Fraley is saying they should check out Ian Kennedy and Mike Leake this off season. Both are currently in the NL average close to 200 innings but a move to the AL would raise their already 4.00 ERAs even higher. Fraley must think Maddox can help them be better pitchers...
Fraley has some weird ideas at times. The one who has JDs ear and TLs ear is Grant.
Ok I can see Kennedy as he has pitched in the AL. But only seemed to beat the Rangers consistently:)
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."---Romans 5:6
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.
Just a thought.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."---Romans 5:6
Who knows. Fraley seems to think the Rangers are now a big market team and have money to burn. I thought different.
As of right now their total payroll is right at 152M. That includes all kinds of salaries like players that are gone, the soon to be free agents, some on the DL so forth and so on. It would take awhile to sort all of this out but I would think that this is about where they want to be at the start of next year after everything sorts itself out. But if they resign Napoli I don't see how they could maintain the 150M figure, it would have to go up. Especially if they resign him to a contract that is as overpriced as the one he just got done with, that was 16M...
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. This would allow them to go up to maybe 175M but I think that is about as high as it could get...
I also noticed A-Roids contract isn't listed, I thought they still owed money on him but I could be wrong...
http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/texas-rangers/payroll/
Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
I got to looking closer at the payroll and it looks like somewhere around 35M is coming off the payroll when everything shakes out... (And if Moreland gets traded that's another 3M, and Martin leaving would be another 4.75M)...
So they need to acquire/resign 2 RHed pitchers and 1-2 RHed bats at a minimum (one I'm assuming will be Napoli). They probably will go after a few RPers and might decide they need an upgrade at catcher. (If you extrapolate Chirinos and Giminez stats out to a full season you will get somewhere around 20HRs and 70/75 RBIs, I can handle that at the catchers position for 2M dollars)...
Another thing will be arbitration with some players and some of the younguns will also get a pay raise...
I think one of the first things they need to decide is do they go thru arbitration with Martin to resign him and let him compete again next year for a spot on the team or sign/trade him or just flat out release him??
Then will they put a qualifying offer on Gallardo to ensure they get a draft pick if he walks, which I assume he will... But what if he accepts the offer will they sign him or just cut him loose??
Then how much do you want to pay Colby because I would just imagine he's going to ask for a lot more this time around, home town discount time is over I think especially since he won 17 games this year...
Then you have to figure out what Napoli is worth if you plan on resigning him. He averages 57 RBIs per year in his career, is that worth 16M a year??? (I say no but that's me)...
Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
ARoid was a 10 year contract and signed in 2000. Yankees signed him to a longer term contract in 2007. Don't know if some of the option years got rolled up with the Yankee contract.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."---Romans 5:6
All good points and questions. We won't see much movement until the winter meetings in December.
However the Rangers did outright Corporan, Blanks, and Strass and another I think to AAA. Corcoran and Blanks will go to FA of course. Remember Blanks was doing well with the long ball in his few starts until his injury.
There are plenty of misfit toys out there in FA market which will no doubt make Oakland's Beane salivate. Then again he took a "promotion" and is no longer GM.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."---Romans 5:6
However the Rangers did outright Corporan, Blanks, and Strass and another I think to AAA.
Antoan Richardson was the other.
Also the Dodgers claimed Lisalverto Bonilla from the Rangers on a waiver claim. Speaking of Dodgers Mattingly is gone, am wondering who will be their new head coach. Sounds like getting to the playoffs (with an overpriced mish mash of never have ever accomplished anything players) wasn't good enough for the new owners. You could trim close to 200M off that payroll and still be competitive with the new faces...
I got to looking at some stats and one jumped right out at me Leonys Martin's batting average is all over the place. When he's on he's on when he's off he's really off. I'm betting they bring him back and see if the new batting coach can "fix his stroke". He's 27 has lots of talent but can't quite get his head around what he really needs to be doing, (like his little temper tantrum during the playoffs) maybe they need to introduce him to Josh's shrink to see if he/she can "fix his head"...
Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
I also noticed A-Roids contract isn't listed, I thought they still owed money on him but I could be wrong...
The reason I said that was when I was watching part of a Yankees game the announcers made mention of it when they were discussing him and his contract. Maybe they were wrong or maybe I just misheard...
Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
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.
Yeah Gabe. Would be nice but his resume is a bit short.
True, but maybe the think they need someone who is young enough to relate to the players of today, Mattingly may have been too old school for the owners taste...
Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
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...
Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
Frankly I think we have an above average situation at catcher. Most teams probably envy us.
Catcher is the hardest everyday player position to fill in MLB... You either have a very good defensive catcher or you have a offensively gifted catcher. But hardly ever do the 2 come together in the same body, and if it does then 162 games behind the plate grinds it down to a useless nub. It's better (IMO) to have 2 to platoon (1 LH bat and 1 RH bat) to be able to matchup against the opposition pitching and to ensure they aren't beat down and useless by the end of the season. It also helps to create a little competition between the 2 for playing time, ensuring both play their best...
Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
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!!!
Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
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"...
Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
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.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."---Romans 5:6
ARLINGTON -- Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said the club will consider internal candidates to replace pitching coach Mike Maddux.
Outside candidates will also be interviewed, but the Rangers showed last season how serious they are about promoting from within. When Jeff Banister was hired as manager last season, he added three to his staff from inside the organization: first-base coach Hector Ortiz, field coordinator Jayce Tingler and dugout coach Steve Buechele.
The Rangers have already interviewed three pitching coach candidates from the organization. All three have paid some serious dues in their rise through the labyrinth of Minor League baseball, and all have much hands-on time with the Rangers' homegrown pitchers. Texas is also looking for a bullpen coach, but that's likely not to be decided until after the pitching coach is determined.
Here is a look at the internal candidates:
Danny Clark: The Tennessee native has spent 10 seasons in the Rangers organization, including the past seven in the vital role of Minor League pitching coordinator. He began with the Rangers in 2006 as pitching coach at Class A Spokane, and then went to Class A Clinton in '07-08. That '08 staff included Derek Holland, Neftali Feliz, Michael Main and Blake Beavan and finished with a 3.53 ERA, 1,050 strikeouts and just 400 walks. Prior to joining the Rangers, Clark was head coach for six years at Milligan College in Johnson City, Tenn. Clark graduated from East Tennessee State University and holds a masters degree as well.
Brad Holman: A former Major League pitcher, Holman has spent seven seasons in the Rangers organization as a pitching coach, including the past three at Triple-A Round Rock. In the 16-team Pacific Coast League, the Express has finished fifth in pitching in two of the past three years. He also spent two seasons at Class A Hickory and two at Class A Myrtle Beach, and he was the 2013 winner of the Bobby Jones Player Development Man of the Year Award. He also had seven seasons as a pitching coach in the Mariners and Pirates organizations. Holman pitched in 19 games as a reliever for the Mariners in 1993. After his playing career was over, he worked for five years as a mechanic at Boeing Aircraft.
Jeff Andrews: He just finished his 30th season in professional baseball. This guy has been around so long, he was the pitching coach on the Class A Port Charlotte team in 1987 that included Kevin Brown and Kenny Rogers. Andrews started his career with the Rangers in 1986, and was with them for six years his first time around. He returned in 2009 and been at Double-A Frisco since then. Andrews was the 2014 Texas League Mike Coolbaugh Coach of the Year Award winner after his staff finished with a team record 3.39 ERA. He shared the '13 Bobby Jones Award with Holman. Andrews' range of experience includes an '02 stint with the independent league Lincoln Saltdogs and his season as the Pirates' pitching coach in '08.
The latest on the pitching coach situation...
Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
The team has already expressed the desire to keep Napoli's RHed bat around and extend a qualifying offer to Gallardo. Kinda curious to see if they try to keep Stubbs around to see if they can fix his swing. He would be a very good addition to the OF if they could, put him in CF move DD to LF and let Hamilton move to 1B/DH and split time with Fielder/Napoli...
Most of the people on that list were underachievers at best or showed they couldn't "Hold their water" during the playoffs, or have only had one decent year and it was 2015...
Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians!
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...
