Official 2014 Texas Rangers Spring Training Thread

[WastinSomeTime]

I am thrilled Davis figured it out . He's a great kid , I root for him every year .

Agree, not sure what the mental block was here.

 

[jta4437]

Not the same ... Choice is better defensively like Mitch ... but Mitch isn't hitting well enough to play the field.

This is no different than it was last year with Murphy. Mitch ought to not be on the roster.

by that logic neither should Fielder, Beltre or Choo, release them all!

 

[jta4437]

Nope, Perez is still a kid . I always like him from the day I saw him pitch at 17 years old in hickory . Moreland is 29 .

28

 

[Windingmywatch]

by that logic neither should Fielder, Beltre or Choo, release them all!

Fielder, Beltre and Choo are hitting ... Mitch (and Murphy) aren't (didn't). Not understanding why you guys can't see that.

Would you like Mitch to be your DH for 2014 and see if he can surpass MY's futility? Then have Wash be loyal to Mitch and have him in the lineup every day batting .176 stinking it up. Like Wash did for MY ... for Berkman ... for Murphy ... despite their futility. It's not like Wash hasn't done that before.

Move Mitch to PIT for a AA and A+ pitcher and move on. Throw E. Beltre in if you want.

 

[donaldson79]

And Davis would have never made it here.

He admitted this a long time ago. He is more than appreciative for the opportunity the Rangers gave him, as well as letting go for his and the teams long term betterment.

He was quite the party animal while here, but always a good guy. So there's absolutely no hard feelings on our part he's turned out so well. But at the same time, we want to give Moreland every benefit of the doubt to succeed before cutting ties. Understandable.

 

[jta4437]

Fielder, Beltre and Choo are hitting ... Mitch (and Murphy) aren't (didn't). Not understanding why you guys can't see that.

Would you like Mitch to be your DH for 2014 and see if he can surpass MY's futility? Then have Wash be loyal to Mitch and have him in the lineup every day batting .176 stinking it up. Like Wash did for MY ... for Berkman ... for Murphy ... despite their futility. It's not like Wash hasn't done that before.

Move Mitch to PIT for a AA and A+ pitcher and move on. Throw E. Beltre in if you want.

Choo's batting .160 and Beltre .217, That's hitting?

Once again, we're going by your logic here

I have no problem trading Moreland for some minor league guys

 

[donaldson79]

Not the same ... Choice is better defensively like Mitch ... but Mitch isn't hitting well enough to play the field.

This is no different than it was last year with Murphy. Mitch ought to not be on the roster.

So how do you think Choo would react to his being moved to DH? And don't say "it doesn't matter." It does.

We signed this guy to a fortune and with the understanding he'd be our primary LF and lead-off man.

 

[DT LUNA]

Choo's batting .160 and Beltre .217, That's hitting?

Once again, we're going by your logic here

I have no problem trading Moreland for some minor league guys

Help me out here. Say we depart from Mitch. Who backs up Fielder that would be any better than Mitch. I must be missing the obvious.

 

[Windingmywatch]

So how do you think Choo would react to his being moved to DH? And don't say "it doesn't matter." It does.

We signed this guy to a fortune and with the understanding he'd be our primary LF and lead-off man.

You mean the same standard contract language that gave MY 2b for life ... or SS for life ... or 3b for life ... or DH for life ... ?

I am willing to bet a zillion dollars that JD didn't do anything more than sign up a ball player for a bunch of years and a lot of money. Maybe the fans and talking heads say Choo was signed to play LF and leadoff ... but that would be nuts to make that deal in writing.

Ain't in Prince's contract language either IMO. Just like it wasn't in MY's.

 

[DT LUNA]

So how do you think Choo would react to his being moved to DH? And don't say "it doesn't matter." It does.

We signed this guy to a fortune and with the understanding he'd be our primary LF and lead-off man.

Exactly and the same applies with Prince I presume.

 

[donaldson79]

You mean the same standard contract language that gave MY 2b for life ... or SS for life ... or 3b for life ... or DH for life ... ?

I am willing to bet a zillion dollars that JD didn't do anything more than sign up a ball player for a bunch of years and a lot of money. Maybe the fans and talking heads say Choo was signed to play LF and leadoff ... but that would be nuts to make that deal in writing.

Ain't in Prince's contract language either IMO. Just like it wasn't in MY's.

So you think a guy just signs a contract with no understanding whatsoever of what is role is with the team? That's ridiculous.

No, I'm sure the contract doesn't state you'll play LF for 145+ games, 9 as DH etc. That would be equally ridiculous.

But I can't imagine Choo came here with any inkling he'd be moved from LF to DH a few weeks into ST.

 

[Windingmywatch]

Choo's batting .160 and Beltre .217, That's hitting?

Once again, we're going by your logic here

I have no problem trading Moreland for some minor league guys

You're kidding right? If Moreland had the number of years of performance under his belt ... he'd still be the starting 1bman and TEX would not have traded Kinsler for Prince to replace him. Prince was acquired because Mitch wasn't performing. So making it like Mitch is like Choo and Beltre isn't logical.

Need a backup 1bman? ... you got your choice of Kouz, Adduci, Cherinos, Rosales. Don't want to trade Mitch? Is he out of options? Park him in AAA if he does.

 

[donaldson79]

Exactly and the same applies with Prince I presume.

If you're right, then we'll split the zillion dollars. Whatta ya say?

 

[DT LUNA]

If you're right, then we'll split the zillion dollars. Whatta ya say?

I do not think JD brought either here to DH right away this year. Maybe later as things change but certainly not now.

 

[jta4437]

Help me out here. Say we depart from Mitch. Who backs up Fielder that would be any better than Mitch. I must be missing the obvious.

Probably Kouzmanoff in that scenario, and at this point

any better than Mitch? probably not but thats wo we would have at this juncture

 

[Windingmywatch]

If you're right, then we'll split the zillion dollars. Whatta ya say?

You can split my vCash ...

TEX can make meaningful changes or go with Wash' 1890-style "let the guys who have been here longest" loyalty ... or if we are paying you a zillion dollars you make the call on what position you play ... what your spot is in the batting order ... what locker you have ... what seat on the bus you have.

If someone is paying me $130mil for seven or $90mil for five ... then only thing I want to know is are we wearing red today or blue.

 

[jta4437]

You're kidding right? If Moreland had the number of years of performance under his belt ... he'd still be the starting 1bman and TEX would not have traded Kinsler for Prince to replace him. Prince was acquired because Mitch wasn't performing. So making it like Mitch is like Choo and Beltre isn't logical.

Need a backup 1bman? ... you got your choice of Kouz, Adduci, Cherinos, Rosales. Don't want to trade Mitch? Is he out of options? Park him in AAA if he does.

Of course I'm not serious, but I am going off your backwards thinking logic, not producing is not producing, you're basing this on Mitch's ST numbers, and I'm doing the same with the other guys

You're saying Choice should be on the team and Moreland shouldn't based on what they have produced so far in ST, b/c basing this on career numbers would be foolish as Choice has a grand total of 9 games under his belt

 

[donaldson79]

Winding.....If someone is paying me $130mil for seven or $90mil for five ... then only thing I want to know is are we wearing red today or blue.

Come on boss. YOU - or me for that matter - has nothing to do with this conversation.

Where, what, how often, etc makes a huge deal to these men. And that's why they have agents. If we used you're simplistic way of looking at it, agents are obsolete. If all a players contract states is for how long and how much, then it's a paragraph that any and all of us could do.

I'm just saying, there' s a whole lot more to all this than just the check. And YOU and ME matters not in the context of this financial point.

 

[Justinkm83]

Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias has significant injuries to both shins that are expected to keep him out at least until the All-Star break and could force him to miss most or all of the 2014 season, a baseball source confirmed to ESPN.com on Saturday.

 

[Windingmywatch]

Of course I'm not serious, but I am going off your backwards thinking logic, not producing is not producing, you're basing this on Mitch's ST numbers, and I'm doing the same with the other guys

You're saying Choice should be on the team and Moreland shouldn't based on what they have produced so far in ST, b/c basing this on career numbers would be foolish as Choice has a grand total of 9 games under his belt

"Choice should be on the team and Moreland shouldn't based on what they have produced so far in ST,.."

That's valid. However, the thing is given Mitch's history and having seen this movie before starring David Murphy ... I'm saying that in the long term there is far more chance that Choice will be a major piece of the action than Mitch's chance ... given that his position has just been given away to Fielder.

I like Mitch ... liked having him arrive when he did to depose that fraud Smoak ... hung in there a couple of seasons but a LH corner bat better be carrying the weight and performance of batting 3rd-cleanup-or 5th ... or he's hurting team output.

If your DH is batting 7th ... then you got the wrong guy as your DH.