Texas Rangers 2025 Spring Training Thread

[saddles]

Smith with a HR off of Mason Miller today

 

[saddles]

Patrick Murphy hit 95mph several times in his clean inning of work.

Murphy with 2 clean innings and 3 strikeouts.

 

[DTLUNA]

Murphy with 2 clean innings and 3 strikeouts.

BP looking better one inning at a time.

 

[saddles]

Zavala getting an at bat late in the game today reminded me of what a terrible job of drafting the Rangers did, overall, in 2021. After the Leiter pick, just about the only one with any promise at all is Mitch Bratt, the 5th round pick.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

From Jared Sandler:

GOOD NEWS…Bruce Bochy said that Adolis Garcia’s left oblique strain was very mild and that it didn’t even grade out as a Grade 1 (“Somewhere between a 0 and a 1”) and that he should be on track for Opening Day.

 

[Kelleyman]

Zavala getting an at bat late in the game today reminded me of what a terrible job of drafting the Rangers did, overall, in 2021. After the Leiter pick, just about the only one with any promise at all is Mitch Bratt, the 5th round pick.

He dropped off huge after his first real good year in AA
He looked very promising but now SMH

 

[Kelleyman]

Wonder if they have 2 games today

 

[saddles]

Wonder if they have 2 games today

I think the lack of regular starting players is due to the distance of the trip to Goodyear.

 

[saddles]

MLB Pipeline has their new Top 30 Rangers Prodpects out. They have really downgraded Rosario. I guess that uscbecause of his injury. To me that doesn't change how I feel about him.

Here us their top 5:

1. Sebastian Walcott, SS/3B (MLB No. 17)
2. Kumar Rocker, RHP (MLB No. 44)
3. Jack Leiter, RHP
4. Malcolm Moore, C
5. Winston Santos, RHP

https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/rangers/

 

[saddles]

I think MLB has Teodo too low, as well. They really like Malcolm Moore.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Adolis is doing his part to keep Leody around. He has an oblique injury.

If they trade Leody I doubt it will be now, they want to give him a chance to get back to his 2023 performance so he'll be worth something come trade deadline time...

 

[saddles]

From Jim Bowden's 2025 Report Card article today:

Texas Rangers​

Grade: B-plus

Free agents:

• RHP Nathan Eovaldi, 3 years/$75 million
• OF/DH Joc Pederson, 2 years/$37 million
• C Kyle Higashioka, 2 years/$13.5 million
• RHP Chris Martin, 1 year/$5.5 million
• LHP Hoby Milner, 1-year, $2.5 million
• RHP Jacob Webb, 1 year/$1.25 million
• RHP Shawn Armstrong, one-year deal
• RHP Luke Jackson, 1 year/$1.5 million

Trades:

• Acquired 1B/3B Jake Burger from Marlins for INF Max Acosta, INF Echedry Vargas and LHP Brayan Mendoza
• Acquired LHP Robert Garcia from Nationals for 1B Nathaniel Lowe
• Acquired LHP Mason Molina from Brewers for RHP Grant Anderson
• Acquired cash from Cubs for RHP Matt Festa

Best move: It was a tie between the trade for Jake Burger and the signing of Joc Pederson. Last season, the duo hit a combined 52 home runs; they will significantly lengthen the Rangers’ lineup.

Under-the-radar move: The acquisition of lefty reliever Robert Garcia. I think Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux will be able to improve his delivery and thus his command and control.

What helped or hurt their grade: The Rangers spent wisely this offseason. That, along with the power bats they acquired, factored into their strong grade.

Storyline to watch: The returns of players who were injured last season, from ace Jacob deGrom and lefty Cody Bradford to third baseman Josh Jung and center fielder Evan Carter. If this club can stay relatively healthy, I think it’ll win the AL West, thanks to the most potent lineup in the division by far.

Season prediction: First place

 

[saddles]

If they trade Leody I doubt it will be now, they want to give him a chance to get back to his 2023 performance so he'll be worth something come trade deadline time...

The only reason to consider trading him is to help them stay below the CBT threshold. If that is the case, then they will need to trade someone pretty soon.

Leody, should he stay here, will most likely not play very much, so I doubt he will get much of a chance to increase his value by playing better. In fact, his trade value would most likely go down the longer they wait to trade him as the length of control of him would decrease.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

From Jim Bowden's 2025 Report Card article today:

Texas Rangers​

Grade: B-plus

Free agents:

• RHP Nathan Eovaldi, 3 years/$75 million
• OF/DH Joc Pederson, 2 years/$37 million
• C Kyle Higashioka, 2 years/$13.5 million
• RHP Chris Martin, 1 year/$5.5 million
• LHP Hoby Milner, 1-year, $2.5 million
• RHP Jacob Webb, 1 year/$1.25 million
• RHP Shawn Armstrong, one-year deal
• RHP Luke Jackson, 1 year/$1.5 million

Trades:

• Acquired 1B/3B Jake Burger from Marlins for INF Max Acosta, INF Echedry Vargas and LHP Brayan Mendoza
• Acquired LHP Robert Garcia from Nationals for 1B Nathaniel Lowe
• Acquired LHP Mason Molina from Brewers for RHP Grant Anderson
• Acquired cash from Cubs for RHP Matt Festa

Best move: It was a tie between the trade for Jake Burger and the signing of Joc Pederson. Last season, the duo hit a combined 52 home runs; they will significantly lengthen the Rangers’ lineup.

Under-the-radar move: The acquisition of lefty reliever Robert Garcia. I think Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux will be able to improve his delivery and thus his command and control.

What helped or hurt their grade: The Rangers spent wisely this offseason. That, along with the power bats they acquired, factored into their strong grade.

Storyline to watch: The returns of players who were injured last season, from ace Jacob deGrom and lefty Cody Bradford to third baseman Josh Jung and center fielder Evan Carter. If this club can stay relatively healthy, I think it’ll win the AL West, thanks to the most potent lineup in the division by far.

Season prediction: First place

I'm sorry but they give Maddux way too much credit. He's not even the one who helped Leiter improved results this preseason.

 

[saddles]

From Evan Grant:

Langford, out since straining his oblique on Feb. 21, is expected to face live pitching on Thursday for the first time since the injury. If that goes well, he will be available to play Friday night against Colorado in Scottsdale.

Because it’s the Rangers, though, there is always a caveat. The weather is expected to turn chilly and wet on Friday, with temperatures at or below 50 degrees at game time. Manager Bruce Bochy said the Rangers could decide to hold Langford back a day out of concern that it may be difficult to get him fully loosened up and not risk re-aggravation of the injury. The weather is expected to be sunny and warmer on Saturday.

If he returns this weekend, it would give him more than two weeks to get himself ready for the March 27 season opener.

 

[saddles]

From Evan Grant:

Bochy also said the Rangers might push Jacob deGrom’s first spring outing back a day as well over rain concerns.

Bochy said he was less concerned about the cold with deGrom, which is why the Rangers are also more willing to put him in the No. 5 spot in the rotation to start the season. It would mean his first start of the year will come on March 31 in a traditionally cold-weather city: Cincinnati. It was 56 degrees at game time last year in Cincinnati on March 31.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

The only reason to consider trading him is to help them stay below the CBT threshold. If that is the case, then they will need to trade someone pretty soon.

Leody, should he stay here, will most likely not play very much, so I doubt he will get much of a chance to increase his value by playing better. In fact, his trade value would most likely go down the longer they wait to trade him as the length of control of him would decrease.

To get rid of him now and not eat any of his salary you're going to have to find somebody really desperate for a body the way he's been playing...

 

[saddles]

Luke Jackson with a great outing today. He may get a chance to close some games early on this year.