2013 Spring Training Thread

[fordman84]

Start making plans for your final comments in this thread, it is about to be mothballed.


READY FOR THE 2013 SEASON THREAD??

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

Angels picked up Mark Lowe?!?!

 

[romeo212000]

Angels picked up Mark Lowe?!?!

Sweet.

 

[Windingmywatch]

Sweet.

Yea ... he faced TEX week or so ago ... got tagged by Beltre if I remember correctly. Not sure he makes their staff ... but would be great if he does.

 

[Al Falfa]

Start making plans for your final comments in this thread, it is about to be mothballed.


READY FOR THE 2013 SEASON THREAD??

Is the 2013 season going to be one thread?

 

[fordman84]

Is the 2013 season going to be one thread?

We can have many threads, but thought we would have a run ing thread all season like last year. Talk about stuff that can't carry own thread or just BS'ing

 

[Windingmywatch]

"or just BS'ing"

You mean legitimate, logical, knowledgeable, critical sane posts can be in a thread by themselves ... but alternatively will be in the season long thread?

Gonna be very few of the former kind ... and a very long latter one.

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

we had one last year....

http://www.sportshoopla.com/forums/texas-rangers/67368-2012-season-thread.html

 

[Windingmywatch]

Summing things up ... or how many ways was I wrong with what I thought would come from ST?

Randomly --

Not surprised Profar goes to AAA. Not surprised Olt was cold too. He's a sophomore. Borbon and CD had very hot falls after their mid year call ups couple of years back ... and then both were ice cold when they had to get hot at the MLB level. Both suffered from TEX putting them in OD lineups their sophomore seasons and never recovered. Maybe TEX has learned something about sophomores.

Moreland, Gentry -- best starts that have made us feel good. Martin = we expected it. Kinsler? Next time out TEX needs to make him play in the WBC. He wasted space in Surprise. Another surprise -- Jeff Baker. Nice. Could be a far more valuable roster piece since Ramon Vazguez. Finally a super UIF that might actually have a glove compared to PADMY.

Tepesch -- thought he ought to be taken serious but didn't think he ought to be the #5. IMO Ross and Kirkman SP chances were dashed by having real crappy RH RP talent in camp. Is TEX thinking that Colby, Soria and Feliz will fix everything? Hope so. Ross and Tepesch ought to be SPs at AAA and Kirkman ought to be #5. Perez may not recover until the ASB. IMO.

I'd rather have Joe Ortiz on the MLB roster even if that means 3 LH RPs. Coty Woods = would have rather seen him in the TEX organization rather than returned to COL. Heck -- he cleared waivers ... why the heck wouldn't COL make a deal? Looking at RH RP talent ... Woods might have won a spot.

Bottom Line Pluses: Moreland every day; Gentry/Martin and potentially finding both everyday ABs ... (hear that Murph?). Darvish. Tepesch. Ortiz. Yea -- Darvish and Ortiz.

Bottom Line Negative: Kinsler

 

[jta4437]

Summing things up ... or how many ways was I wrong with what I thought would come from ST?

Randomly --

Not surprised Profar goes to AAA. Not surprised Olt was cold too. He's a sophomore. Borbon and CD had very hot falls after their mid year call ups couple of years back ... and then both were ice cold when they had to get hot at the MLB level. Both suffered from TEX putting them in OD lineups their sophomore seasons and never recovered. Maybe TEX has learned something about sophomores.

Moreland, Gentry -- best starts that have made us feel good. Martin = we expected it. Kinsler? Next time out TEX needs to make him play in the WBC. He wasted space in Surprise. Another surprise -- Jeff Baker. Nice. Could be a far more valuable roster piece since Ramon Vazguez. Finally a super UIF that might actually have a glove compared to PADMY.

Tepesch -- thought he ought to be taken serious but didn't think he ought to be the #5. IMO Ross and Kirkman SP chances were dashed by having real crappy RH RP talent in camp. Is TEX thinking that Colby, Soria and Feliz will fix everything? Hope so. Ross and Tepesch ought to be SPs at AAA and Kirkman ought to be #5. Perez may not recover until the ASB. IMO.

I'd rather have Joe Ortiz on the MLB roster even if that means 3 LH RPs. Coty Woods = would have rather seen him in the TEX organization rather than returned to COL. Heck -- he cleared waivers ... why the heck wouldn't COL make a deal? Looking at RH RP talent ... Woods might have won a spot.

Bottom Line Pluses: Moreland every day; Gentry/Martin and potentially finding both everyday ABs ... (hear that Murph?). Darvish. Tepesch. Ortiz. Yea -- Darvish and Ortiz.

Bottom Line Negative: Kinsler

How is Murphy immediately the the object of ire? He's been far more consistent and better overall than Cruz the last few years

 

[Windingmywatch]

How is Murphy immediately the the object of ire? He's been far more consistent and better overall than Cruz the last few years

Who do you project having the higher OPS of each pair?

Murphy or Martin?

Cruz or Gentry?

TEX is going to start 4 LH bats against RHP. Unlikely they start 4 LH bats against LHP. So ... Moreland and AJ are locks. Who is the third LHB? Consider your answer to the above.

That's why Murphy is most logically the odd man out.

 

[jta4437]

Who do you project having the higher OPS of each pair?

Murphy or Martin?

Cruz or Gentry?

TEX is going to start 4 LH bats against RHP. Unlikely they start 4 LH bats against LHP. So ... Moreland and AJ are locks. Who is the third LHB? Consider your answer to the above.

That's why Murphy is most logically the odd man out.

Nowhere in your previous statement did you posit any of that

You made a generalized statement, that was my issue

And against LHPs, wouldn't it be Murphy, Gentry and Cruz in the OF? I don't see Martin getting much play against LHPs this year

 

[Windingmywatch]

Nowhere in your previous statement did you posit any of that

You made a generalized statement, that was my issue

And against LHPs, wouldn't it be Murphy, Gentry and Cruz in the OF? I don't see Martin getting much play against LHPs this year

Why would you start Murphy against LHP when Martin has the better upside potential?

Against the same LH pitchers during ST ...

Martin: .375/.444/.500/.944
Murphy: .286/.304/.333/.638 (in more ABs)

Not to mention Martin defensively in LF is better than Murphy. Not saying that Murphy becomes a total bench player but I am saying he needs to have another career year. If he does not put up better numbers than Martin ... then it will be just like when Hamilton was on the roster. Like Hamilton Martin will become the every day player.

Last year TEX could keep Murphy in the lineup against LHP because they had RH 1bman (sorta), RH DH and RH C. Not in 2013.

In 2013 the 1b is LH, DH is SH and C is LH. That completely changes the dynamics and Murphy's fit in the lineup.

If TEX has Martin sitting when he is out performing Murphy at the plate against LHP and in the field defensively ... then that is not smart baseball.

IMO this is definitely Cruz last year in TEX ... and unless Murphy puts up superior numbers over Martin ... it may be his last year too. Fact that TEX did not negotiate a 2014 program for Murphy during ST is the writing on the wall.

 

[jta4437]

Its the same thing they've always done, sitting Moreland against LHPs even if he had more upside, sitting Murphy even if he was better than the RH option, Wash plays the splits if he has the chance, splits are what even gave Gentry a chance along with his defense

Martin had a better ST Against LHPs in a really small sample, he's going to have to show more than that to get regular season ABs in my opinion

So far hasn't shown himself to be any of the things that you said he is over the long haul, if he does then by all means roll out Martin vs LHPs

 

[Windingmywatch]

Its the same thing they've always done, sitting Moreland against LHPs even if he had more upside, sitting Murphy even if he was better than the RH option, Wash plays the splits if he has the chance, splits are what even gave Gentry a chance along with his defense

Martin had a better ST Against LHPs in a really small sample, he's going to have to show more than that to get regular season ABs in my opinion

So far hasn't shown himself to be any of the things that you said he is over the long haul, if he does then by all means roll out Martin vs LHPs

What I said above was ...

"Bottom Line Pluses: Moreland every day; Gentry/Martin and potentially finding both everyday ABs ... (hear that Murph?). Darvish. Tepesch. Ortiz. Yea -- Darvish and Ortiz."

Murphy has to excel against LHP especially ... both of the CFs had better ST versus LHP than did Murphy. In 2012 Gentry had a better slash line against LHP than did Murphy. It is not too far off speculation that Martin might succeed against LHP too as he did during ST.

So Murphy needs to perform against LHP or options such as Martin (every day) or Baker (a potential platoon) give Wash options to play the splits that Brandon Snyder didn't give Wash last year.

Will any of this happen right away ... I doubt it too. But if Murphy slacks against LHP TEX will look at alternatives.

 

[fordman84]

Man, Darvish looks NASTY against MEX. They aren't used to his caliber I know, but still impressive. 4k's through 5 outs.