriate over here... Take your pick of Free agents in the off season, if you want someone else then you will have to make a trade... I'm not sure about this list cause it doesn't have Colby on it...
Starting Pitchers and their ages...
Brett Anderson (28)
Scott Baker (34)
Brandon Beachy (29)
Chad Billingsley (31)
Joe Blanton (35)
Clay Buchholz (31) – $13MM club option with a $245K buyout
Mark Buehrle (37)
A.J. Burnett (39)
Trevor Cahill (28)
Chris Capuano (37)
Wei-Yin Chen (30)
Bartolo Colon (43)
Johnny Cueto (30)
R.A. Dickey (41) – $12MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Marco Estrada (32)
Doug Fister (32)
Gavin Floyd (33)
Yovani Gallardo (30)
Jaime Garcia (29) – $11.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Dillon Gee (30)
Zack Greinke (32) – can opt out of remaining three years/$71MM
Jeremy Guthrie (37) – $10MM mutual option with a $3.2MM buyout
J.A. Happ (33)
Aaron Harang (38)
Dan Haren (35)
Rich Hill (36)
Tim Hudson (40)
Hisashi Iwakuma (35)
Scott Kazmir (32)
Kyle Kendrick (31)
Ian Kennedy (31)
John Lackey (37)
Mat Latos (28)
Mike Leake (28)
Cliff Lee (37) – $27.5MM club option with a $12.5MM buyout
If Gallardo does not sign (he likes being home) and Lewis gone, our rotation is then rounded out by Gonzalez and Martinez.
If Gallardo or Lewis signs (think Colby bolts or retires) then we have 4 with either Gonzalez or Martinez.
So a 5 man rotation.
To get to your 6 man rotation I believe we need another veteran arm. Either a Cueto or Masterson. When Yu comes back we keep the best of the RH pitchers for the remainder of the season.
You might want to add Rua to the list of departing players... Guess he decided not to go play Fall ball kinda like Martin refused to go to Arizona to stay in shape in case he was needed...
Now they clarify the situation with Rua, somewhat... Says he declined the Fall League because of a wedding, but they didn't say if it was his or someone else's... Hmmmmm...
Maybe we need to post the pitfalls of marriage and hope he reads it before it's too late... LOL...
Also remember Donaldson used to get lippy with Yu when playing for the A's. Yu used to pitch him a bunch of off speed stuff and made him look like a little leaguer.
Yu used to pitch him a bunch of off speed stuff and made him look like a little leaguer.
When Yu throws the "screwgy" to RHed batters it has a way of making them look that way.
Start it out slightly above the knees out over the middle of the plate and it will run back inside about 12-15" and end up about ankle height, nothing Donaldson is gonna do with that pitch except look wayyyyyyyy overmatched...
Yeah Sherrington the guy who spoke of Hamels as a bad deal.
So he wants to drain the farm for an even bigger risk.
Plus there are questions if Sonny Gray is healthy. Interesting how the A's limited his outings in the last month. Probably to keep his trade value up.
Who knows. Fraley seems to think the Rangers are now a big market team and have money to burn. I thought different.
Saw a piece on MLB trade rumors on Crush Davis and his FA value. Yes the Ks really hurt but he bats around .256 and crushed the ball well against LH and RH pitching. He also has power to all parts of the field. So if one is looking for a power bat that can play corner OF and corner INF Crush may be who the Rangers want back. He's 30 and in power prime. If Fraley is right and the Rangers have $ then taking on another $100+ million 6 year deal is no problem:)
So that leaves Mitch trade fodder to get the RH pitcher we need.
And if I remember correctly you said they signed a big TV deal just last season and now that they are winning again the stadium should be full on a regular basis.
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers' catching depth was reduced on Monday when Carlos Corporan refused outright assignment and opted for free agency. Texas still has Robinson Chirinos, Chris Gimenez and Bobby Wilson on the 40-man roster. All three are eligible for arbitration.
Catching could be an area that the Rangers look to upgrade in the offseason. It is also a position that is relatively weak all through the Major Leagues and the arrangement that helped win an American League West title in 2015 may be as good as the Rangers can put together for next season.
"We need to be careful not to covet something that may or may not be out there," general manager Jon Daniels said. "It's tough a position in the industry to fill. At the same point, we'll look at make sure we're coming to camp with the best set up as we can."
Chirinos goes into the offseason as the Rangers' No. 1 catcher. He was that for the first four months and again in the postseason after playing most of the final two months of the season with a torn muscle in his left shoulder.
Chirinos batted .232 with 10 home runs, 34 RBIs, a .325 on-base percentage and a .438 slugging percentage. He also threw out 23.7 percent of attempted basestealers after leading the league at 36.2 percent in 2014.
Gimenez played in 36 games with the Rangers after being called up at the end of July and hit .255 with five home runs, 14 RBIs, a .330 on-base percentage and a .490 slugging percentage. He also threw out just one of 19 attempted basestealers, but he had shoulder "cleanup" surgery immediately after the season.
Gimenez, who turns 33 on Dec. 27, has never had a full season in the Majors, but the Rangers were 25-7 in his starts. He was also the personal catcher for starter Cole Hamels and emerged as a clubhouse leader down the stretch.
Wilson shared the catching duties with Gimenez in the final two months while Chirinos and Corporan were sidelined. Wilson hit .221 with one home run, 10 RBIs, a .291 on-base percentage and a .325 slugging percentage, although club officials also consider him the best defensively of the three.
The most interesting name on the list of potential free-agent catchers is Matt Wieters, a three-time All-Star with the Orioles who played in 75 games last season after being out from May 11, 2014 to June 5, 2015 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
The other potential free agents include Alex Avila, who was an All-Star for the Tigers in 2011 and their starting catcher for five years before falling off in '15. Also eligible for free agency are veterans Chris Iannetta, Dioner Navarro, A.J. Pierzynski, Geovany Soto and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
On the trade front, the Brewers may try to trade Jonathan Lucroy, who was an All-Star in 2014 and is signed through next season with a club option for '17. But new general manager David Stearns said Lucroy is the type of player they may want to build around. Other potential trade possibilities include Wilson Ramos of the Nationals, Tyler Flowers of the White Sox, Carlos Ruiz of the Phillies, Christian Vazquez of the Red Sox and A.J. Ellis of the Dodgers.
The Rangers' own catching depth took a bigger hit on July 31 when top prospect Jorge Alfaro was included in the trade with the Phillies and Tomas Telis was sent to the Marlins for reliever Sam Dyson.
Triple-A Round Rock finished the season with Brett Nicholas and Patrick Cantwell sharing the catching duties. Nicholas is a converted first baseman with left-handed power who is still learning the position. Cantwell, a third-round pick in the 2012 Draft, is excellent defensively, but he hit just .178 this past season. The Rangers still have hopes for Kellin Deglan, a first-round pick in 2010 who has the defensive ability and left-handed power at the plate. But he has played in just 17 games at Double-A Frisco.
T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Postcards from Elysian Fields, follow him on Twitter @Sullivan_Ranger and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
And the latest on the catching situation for next year...
Having Wilson in RR would be a good thing for the young pitchers, but for himself earnings wise not so much... I'm pretty sure he's out of options so if you need him he has to clear waivers when he's not needed anymore and thus open to someone to claim. Now if you can convince him to be a teacher to the younguns (both Pitchers and Catchers) and adequately compensate him then he might go for it. But he would have to be making as much as Chirinos/Gimenez I would think to be happy doing it. And not mind riding a damn bus everywhere he goes!!!
It's surprising and yet it's not surprising at the same time.
They invited him back and when he didn't answer right away it signaled that maybe he wasn't wanting to come back. And that also gave the team the chance to realize how bad some of the pitching was against the Jays when they could have closed them out in 3 or 4 games...
If he would have accepted in the first week after the last game $5 says he would already have a contract in hand, "ya snooze ya lose"...
Yep. Plus Banister has no doubt leaned quite a bit about how the Army shakes up leadership every few years to keep ideas up to date and fresh.
I found out over the summer that an officer I used to serve with is in the Pirates organization. Been there for a few years and works closely with the players and managers. Good troop and know why he is there.
looks like they are offering the pitching coach job to Doug Brocail and BP coach to Doug Holman... Don't really have much of an opinion about either person so will just have to wait and see if they are hired...
Can't really see them making a play for Grey cause he would cost too much to land in the way of prospects. BTA I have seen Oakland trade players for next to nothing before so you never know, offer 2 prospect and go from there. I think JD isn't a very good horse trader he offers way too much for so little, still think he could have gotten the Hamels trade done for less...
A couple of the players I could see the Rangers making a play for would be pitchers Fister and Carrasco. Fister has proven he can pitch effectively in the AL and can throw 200 innings, Carrasco hasn't yet but seems to be looking like he might be ready to breakout and do it...
Lucroy well unless he can handle the staff better than what we already have then I would say that would be a waste of money...
Steave Pearce would be a waste of time he's more a utility player that has only had 1 decent season. Cheaper yes proven no...
Yeah I see then making a fast move for Fister if Gallarodo refuses the qualifying offer. Of course he would be crazy to not accept the offer. This off-season is deep on pitching and Gally is middle of the row 4-5 rotation type.
Do you receive the MLB Channel? They have been showing some of the Arizona Fall League games. Profar looked pretty good the other day 2 singles, 2 walks and a LO...
2. When Jurickson Profar starts throwing from a position, it will be shortstop. GM Jon Daniels said the club believes that Profar will be more suited to make throws from shortstop than second base, based on the angle and the stress placed on his throwing arm. Profar wanted to continue to play after his stint in the Arizona Fall League ends, but the Rangers said he was so close to a clean bill of health there was no point in taking any risks in a winter league.
An interesting development in Profar's recovery and also a hint to "EVIS" that he might be getting a new zipcode... :) :) :)
2. Based on his defensive contributions and potential trade value, Leonys Martin will be tendered a contract by the Rangers before the Dec. 2 salary arbitration date.
"We will 100 percent tender him," Daniels said.
Martin made $4.75 million in 2015 in the last year of the initial contract he signed after defecting from Cuba.
Daniels also indicated that Martin has been one of the players in which the Rangers have received the most interest, based on his defensive abilities and offensive potential. The Rangers could tender him a contract and then deal him to another club, which would then pick up the arbitration case.
Looks like they plan on keeping Martin around, as trade bait at a minimum or maybe give him one last chance in Spring Training to get his schitt together...
Use him as a piece in a trade for Carrasco the Indians could use a LHed CFer...
Looks like we won't have to worry about the Angels getting any better they just traded away their SS and best pitching prospects for an overrated over priced SS...
Yeah LOL. They do double down on stupid. They traded their best SS prospect for a Grenke rental a few years ago. Now he is the starting SS for the Brewers.
We got a #1-2 starter for a #3-4 replacement. I think we got the better deal with Hamels.
My point was Eickhoff should have never been included in the Hamels deal, they could have added an "A" ball pitcher with "supposed" high upside and not looked back... What are the odds the "A" ball pitcher would have ever made it to the majors anyway, 1-100 or more???
Now they have to spend a whole lot of money to get both #3 & 4 pitchers for next year and maybe even further into the future because they traded the future away. A much cheaper future by the way...
Remember what I said way back in the Spring about the Rangers had one of the top 3 farm systems in MLB and only had to sit tight for a year or 2 and then they would be set for a looooongggg time?? Don't see that anymore just another disaster waiting to happen if 1-2 key players get hurt..... again....
Remember what I said way back in the Spring about the Rangers had one of the top 3 farm systems in MLB and only had to sit tight for a year or 2 and then they would be set for a looooongggg time?? Don't see that anymore just another disaster waiting to happen if 1-2 key players get hurt..... again....
Hard to look at the unknowns coming from the minors. The Rangers don't have any "generational" type talent right now and probably have not since ARod.
We have to take into consideration the core starters we have and look at age and contract length. The Rangers have a window of 2016- 2018, three seasons to do what they need to get done. Within that timeframe minor leaguers like Profar, Gallo and a few pitching prospects will either make it and fill in or not.
Remember most thought we sold the farm to get Dempster. We gave up Justin Grimm and Mike Olt. Grimm pitched out of the BP for the Cubbies and Olt is still in the minors passed over several times.
What I can't figure out is the Cardinals farm system. They seem to keep getting well above average results from their system. Could be better scouting of draft picks.
The Astros got great quick by being bad for so long. That's another way to do it, but very bad for selling tickets.
Leonys Martin to Mariners in 5-Player Deal: Latest Trade Details, Reaction
After their center fielders finished 26th in WAR in 2015, per FanGraphs, the Seattle Mariners decided to upgrade their available options. Seattle confirmed it traded pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen, outfielder James Jones and a player to be named later to the Texas Rangers for Leonys Martin and pitcher Anthony Bass on Monday.
(From Bleacher Report)
Also I owe the Yankees organization an apology. The Padres could end up being the most inept organization:
Yea I seen this when I woke up in the middle of the night on MLB Channel. Looks like they solidified their BP even more but I thought they would give Scheppers a chance to get his act together first with the new pitching coach. Wonder who will fill Basses roll as long reliever now in the pen?
I'm surprised they wasted/used Martin for this instead of a RHed OFer. Guess he burned his bridge so badly when he refused to go to Arizona during the playoffs that the first offer that came along he was gone.
Schep might be a candidate for long reliever. Eh probably not:) The AL manager of the year probably has stuck in his head the 4 or so games Schep blew big leads. Four games which mean a lot at the end of season.
Rangers could ask Wandy Rod back as long reliever. Ohlendorf or Mayne Renauldo. Or maybe Colby is asked back. Who knows?!
There are so many people to choose from as to who will be the long reliever, but I don't think they will spend a lot of money ($3M or more) on one. So my first guess is it will be someone who still has options for the minors and used to be a starter...
The thing I'm hoping is that they can get by using only 12 pitchers on a regular basis next year that would allow them to carry 1 DH, 1 who can play both IF/OF, 4 OFers, 5 IFers and 2 Catchers...
The thing I'm hoping is that they can get by using only 12 pitchers on a regular basis next year that would allow them to carry 1 DH, 1 who can play both IF/OF, 4 OFers, 5 IFers and 2 Catchers...
That would be good; however having 12 pitchers is still a lot to hold. I think it will depend on their actual starting rotation on whether they start with 11 or 12 pitchers. Although Banny was master of the DFA last year which saved his bacon.
You know I got to thinking about a RHed bat for the OF and found out something interesting, Profar has played some OF before... Hmmmmmm... (But this only works if his shoulder is sound)...
And this also made me wonder if he couldn't be used at 1B since he's a switch hitter and has some pop in his bat. If his minors stats are translated out to a full season he's capable of 20HRs and 70-80 RBIs...
He has all the tools we just need to figure out a way to get him in the everyday lineup...
Well it looks like Jordan Zimmerman is going to Detroit for $22M a year and Cueto turned down 20M a year, and the sad thing is some dumb owner will probably give him what he's looking for...
Ilitch must have scads of money cause I can't imagine he brings in that much at the ballpark since that Ghetto/Detroit is a ghost town nowadays...
A rumor I heard was the Marlins are talking to Barry Bonds about him being their batting instructor/coach!! That would be kinda fun to see him in a uniform again and see what he can teach to the younger players of today...
Haven't heard anything about what the Rangers are doing so am assuming they are waiting till a few more FAs have signed before they make their move, if they actually go after any FAs...
Haven't heard anything about what the Rangers are doing so am assuming they are waiting till a few more FAs have signed before they make their move, if they actually go after any FAs...
Wondering if there are talks with Colby. They did not offer him a qualifying offer.
Wonder what Gallardo is thinking right now? That juicy $16M qualifying offer would have been nice to have and improve his game to get a better deal the next year.
Wonder what Gallardo is thinking right now? That juicy $16M qualifying offer would have been nice to have and improve his game to get a better deal the next year.
He's licking his lips and rubbing his hands in anticipation of the next dumb owner to call offering him insane money for mediocrity... I'm betting he gets offered at least 18M for a couple of years, I'd be surprised if that doesn't happen...
And it looks like he's gonna be right Zimmerman just signed for 22M a year and David Price just got offered 7yrs/217M from the Red Sox!!! How can you offer a guy 31M a year when he's a liability in the playoffs, his record is somewhere around 1-9 with a 5+ ERA... It really makes you wonder how some of these owners got their money? Either inheritance or sucking the governments cod cause it sure wasn't from good business sense!!!
Idiots like "Dumbrowski" is what is slowly but surely ruining the game... If the player contracts were "incentive based" and uniform throughout the league the game would be played a totally different way...
Idiots like "Dumbrowski" is what is slowly but surely ruining the game... If the player contracts were "incentive based" and uniform throughout the league the game would be played a totally different way...
So it looks like they are making sure they have at least 2 catchers. I'm guessing they've found out it would be too expensive at this time to upgrade at the catcher position or trade for a good young promising one...
Also just remembered Todd Frazier is out there and he can play multiple positions, 3B, OF, 1B and SS when he was younger. Right now the Reds want an arm and a leg for him but if no one gives them what they want by the Trade Deadline he might become a bit more affordable. He will be eligible for arbitration after next year and should get a very healthy raise and could be kinda hard to resign. A very good backup plan in case they can't resign Beltre...
Well that didn't last very long he just got traded today, and cheaply from the looks of it... Why can't Daniels find deals like this???
Also looks like they signed a RHed OFer to platoon with Josh in LF next year... He will be in against LHers and maybe if Josh gets hurt for a short period of time... (Would say this might rule out them resigning Stubbs)...
Well Napoli signed with the Indians so they still should be in the market for a RHed power bat. That is unless they think Patrick Kivlehan can win that job out of Spring Training... He's versatile (can play IF and OF) so he could be a good cheap bench player...
• And how did this happen? The Twins got a triple from three hitters in the same inning of their June 14 game in Texas -- but scored only one run. (So how did that happen? Shane Robinson got picked off third by Robinson Chirinos after triple No. 2. That's how.)
Here's an article you might find interesting/amusing, along with an excerpt...
Did you see the Yankees traded for Aroldis Chapman???
Looks like they are another team that realize "adequate" starting pitching is hard to come by and are making their pen deeper... Am curious as to how many pitchers they will have on the opening day roster???
The Yanks gave up 4 minor leagues who are not considered big prospects (1 former 1st round pick who appeared to the Yanks to be a bust ). It's an impressive back end of the bullpen.
Question remains about the number of games he will be suspended due to domestic violence (Guess I have to tone down my critique of the Cowboys signing Greg Hardy.) Currently he is arbitration eligible ,and a free agent after this season. BUT ,if he serves significant suspension time ,it extends the time the Yanks control his deal.
I don't think Cashman is finished dealing . He has already opened the door for a possible trade of Andrew Miller to fill other needs ,like a young top end starter (dare I think Jose Fernandez ? ) If not ,the combo of Chapman,Miller , Betances could anchor the best bull pen of all time.
I also think the Yanks may consider moving Ivan Nova to fill a need.
Our rumors roundup continues with news on another prominent outfielder still on the market: ▪ Justin Upton: The Texas Rangers are interested in Upton, but only on a one-year contract, tweets Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Upton is still seeking a longer deal, but a one-year contract could be an option down the road if the market remains stalled. Upton is just 28 and coming off a sub-par year in San Diego (.251/.336/.445). He could add to his value with a big 2016 season and re-enter the weaker free-agent outfield market next winter.
Now I can see why people aren't falling over themselves to offer Upton a contract, at least not one that he thinks should go with all the hype surrounding him...
Rangers pitchers and catchers report 19 Feb. Rest of the squad 24 Feb. Baseball 2016 just around the corner. :)
2 days before Daytona cool. That's usually the timeframe where the cold weather starts to break up here and you know Spring is just a few weeks away...
2 days before Daytona cool. That's usually the timeframe where the cold weather starts to break up here and you know Spring is just a few weeks away...
We really have not had much cold here in Central Texas this winter so far. I'm sure we will get a few days here and there near freezing but think we only had one day under 32F here at night.
Another small update looks like they're going to give Scheppers another chance to get his act back together. If he can they will conceivably have the best and deepest pen in the majors, contrary to what all the talking heads are claiming...
You know I got to thinking about a RHed bat for the OF and found out something interesting, Profar has played some OF before... Hmmmmmm... (But this only works if his shoulder is sound)...
yes a major blow to the Yank plans . "Bird could return by the end of the 2016 season, but that scenario would be very unlikely."
I would not even advise attempting it . He was not going to start at 1st base this year as long as Tex was healthy .
I doubt if they have anyone adequate in the minors who can fill in long term if Tex goes down. They were probably going to leave Bird in the minors this season until Tex inevidibly goes down. Headly can play 1st ....but he is locked in at 3rd. OF Dustin Ackley can fill in also . The Yanks need to make a move .
I doubt if they have anyone adequate in the minors who can fill in long term if Tex goes down. They were probably going to leave Bird in the minors this season until Tex inevidibly goes down. Headly can play 1st ....but he is locked in at 3rd. OF Dustin Ackley can fill in also . The Yanks need to make a move .
Well the Rangers have a solution. I think Elvis Andrus can play 1B if needed. Pick up his horrible contract and you have a deal! :)
Well it does look a little better than it did last year but yes it still does need some attention. I see they're kicking the tires in Lincecum and maybe Cliff Lee but that's about it.
I also see maybe a run at Gallardo at the beginning of the season if he's still available or another starter at the trade deadline with Evis as part of the deal... :)
Get rid of his contract and they could afford another good starting pitcher. They have 2 guys in the minors to fill that spot at a fraction of the price as you well know...
Get rid of his contract and they could afford another good starting pitcher. They have 2 guys in the minors to fill that spot at a fraction of the price as you well know...
Even though they have a really deep BP now it still may not be enough if a couple of the starters can't get the job done. They could be seriously overworked (like last year) and Scheppers could be a life saver if he regains his stuff. I'm pretty sure it was knee issues that screwed up last year for him so this should/could cure what ails him...
I still have Wandy's comment in the back of my mind. The one where he said he had issues with the Globe Life mound.
I've heard the same thing a few years ago from CJ I think it was, I'm curious as to what makes it so weird? Too hard, too steep a drop, not enough drop???
