Left coast swing commences.....LAA 8/21-24

[donaldson79]

The scary thing is...... is he really better than roogie? And you know what? I think he might be.

I know Elvis is irreplaceable. I hope Elvis is playing shortstop for us for the next 10 years honestly, but I've been disappointed by roogie this year. It's a shame what has happened with profar and how we have handled him.

I hope if he has success elsewhere that it's outside the AL west.

I think Profar is definitely a better defensive option at 2nd than Roggie. But it seems there's really no way to move him to LF now, and I don't really see him as a RF. In fact, I don't see Profar being moved, unless he's willing to try playing CF, and I don't see this happening, frankly from either side, Profar or management.

 

[saddles]

So if this team gets to the Wild-Card play-in game, does that make this season successful?

Not to me. I have had plenty of playoff appearances. If we cannot make a very serious run at a championship making the playoffs doesn't impress me. I was impressed with that back in 1996, but not now.

 

[saddles]

The scary thing is...... is he really better than roogie? And you know what? I think he might be.

I know Elvis is irreplaceable. I hope Elvis is playing shortstop for us for the next 10 years honestly, but I've been disappointed by roogie this year. It's a shame what has happened with profar and how we have handled him.

I hope if he has success elsewhere that it's outside the AL west.

I think given everyday playing time Profar would prove to be superior to Roogie. We will find that out one day when he is playing elsewhere and it won't be due to a change of scenery. It will be due to a change in amount of playing time.

 

[donaldson79]

Not to me. I have had plenty of playoff appearances. If we cannot make a very serious run at a championship making the playoffs doesn't impress me. I was impressed with that back in 1996, but not now.

I would, but understand completely why you feel this way. But for me, since we started off so poorly, plus shipped Darvish off, and I think it's always a good thing to let the younger guys get a feel for post season play.

I think given everyday playing time Profar would prove to be superior to Roogie. We will find that out one day when he is playing elsewhere and it won't be due to a change of scenery. It will be due to a change in amount of playing time.

I'm afraid you're right. We had a good opportunity this season to move Roggie to LF, and let Profar take over at 2nd, but we choose not to do so. At least IMO.

 

[DT LUNA]

I would, but understand completely why you feel this way. But for me, since we started off so poorly, plus shipped Darvish off, and I think it's always a good thing to let the younger guys get a feel for post season play.



I'm afraid you're right. We had a good opportunity this season to move Roggie to LF, and let Profar take over at 2nd, but we choose not to do so. At least IMO.

Don, it seems that the FO chose Odor's HR RBI's to be more profitable than his defense being a liability. Tough decision to make but if Odor moved to Lf, we would have gained better defense and remained pat with offense.

Who is to say what kind of offense production Profar may have added. Hindsight wins out again. Thought you and Bennie made good observations concerning this possibility. Probably too late but something may come up yet for Profar to stay here and help us. If not he should develop well and be a success with a team needing a young shortstop.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

It’s the tenth anniversary of the biggest rout in baseball history

 

[donaldson79]

It’s the tenth anniversary of the biggest rout in baseball history

Hitzges covered this today and had David Murphy on to chat about it......Pretty good interview......Honestly, I'd almost forgotten about this.......Murphy got 5 hits that day, which was the first time he'd ever done this.

And thanks for the post!

 

[donaldson79]

Don, it seems that the FO chose Odor's HR RBI's to be more profitable than his defense being a liability. Tough decision to make but if Odor moved to Lf, we would have gained better defense and remained pat with offense.

Who is to say what kind of offense production Profar may have added. Hindsight wins out again. Thought you and Bennie made good observations concerning this possibility. Probably too late but something may come up yet for Profar to stay here and help us. If not he should develop well and be a success with a team needing a young shortstop.

And I want to be clear and fair to the FO. I'm not bad mouthing JD & Co. But for me, I saw a window of opportunity, which you made note of in your first paragraph. Obviously, they didn't.

Perhaps it's worth noting, and this is all hindsight, but even if the season was about what it is now, it would have changed the dynamics of the Darvish trade.

It seems Profar is hitting better from both sides of the plate now. But like Saddles said, we'll get to see his glory in another uniform and get to chat about, what could have been. Oh well.

 

[Nightcrawler]

And I want to be clear and fair to the FO. I'm not bad mouthing JD & Co. But for me, I saw a window of opportunity, which you made note of in your first paragraph. Obviously, they didn't.

Perhaps it's worth noting, and this is all hindsight, but even if the season was about what it is now, it would have changed the dynamics of the Darvish trade.

It seems Profar is hitting better from both sides of the plate now. But like Saddles said, we'll get to see his glory in another uniform and get to chat about, what could have been. Oh well.

I just hope another team actually gives us something for him.

I was let down by the Darvish trade. I think our FO could've handled it better. They did a poor job of getting more teams involved and driving the price up. We pretty much had to run back to the dodgers at the last minute and accept a " take it or leave it" deal.

 

[Nightcrawler]

So if this team gets to the Wild-Card play-in game, does that make this season successful?

If you looked at this roster before the season and told me wildcard play in game would be the result, I'd say they underachieved.

Given how everything has played out, The emergence of the Astros, losing Beltre for 50 games, a closer that shit the bed and single handedly lost us 6 games, a bullpen that imploded, injuries all over, guys underperforming across the board. I'd gladly take the wildcard play in!

I've said it before and been attacked for it, but this is what I really think.

If the Rangers could just get in and win the wildcard, we would probably be playing the Astros. I like our chances against them better than the blue jays last year. I know right now we're looking at a lot of " ifs", but if a few things fall into place, we could have a decent shot of making the ALCS.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

If you looked at this roster before the season and told me wildcard play in game would be the result, I'd say they underachieved.

Given how everything has played out, The emergence of the Astros, losing Beltre for 50 games, a closer that shit the bed and single handedly lost us 6 games, a bullpen that imploded, injuries all over, guys underperforming across the board. I'd gladly take the wildcard play in!

I've said it before and been attacked for it, but this is what I really think.

If the Rangers could just get in and win the wildcard, we would probably be playing the Astros. I like our chances against them better than the blue jays last year. I know right now we're looking at a lot of " ifs", but if a few things fall into place, we could have a decent shot of making the ALCS.

I don't like our chances against any team going into the postseason.

 

[DT LUNA]

I don't like our chances against any team going into the postseason.

Nor do I. Never understood trading YD if our goal was to make the postseason.

 

[donaldson79]

Nor do I. Never understood trading YD if our goal was to make the postseason.

I do....honestly do....With or without him, we weren't/aren't real challengers for a WS; win or lose it.......And Yu wasn't going to resign with us and I believe Darvish knew it, as did the FO.

And the reasons for me wanting us to make the post season, or is that playoff?, have been bantered around earlier

 

[Nightcrawler]

I do....honestly do....With or without him, we weren't/aren't real challengers for a WS; win or lose it.......And Yu wasn't going to resign with us and I believe Darvish knew it, as did the FO.

And the reasons for me wanting us to make the post season, or is that playoff?, have been bantered around earlier

This team has actually done better without Yu in the small sample size we've seen.

We've all talked about the strange tendency that our lineup just wouldn't help out Darvish. I know the guys really tried, but it seemed like the home run fences were moved 500 feet back, the other team had extra fielders, the other team's pitcher always threw his best game of the year, and the Rangers were hitting with bats that had cracks / holes in them on days when Darvish was on the mound.

 

[DT LUNA]

I do....honestly do....With or without him, we weren't/aren't real challengers for a WS; win or lose it.......And Yu wasn't going to resign with us and I believe Darvish knew it, as did the FO.

And the reasons for me wanting us to make the post season, or is that playoff?, have been bantered around earlier

Understand but why did FO think we would make and or advance without Yu. Makes no sense at all.

 

[donaldson79]

This team has actually done better without Yu in the small sample size we've seen.

We've all talked about the strange tendency that our lineup just wouldn't help out Darvish. I know the guys really tried, but it seemed like the home run fences were moved 500 feet back, the other team had extra fielders, the other team's pitcher always threw his best game of the year, and the Rangers were hitting with bats that had cracks / holes in them on days when Darvish was on the mound.

I've wondered if Yu put extra pressure on himself to be perfect, as opposed to just real good, and it affected him, and the offense, as a unit, did the same thing? A perfect storm of frustrations, so-to-speak.

 

[donaldson79]

Understand but why did FO think we would make and or advance without Yu. Makes no sense at all.

OK, think of it this way......And I'm going to paraphrase saddles here: "I don't think making the PS with no hope of winning it all is a successful season." That's kind of/sort of what he said, and I understood it.

But my point is, with or without him, this team wasn't going to win the AL IMO, much less the WS. So if you know you aren't willing nor capable of resigning him, then why keep him?

This hold any water?

 

[DT LUNA]

OK, think of it this way......And I'm going to paraphrase saddles here: "I don't think making the PS with no hope of winning it all is a successful season." That's kind of/sort of what he said, and I understood it.

But my point is, with or without him, this team wasn't going to win the AL IMO, much less the WS. So if you know you aren't willing nor capable of resigning him, then why keep him?

This hold any water?

Does to me but that was and is not yet the way FO sees it. They have repeatedly said they are all in. If they are honest then they had to know it was not happening w/o YU. I'm with you on this just pointing out the odd thinking how you advance to the PS trading your ACE

 

[Nightcrawler]

OK, think of it this way......And I'm going to paraphrase saddles here: "I don't think making the PS with no hope of winning it all is a successful season." That's kind of/sort of what he said, and I understood it.

But my point is, with or without him, this team wasn't going to win the AL IMO, much less the WS. So if you know you aren't willing nor capable of resigning him, then why keep him?

This hold any water?

I agree with you on this.

I think they had to avoid the negative publicity or " backlash" if you will of this team not retaining him. We would have been the laughing stock of MLB if we kept him, didn't even get to the wild card game at all, he left, and we received some crappy 3rd round compensatory pick. We had to make sure that didn't play out.

Admittedly, I'm not the biggest Calhoun fan. I was hoping we would get Buehler or their stud outfield prospect, but who knows, maybe Calhoun could be the DH of the future. The only thing that makes me skeptical is his size.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

Pardon the pun, but JD had to cover all his bases with Darvish. I don't think trading him necessarily rules out the possibility he re-signs here, I think JD had to make sure they got the most they could for him in the event he doesn't. I still believe the Rangers have an honest shot at bringing him back, but it they don't, which is a pretty fair chance, they have something to show for it.

But for the postseason, it's pretty much going to take a metric shit ton of luck just to make it there, and good GM's don't run franchises based on luck.