Texas Rangers Spring Training 2020

[saddles]

The recent escalation of salaries makes it harder and harder to figure out what is an overpay

Sometimes the first year or two may seem like an overpay, but by the time the third year rolls around several others have bypassed him.

If you develop enough young guys you can afford to overpay a free agent or two.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Minor open to contract extension with Rangers

"It becomes a big evaluation, a big spotlight on you to pitch well because of the extension. I’d rather be about wins and getting the team to the playoffs and not worrying about all that.”

We saw a little bit of how he performs under the spotlight last summer.

I really don’t hold last July / August against him too much. The guy definitely seems like he wants to stay here. He didn’t want to uproot his family for what probably felt like the 10th different time.

the Yankees and twins should’ve given us good offers for him. They didn’t and they suffered beat downs in the playoffs partly because of that.

last July was weird, up to that point it seemed like the team was overachieving, then the front office came out and pretty much pulled the plug on the team and the guys played like dog shit for a month right after that.

 

[DT LUNA]

@WastinSomeTime you have been quite for a while. Hope you are well.

 

[saddles]

Sources: Angels ax visiting clubbie for aiding foes

 

[saddles]

I really don’t hold last July / August against him too much. The guy definitely seems like he wants to stay here. He didn’t want to uproot his family for what probably felt like the 10th different time.

the Yankees and twins should’ve given us good offers for him. They didn’t and they suffered beat downs in the playoffs partly because of that.

last July was weird, up to that point it seemed like the team was overachieving, then the front office came out and pretty much pulled the plug on the team and the guys played like dog shit for a month right after that.

I would wait until after this year and decide on bringing him back. Maybe try to go year to year like we did with Colby.

His whining last summer does concern me.

 

[jta4437]

They may be, but at least as far as I am concerned, I wanted him signed based on how he had played and how I expected him too. I expected less from him than the level he has produced at, but I still wanted us to sign him. All of that is not what I had in mind when I made the comment about the claims of hindsight though. There are folks who will defend every non-signing and then use that false hindsight argument against anyone who later says they wish we had signed him. It is ridiculous.

In the case of Cruz its really hard to believe a non-hind-sight argument, bc either we have to believe you wanted to re-sign him despite his issues, that I stated above, which is totally believable,

but then there's the other camp that wants people to believe that his post Ranger career was going to blow up like it did, thats the one I call BS on, Nightcrawlers stance is not believable, your stance is

Cruz was worth 8 million (what he got) to whatever the qualifying offer was, without any hindsight

I think the issue for the Rangers, is they, and no one else wanted to commit more than a year to him based on the PEDs suspension and injury issues and defensive liability, and at that time his bat wasn't elite like it became, so he didn't have a ton of value as a pure DH

Its crazy to think that with his late bloom, he's at 401 HRs now

 

[DT LUNA]

Sources: Angels ax visiting clubbie for aiding foes

STUPID is as stupid does.

 

[saddles]

In the case of Cruz its really hard to believe a non-hind-sight argument, bc either we have to believe you wanted to re-sign him despite his issues, that I stated above, which is totally believable,

but then there's the other camp that wants people to believe that his post Ranger career was going to blow up like it did, thats the one I call BS on, Nightcrawlers stance is not believable, your stance is

Cruz was worth 8 million (what he got) to whatever the qualifying offer was, without any hindsight

I think the issue for the Rangers, is they, and no one else wanted to commit more than a year to him based on the PEDs suspension and injury issues and defensive liability, and at that time his bat wasn't elite like it became, so he didn't have a ton of value as a pure DH

Its crazy to think that with his late bloom, he's at 401 HRs now

I have heard the false hindsight claim regarding players much less productive than Cruz. The sequence usually goes like this.

When you mention you want the team to make a particular move they either stay quiet or make arguments against it (Beltre comes to mind).

When the Rangers don't appear to try to make that move and someone complains about it they start up with one of the following arguments.. 1. We are too dumb to say the front office made a mistake. 2. We don't know the real story. 3. The team that did make the move overpaid for it. 4. The front office has a better move in mind. 5. The front office tried, but the player didn't want too (now all of a sudden we can be privy to "inside" information).

Then when the player does well for a few years they get amnesia and think no one really wanted to sign the guy. If you say you did, it is automatically assumed you only did so in hindsight. They also get amnesia about the circumstances around the negotiations.

I have seen that process played out several times, enough so that I expect each part of it even before we get to that part.

It also works that way when some of us say ahead of time that we don't want the Rangers to acquire a certain player. The Hamels trade was a prime example of that.

Several years ago it used to bother me, but I have come to realize that many have to do it as something like a coping mechanism. It is just a part of some people's nature as a fan of a team. For most it isn't a personal thing, it is just what they do.

 

[Kelleyman]

Re Cruz. No doubt we wanted him but we did not want an extended contract due to lead off need and someone better defensively. For me defensively Choo was a let down. He has done better than most give him credit for but in retrospect an extended contract for Cruz would have worked better. I know we wanted the draft choice to so that played against us.

Of course I wonder if we extended him before the end of his contract then perhaps he would have delayed serving his suspension.

 

[Kelleyman]

@saddles i was never on any DMN site so can’t say anything re that but What I remember is when Cruz signed it did look like a discount but we had already signed Choo.
I will credit you for not wanting Prince and wanting to get prospects for Kins. We both wanted Abreu but as you would suspect I was more reticent to Prince due to huge need for LHB.
You did not like Hamels due to losing prospects thinking our window closed. I liked it because of Yu although I hated losing Bronson and then Williams. Is that not correct?

 

[saddles]

One thing to keep in mind is that Cruz signed a one year deal the first time so he was available two years in a row. We bypassed that opportunity twice.

 

[saddles]

@saddles i was never on any DMN site so can’t say anything re that but What I remember is when Cruz signed it did look like a discount but we had already signed Choo.
I will credit you for not wanting Prince and wanting to get prospects for Kins. We both wanted Abreu but as you would suspect I was more reticent to Prince due to huge need for LHB.
You did not like Hamels due to losing prospects thinking our window closed. I liked it because of Yu although I hated losing Bronson and then Williams. Is that not correct?

I never liked Hamels lack of success against the American League. Thus, I thought he was worth less than what we gave up. What we gave up didn't turn out well in hindsight, but at the time they had a great deal of value.

Yes, I was at odds with management regarding our window, or title hopes, ever since that offseason that we signed Choo. They either should have went all out in free agency or rebuilt. Had they decided to rebuild I would have never said a thing about not signing Cruz. I hated the middling option they went with..

I was blasted over in the ESPN board a few months later when the 2014 trade deadline rolled around. It was past time to rebuild and i said they should have tradied Beltre for a boatload of prospects. Rev had left that board by then, but even he came back to blast me for that opinion. He would come over here and tell these guys and then go back over there and tell me how many on here thought I was foolish. That is what brought me back over here. I figured if folks were discussing my opinions I should probably get involved myself. Lol

 

[jta4437]

I have heard the false hindsight claim regarding players much less productive than Cruz. The sequence usually goes like this.

When you mention you want the team to make a particular move they either stay quiet or make arguments against it (Beltre comes to mind).

When the Rangers don't appear to try to make that move and someone complains about it they start up with one of the following arguments.. 1. We are too dumb to say the front office made a mistake. 2. We don't know the real story. 3. The team that did make the move overpaid for it. 4. The front office has a better move in mind. 5. The front office tried, but the player didn't want too (now all of a sudden we can be privy to "inside" information).

Then when the player does well for a few years they get amnesia and think no one really wanted to sign the guy. If you say you did, it is automatically assumed you only did so in hindsight. They also get amnesia about the circumstances around the negotiations.

I have seen that process played out several times, enough so that I expect each part of it even before we get to that part.

It also works that way when some of us say ahead of time that we don't want the Rangers to acquire a certain player. The Hamels trade was a prime example of that.

Several years ago it used to bother me, but I have come to realize that many have to do it as something like a coping mechanism. It is just a part of some people's nature as a fan of a team. For most it isn't a personal thing, it is just what they do.

I'm only speaking of the hindsight in regards to Cruz

 

[jta4437]

Ages 28-32
Ages 33-38


He was healthier 33-38 and more productive.... NO ONE saw that coming

 

[Kelleyman]

Here’s an old timer HSO

 

[WastinSomeTime]

@WastinSomeTime you have been quite for a while. Hope you are well.

I am doing great. Thanks for checking DT. We just got back yesterday afternoon from Petra and Israel as we were there for 2 weeks for our 40th anniversary. That plane ride is a killer so still recovering from that. Going thru custody in Frankfort and DFW took forever. Ready for the regular season to start.

 

[DT LUNA]

I am doing great. Thanks for checking DT. We just got back yesterday afternoon from Petra and Israel as we were there for 2 weeks for our 40th anniversary. That plane ride is a killer so still recovering from that. Going thru custody in Frankfort and DFW took forever. Ready for the regular season to start.

Great!! What a trip. Good you're home and safe.

 

[Nightcrawler]

I am doing great. Thanks for checking DT. We just got back yesterday afternoon from Petra and Israel as we were there for 2 weeks for our 40th anniversary. That plane ride is a killer so still recovering from that. Going thru custody in Frankfort and DFW took forever. Ready for the regular season to start.

welcome back

 

[saddles]

Ages 28-32View attachment 234437
Ages 33-38
View attachment 234438

He was healthier 33-38 and more productive.... NO ONE saw that coming

I wonder how much of his increase in health, and to some extent his increase in production, was due to him DHing a lot more?

 

[saddles]

I may get a chance to attend my first ever game in Surprise next Friday evening. We are leaving on a road trip to California to see my daughter and her family in the morning. Hopefully, we can go to a game on the way back.