Texas Rangers 2018-2019 Offseason Thread

[True Rangers Fan]

Jeff Wilson had the entire quote.


“We have a bunch of young guys, and sometimes all they are thinking about is how to stay in the big leagues. That gets you away from helping the team on a daily basis. Everybody goes through it. A bunch of guys have two or three years in the league. If you have two or three years, by now you have to figure it out.”

That doesn't point toward Calhoun at all. He doesn't have two tor three years in the league.

Well if you take Elvis' words verbatim and literally, then sure.

 

[DT LUNA]

They all should be concerned. Willie's situation is not good for him because this team failed to unload Choo and not because he was given a legitimate shot and failed at the big league level. His situation is an organizational failure and not an individual one in my estimation.

His situation was not what Elvis was addressing in the quote I gave though. Not at all, now that we have the entire quote to go by.

I know. No matter the reason, I was just saying he has reason to worry about staying in the big's at no fault of his own.

 

[Kelleyman]

I like Willie Rakes but he had a rough year Choo or no Choo. Not interested in making any one player a scapegoat or give Willie a free pass because he was supposedly blocked. Let's say we unload Choo, Calhoun still needs to earn his spot.

BTW. I like Guzman and he had a "good" year as a rookie but he needs to improve at a position they demands better hitting.

We were a last place team and need to improve with what we have and not twiddle our fingers until Bubba Thompson arrives.

 

[Kelleyman]

Well if you take Elvis' words verbatim and literally, then sure.

Funny. Yes it is not a sin to read between the lines and maybe some of the young guys felt the MILB rope perhaps from the manager

 

[saddles]

Well if you take Elvis' words verbatim and literally, then sure.

I think he may have exaggerated when he said a bunch of guys. He may only have 2 or 3 in mind. I don't think he meant just one guy though. I think it is clear that he is talking about guys who have a good deal more experience in the league than Calhoun. He may have used the time frame 2-3 years and also was thinking about guys with a little less than that or a little more. Guys like Gallo, Mazara, and Odor fit into the time frame loosely. Guys like IKF, Calhoun, and Guzman do not by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[saddles]

Funny. Yes it is not a sin to read between the lines and maybe some of the young guys felt the MILB rope perhaps from the manager

No "sin" to read between the lines. It is a "sin" to think he meant something completely different to target certain players who obviously don't fit into the category by any reasonable stretch.

As DT and you have mentioned, Willie has problems, but not the kind Elvis was referring to. There are a lot of guys on the team with problems. Some hopefully are fixable and some probably aren't.

He didn't adjust well to going back to AAA. He also is behind some guys who are in his way. The first was his fault and the second one isn't. He did appear to correct that first problem as the year went along though. Let's see if management can get creative and fix the second problem.

 

[scotsman1948]

saw a proposed trade where the Rangers trade Elvis to the Dodgers for a pair of prospects

 

[scotsman1948]

No "sin" to read between the lines. It is a "sin" to think he meant something completely different to target certain players who obviously don't fit into the category by any reasonable stretch.

As DT and you have mentioned, Willie has problems, but not the kind Elvis was referring to. There are a lot of guys on the team with problems. Some hopefully are fixable and some probably aren't.

He didn't adjust well to going back to AAA. He also is behind some guys who are in his way. The first was his fault and the second one isn't. He did appear to correct that first problem as the year went along though. Let's see if management can get creative and fix the second problem.

does being creative include the possibility of trading Calhoun?

 

[True Rangers Fan]

saw a proposed trade where the Rangers trade Elvis to the Dodgers for a pair of prospects

Not seeing how that makes any sense, given Elvis' contract situation.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Not really sure it's "reading between the lines" when Calhoun has demonstrated several times that he's been displeased with being sent down and has shared that info on social media. Then literally 24 hours after Elvis is quoted as saying how young guys are too focused on the possibility of being sent down, Calhoun announces he's staying off social media to regain focus.

I guess I shouldn't have said "aimed squarely at Calhoun" because my point wasn't that Calhoun was the ONLY player Elvis was speaking about. But he is definitely one of them, and in my opinion, the main one. Evidence bears that out.

 

[saddles]

does being creative include the possibility of trading Calhoun?

Creative means trading away Choo who will not be here when we have a chance to go to a WS again. You wouldn't need to be creative to trade Calhoun. The amount of creativity involved in trading Choo ramped up significantly once we passed the trade deadline a few weeks back.

If they ever decide some other young player would be a better player at DH than Calhoun then by all means trade Calhoun. It would make no sense to trade a young player simply because a veteran is currently blocking him when the veteran will not be here when we have a realistic shot at going to the WS again.

 

[saddles]

This would be my plan for next year for the lineup. It includes Beltre retiring, Choo being unloaded at whatever cost, and Odor being traded. Now, if they decide to spend big in free agency on a position player then everything changes.

C Chirinos/IKF
1B Guzman
2B Profar
3B IKF/Gallo
SS Elvis
LF Gallo/Calhoun
RF Mazara
CF (Who Knows)
DH Calhoun/best bench bat

If they no longer trust Drew Robinson then they should sign a CF on a 2-3 year contract until JPM, Thompson or Taveras is ready.

This is simply what I think. I am almost certain that the Rangers would not do anything like this.

 

[Kelleyman]

I get that we are rebuilding but to suggest FO failed because they were unable to trade Choo is a stretch

If unable to trade then I would think the alternative is to release him.
Despite rebuild to release Choo one of your best hitters in 2018 just to make room for Willie is foolish and sets a wrong precedent. I am hoping Willie comes out blazing to force his way into the lineup. Just think it is time to produce at MLB level and yes he has had plenty of time at AAA

Competition is not a bad thing

 

[scotsman1948]

Creative means trading away Choo who will not be here when we have a chance to go to a WS again. You wouldn't need to be creative to trade Calhoun. The amount of creativity involved in trading Choo ramped up significantly once we passed the trade deadline a few weeks back.

If they ever decide some other young player would be a better player at DH than Calhoun then by all means trade Calhoun. It would make no sense to trade a young player simply because a veteran is currently blocking him when the veteran will not be here when we have a realistic shot at going to the WS again.

I wasn't suggesting trading him just wanted to know if all options were viable in your thinking. of course Choo is the most obvious choice to go but he is also the most difficult to get rid of.

 

[Kelleyman]

No "sin" to read between the lines. It is a "sin" to think he meant something completely different to target certain players who obviously don't fit into the category by any reasonable stretch.

As DT and you have mentioned, Willie has problems, but not the kind Elvis was referring to. There are a lot of guys on the team with problems. Some hopefully are fixable and some probably aren't.

He didn't adjust well to going back to AAA. He also is behind some guys who are in his way. The first was his fault and the second one isn't. He did appear to correct that first problem as the year went along though. Let's see if management can get creative and fix the second problem.

Any sin may be on my part. I just think Elvis wants to win and he wants younger players to want that too. That should be the focus not whether they will stick at MLB level. Messages may mean something different to different players
Willie obviously took it that he needs to improve which I agree with and hope and wish him great success with.

He appears to have a great talent at hitting despite a rough 2018

 

[Kelleyman]

Also think Elvis is not ready to immediately write off 2019 despite what we think. I have no problem with that mentality despite no starting pitching. Maybe a message to owners

 

[saddles]

I wasn't suggesting trading him just wanted to know if all options were viable in your thinking. of course Choo is the most obvious choice to go but he is also the most difficult to get rid of.

Exactly, this the need for a great deal of creativity.

 

[scotsman1948]

This would be my plan for next year for the lineup. It includes Beltre retiring, Choo being unloaded at whatever cost, and Odor being traded. Now, if they decide to spend big in free agency on a position player then everything changes.

C Chirinos/IKF
1B Guzman
2B Profar
3B IKF/Gallo
SS Elvis
LF Gallo/Calhoun
RF Mazara
CF (Who Knows)
DH Calhoun/best bench bat

If they no longer trust Drew Robinson then they should sign a CF on a 2-3 year contract until JPM, Thompson or Taveras is ready.

This is simply what I think. I am almost certain that the Rangers would not do anything like this.

my thinking is they have a CF'er available to act as a stopgap in Scott Heineman but that means Deshields and Robison are expendable. hopefully they do find someone to take Choo but still think it involves the Rangers eating at minimum 50% of the 42M over the next 2 years. and it's a toss up in my book of who they trade between Odor and Andrus with me leaning more toward Andrus because of his age and dependability. one scenario I read was Andrus to the Dodgers for multiple prospects.

 

[scotsman1948]

Exactly, this the need for a great deal of creativity.

reading that Mauer probably has played his last game for the Twin and retires. do you think the Twins would take Choo and $22M in a trade?

 

[saddles]

I get that we are rebuilding but to suggest FO failed because they were unable to trade Choo is a stretch

If unable to trade then I would think the alternative is to release him.
Despite rebuild to release Choo one of your best hitters in 2018 just to make room for Willie is foolish and sets a wrong precedent. I am hoping Willie comes out blazing to force his way into the lineup. Just think it is time to produce at MLB level and yes he has had plenty of time at AAA

Competition is not a bad thing

I thought you would disagree with that part. It usually takes a lot more for you to think the FO has failed than it does for me to think so.

Choo was a terrible hitter for a big part of the second half. He was in some kind of zone for awhile which helped his overall numbers.

It isn't foolish at all. It is never foolish to prepare for the future. If this was 30 year-old Choo and we had a legitimate chance to make a lot of noise in the postseason next year then it would be foolish. It isn't that way at all though. Father Time always wins. In this case you have an aging player who just went through a lengthy terrible stretch. To get rid of him to make room for one of your best prospects would be very wise.

If the Dodgers still had Calhoun and they offered him to us for Choo it would be foolish to turn down that trade even if we had to pay 60% of Choo's salary. That is because Calhoun is a lot more valuable player going forward.

By the way, I never said we should release Choo. I think we should first convince him that he should be traded by telling him he will be a bench player for us going forward and then we should eat whatever amount of salary we have to eat to make a trade.