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Are they tanking? Are they streaking? Whatever happens will be at the Grill for 4 against HOU 9/13-16

DTC

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then trade IKF
Yeah IKF is pretty damn valuable with his defense and base running skills, also very good at getting base hits under pressure. I wonder if Story would move to 3B
It’s so easy to hate on IKF because of his low Battitng AVG and HRs but overall he’s a solid baseball player. I’ve hated on him myself but starting to see his value.
If not playing short we should trade him because we could probably get a decent haul back.
 

DTC

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Solak has slashed .316/.366/.461 since coming back from the minors, so .290 seems very doable. He should still be improving for another year or two you would think.
Yeah he is showing a very nice opposite field approach when pitched outside. He’s showing he’s hard to beat.
 

DT LUNA

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Yeah IKF is pretty damn valuable with his defense and base running skills, also very good at getting base hits under pressure. I wonder if Story would move to 3B
It’s so easy to hate on IKF because of his low Battitng AVG and HRs but overall he’s a solid baseball player. I’ve hated on him myself but starting to see his value.
If not playing short we should trade him because we could probably get a decent haul back.
If is a big word. But "if" Story plays SS and Solak stays at 2B, There is likely nothing left but UIF for IKF because Jung likely will be at 3rd. Seems a good time to consider a trade. If the kid had some power in his bat it would be easy to leave him at SS. I think he is too valuable for the bench.
 

scotsman1948

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Yeah IKF is pretty damn valuable with his defense and base running skills, also very good at getting base hits under pressure. I wonder if Story would move to 3B
It’s so easy to hate on IKF because of his low Battitng AVG and HRs but overall he’s a solid baseball player. I’ve hated on him myself but starting to see his value.
If not playing short we should trade him because we could probably get a decent haul back.
Moving Story to 3rd solves nothing because in a year or less we would either move him again or trade Jung. Trading IKF makes more sense
 

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I’m high on Lowe as well. I believe he can approach 30/30. He’s a big dude with massive power, good bat to ball skills and high exit velocity. Kind of shocked his HR Total is so low this year, but it is his first full season in mlb.
.285/.350/.450 25+hr and 25+doubles would be nice

I keep forgetting this is his first full season in MLB, and he's 26.
 

saddles

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Levi Weaver has a good article in The Athletic about Taylor Hearn and what has made the difference for him. Others thought the biggest difference for him was confidence, but he disagreed. Here is an excerpt.

Which makes it pretty funny to hear Hearn’s answer to the question of what has changed.

“You know, it’s not even a confidence thing,” Hearn began. “It’s just the rhythm … the more I’m out there, the more I’m able to figure out what role I’m in. Coming out of pen or starting — whatever it is, I’m able to figure out a routine for it. Starting is easier for me because I’ve done it before. But relieving, that’s kind of why I got off to a rough start early on in the season, because it was like, piggybacking, then it went from one inning to two innings; I was trying to figure out what was going on. Once they kinda let me know what my role is and everything, I was like, ‘All right; I’m gonna figure out a routine out of the pen, and then work from there.’ And that’s when things started happening. So it wasn’t a confidence thing. It was just trying to figure out what routine works for me.”

Told that everyone else has mentioned confidence, Hearn chuckled and doubled down.

“No, it’s not. It’s not,” he said through a smile. “Honestly, I’ve always had confidence in myself. (It’s) more so just trying to let my talent speak for itself, and let people judge it off of that. But is it confidence? No, it’s just me pitching how I thought I’d pitch, honestly.”

Perhaps the key has been another C-word: comfort. Hearn has abandoned the windup, pitching exclusively out of the stretch. And the between-starts routine — getting on the mound every other day to maintain his feel for his delivery — has been another factor.

“It’s been more mechanics than anything,” Hearn said. “I realized I was way more compact and way more consistent in the zone (out of the stretch). … When I’m able to get in a routine and just figure out what I need to do, it’s easier. Case in point: When I got into the relieving role and was more consistent about whatever my role was, it made things a lot easier … (as a starter), the walks started going down a lot more because now I’m back to my normal self. I’m more in line. I’m doing my normal routine to make sure everything’s good.”
 

scotsman1948

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Levi Weaver has a good article in The Athletic about Taylor Hearn and what has made the difference for him. Others thought the biggest difference for him was confidence, but he disagreed. Here is an excerpt.

Which makes it pretty funny to hear Hearn’s answer to the question of what has changed.

“You know, it’s not even a confidence thing,” Hearn began. “It’s just the rhythm … the more I’m out there, the more I’m able to figure out what role I’m in. Coming out of pen or starting — whatever it is, I’m able to figure out a routine for it. Starting is easier for me because I’ve done it before. But relieving, that’s kind of why I got off to a rough start early on in the season, because it was like, piggybacking, then it went from one inning to two innings; I was trying to figure out what was going on. Once they kinda let me know what my role is and everything, I was like, ‘All right; I’m gonna figure out a routine out of the pen, and then work from there.’ And that’s when things started happening. So it wasn’t a confidence thing. It was just trying to figure out what routine works for me.”

Told that everyone else has mentioned confidence, Hearn chuckled and doubled down.

“No, it’s not. It’s not,” he said through a smile. “Honestly, I’ve always had confidence in myself. (It’s) more so just trying to let my talent speak for itself, and let people judge it off of that. But is it confidence? No, it’s just me pitching how I thought I’d pitch, honestly.”

Perhaps the key has been another C-word: comfort. Hearn has abandoned the windup, pitching exclusively out of the stretch. And the between-starts routine — getting on the mound every other day to maintain his feel for his delivery — has been another factor.


“It’s been more mechanics than anything,” Hearn said. “I realized I was way more compact and way more consistent in the zone (out of the stretch). … When I’m able to get in a routine and just figure out what I need to do, it’s easier. Case in point: When I got into the relieving role and was more consistent about whatever my role was, it made things a lot easier … (as a starter), the walks started going down a lot more because now I’m back to my normal self. I’m more in line. I’m doing my normal routine to make sure everything’s good.”
I like his confidence
 

saddles

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I like this approach from Hearn.

"Hearn didn’t record a strikeout in the first five innings as he pitched to contact, which is his preferred style of pitching despite ownership of a fastball that can reach the mid-90s."

"His mantra is three pitches or less to each hitter. He wants the innings more than the strikeouts."

'“It’s just my mentality of trying to get ahead and stay ahead and not trying to chase strikeouts,” said Hearn, who struck out two. “I’d rather have seven innings of two strikeouts rather than five innings and a ton of punchouts.”'

It is contrary to what the baseball stat gurus like, but it makes sense. So many like to evaluate pitchers on the ability to get batters to swing and miss. That is good, but it should not be the be-all-end-all for evaluating pitchers.
The one thing that concerns me in Levi Weaver's article about Hearn is what Woodward had to say. He seems to be trying to mess with something Hearn has said is his preferred approach, an approach that has brought success. Here is an excerpt from the article.

“Now I feel like his next step would be to go just outside the strike zone, especially with his plus fastball at the top of the zone,” Woodward said. “Go with a slider just down and in, out of the zone, or just away from the lefty out of the zone. Changeup just out of reach. Those are things that will create more strikeouts. But he’s got such good stuff that in the zone, nobody hits him hard. So that’s what’s cool to see. Now he has confidence.”
 

saddles

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This is from a Jeff Wilson story.

For all the good Calhoun has done since the end of the 2018 season, including a stronger commitment to fitness, he has been undone by lousy injury luck that, through not fault of his own, has put him in a precarious situation.

He is eligible for salary-arbitration for the first time. He’s not going to get a massive haul, but he will get a raise over the $593,000 league minimum he’s receiving this season.

The Rangers, meanwhile, need 40-man roster spots so that they can bring players off the 60-day injured list and add minor-league players who they don’t want to lose in the Rule 5 draft.

If the front office is looking for players who might need to be moved off the roster, Calhoun might be a candidate to be non-tendered.

The Rangers have only 18 games remaining, but they might be important games for Calhoun’s future with the team.

“If he kills for the last how every many games he plays, yeah, it could definitely change our opinions on things,” manager Chris Woodward said. “He hasn’t a lot of success. He hasn’t had a lot of opportunity, though.

“It’s hard to look at the small sample and the way the last two seasons have gone for him. It’s unfair to put that against him. We’ve seen what he can do in ‘19. We know that’s still in there. If he shows that for the last however many games, it could change things.”

Calhoun played only 29 games in 2020 and batted just .190 with one homer. He was drilled in the jaw by fastball in spring training and dealt with leg injuries during the shortened season. It was a mental grind.

He’s played in 59 games this season, batting .245 with five home runs in 205 at-bats. He hopes to play winter ball somewhere.

Calhoun did do much with the opportunity before he was injured, coming nowhere close to matching his breakthrough 2019 season of 21 homers in 309 at-bats.

That was only two seasons ago, but much has happened elsewhere on the club. The Rangers are rebuilding and still don’t know if he’s one of the building blocks.

“He hasn’t played enough for us to evaluate him, so we may have to make a really tough decision one way or the other,” Woodward said. “He hasn’t preformed the last two years, and hasn’t really played the last two years. We really have to go out on a limb to say he’s our guy.”
 

saddles

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It sounds like Woodward has turned the page already and does not expect Willie Calhoun to be back next year. I guess everyone cannot be as much of an elite hitter as Matt Davidson.
 
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DTC

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This is from a Jeff Wilson story.

For all the good Calhoun has done since the end of the 2018 season, including a stronger commitment to fitness, he has been undone by lousy injury luck that, through not fault of his own, has put him in a precarious situation.

He is eligible for salary-arbitration for the first time. He’s not going to get a massive haul, but he will get a raise over the $593,000 league minimum he’s receiving this season.

The Rangers, meanwhile, need 40-man roster spots so that they can bring players off the 60-day injured list and add minor-league players who they don’t want to lose in the Rule 5 draft.

If the front office is looking for players who might need to be moved off the roster, Calhoun might be a candidate to be non-tendered.

The Rangers have only 18 games remaining, but they might be important games for Calhoun’s future with the team.

“If he kills for the last how every many games he plays, yeah, it could definitely change our opinions on things,” manager Chris Woodward said. “He hasn’t a lot of success. He hasn’t had a lot of opportunity, though.

“It’s hard to look at the small sample and the way the last two seasons have gone for him. It’s unfair to put that against him. We’ve seen what he can do in ‘19. We know that’s still in there. If he shows that for the last however many games, it could change things.”

Calhoun played only 29 games in 2020 and batted just .190 with one homer. He was drilled in the jaw by fastball in spring training and dealt with leg injuries during the shortened season. It was a mental grind.

He’s played in 59 games this season, batting .245 with five home runs in 205 at-bats. He hopes to play winter ball somewhere.

Calhoun did do much with the opportunity before he was injured, coming nowhere close to matching his breakthrough 2019 season of 21 homers in 309 at-bats.

That was only two seasons ago, but much has happened elsewhere on the club. The Rangers are rebuilding and still don’t know if he’s one of the building blocks.


“He hasn’t played enough for us to evaluate him, so we may have to make a really tough decision one way or the other,” Woodward said. “He hasn’t preformed the last two years, and hasn’t really played the last two years. We really have to go out on a limb to say he’s our guy.”

Woody doesn’t seem to fond of him lol
Sounds like foreshadowing
If we do let him go I won’t be surprised at all to see him succeed elsewhere.
 

DT LUNA

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This is from a Jeff Wilson story.

For all the good Calhoun has done since the end of the 2018 season, including a stronger commitment to fitness, he has been undone by lousy injury luck that, through not fault of his own, has put him in a precarious situation.

He is eligible for salary-arbitration for the first time. He’s not going to get a massive haul, but he will get a raise over the $593,000 league minimum he’s receiving this season.

The Rangers, meanwhile, need 40-man roster spots so that they can bring players off the 60-day injured list and add minor-league players who they don’t want to lose in the Rule 5 draft.

If the front office is looking for players who might need to be moved off the roster, Calhoun might be a candidate to be non-tendered.

The Rangers have only 18 games remaining, but they might be important games for Calhoun’s future with the team.

“If he kills for the last how every many games he plays, yeah, it could definitely change our opinions on things,” manager Chris Woodward said. “He hasn’t a lot of success. He hasn’t had a lot of opportunity, though.

“It’s hard to look at the small sample and the way the last two seasons have gone for him. It’s unfair to put that against him. We’ve seen what he can do in ‘19. We know that’s still in there. If he shows that for the last however many games, it could change things.”

Calhoun played only 29 games in 2020 and batted just .190 with one homer. He was drilled in the jaw by fastball in spring training and dealt with leg injuries during the shortened season. It was a mental grind.

He’s played in 59 games this season, batting .245 with five home runs in 205 at-bats. He hopes to play winter ball somewhere.

Calhoun did do much with the opportunity before he was injured, coming nowhere close to matching his breakthrough 2019 season of 21 homers in 309 at-bats.

That was only two seasons ago, but much has happened elsewhere on the club. The Rangers are rebuilding and still don’t know if he’s one of the building blocks.


“He hasn’t played enough for us to evaluate him, so we may have to make a really tough decision one way or the other,” Woodward said. “He hasn’t preformed the last two years, and hasn’t really played the last two years. We really have to go out on a limb to say he’s our guy.”
Does not sound like Willie will be with the team. Nice young man with not much hope as a Ranger.
 

DTC

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The Athletics will pick him up and DH him against righties, completely setting him up to produce as well as possible. He will have 450 PA hit .290 with 20+HRs and they will trade him during the 2022-23 off-season. Lol
 

saddles

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Woody doesn’t seem to fond of him lol
Sounds like foreshadowing
If we do let him go I won’t be surprised at all to see him succeed elsewhere.
Of course, there are no guarantees that Woody will be back, himself.
 

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I like Calhoun and I hope he succeeds, but if the Rangers did move on it would be an understandable decision
 

saddles

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I like Calhoun and I hope he succeeds, but if the Rangers did move on it would be an understandable decision
I understand it being given consideration, but I will reserve judgment about it being a wise move until I see who they decide to keep on the roster instead of him. For example, if Willie is gone due to a 40 man crunch, but Sborz is still here, I might have a problem with that.
 

DT LUNA

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I understand it being given consideration, but I will reserve judgment about it being a wise move until I see who they decide to keep on the roster instead of him. For example, if Willie is gone due to a 40 man crunch, but Sborz is still here, I might have a problem with that.
Wonder how guys like Sborz made it this far.
 
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