2014 Offseason

[Nightcrawler]

He seems to be having a solid Spring.

He has a solid spring every year. Regular season is the only way to evaluate MM. I'm just sick of the guy getting hurt and receiving extra chances from the organization. In most companies, you either perform or get the hell out and I haven't seen him perform well in a very long time.

 

[Windingmywatch]

He has a solid spring every year. Regular season is the only way to evaluate MM. I'm just sick of the guy getting hurt and receiving extra chances from the organization. In most companies, you either perform or get the hell out and I haven't seen him perform well in a very long time.

Am sure he's sick of getting hurt too. TEX must see his potential and value or else he wouldn't still be here. He's still the best 1bman on the roster and given Fielder's physical problem last season ... insurance is the best policy.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Am sure he's sick of getting hurt too. TEX must see his potential and value or else he wouldn't still be here. He's still the best 1bman on the roster and given Fielder's physical problem last season ... insurance is the best policy.

Texas is treating MM the same way they treat guys like Fielder and Choo. They're being patient. The issue I have with this approach is that Mitch doesn't have a track record comparable to Fielder or Choo. Mitch isn't even in the top 10 first basemen or DH in the American League statwise regardless of which position you want to categorize Mitch in. They appear to be giving an average player super star treatment and it is so frustrating. Mark Teixeira was the last good 1B Texas has had. How long ago was that? I'm not counting Prince because he was hurt and not effective at all last year.

Vlad Guerrero was the last good DH Texas has had. My baseball knowledge isn't as high as some people here, I'm more of a football / basketball guy first and foremost, but I still love baseball. It seems to me that DH and 1B should be the easiest spots to fill and I don't get why the Rangers organization can't find good players at both positions. If Fielder makes a full recovery like I think he is going too, we just need a good DH.

 

[donaldson79]

Texas is treating MM the same way they treat guys like Fielder and Choo. They're being patient. The issue I have with this approach is that Mitch doesn't have a track record comparable to Fielder or Choo. Mitch isn't even in the top 10 first basemen or DH in the American League statwise regardless of which position you want to categorize Mitch in. They appear to be giving an average player super star treatment and it is so frustrating. Mark Teixeira was the last good 1B Texas has had. How long ago was that? I'm not counting Prince because he was hurt and not effective at all last year.

Vlad Guerrero was the last good DH Texas has had. My baseball knowledge isn't as high as some people here, I'm more of a football / basketball guy first and foremost, but I still love baseball. It seems to me that DH and 1B should be the easiest spots to fill and I don't get why the Rangers organization can't find good players at both positions. If Fielder makes a full recovery like I think he is going too, we just need a good DH.

Defensively, Moreland is considered a very good 1st baseman. Much, much better than Fielder has ever been.

Offensively, when he's 90% plus healthy, he's a pretty good power hitter, and hits for a decent average as well.
Problem is that pesky 90% is seldom. He's spent at least half his career below that 90% level, IMO.

Look, I defended and defended MM for years. Last year I finally threw in the towel. His constantly being hurt, and then how he struggles to come back from these injuries have just worn me out with him.

But I believe it was romeo who said earlier, "this is Mitch's last chance with the Rangers." And think this is true as well.

 

[romeo212000]

Texas is treating MM the same way they treat guys like Fielder and Choo. They're being patient. The issue I have with this approach is that Mitch doesn't have a track record comparable to Fielder or Choo. Mitch isn't even in the top 10 first basemen or DH in the American League statwise regardless of which position you want to categorize Mitch in. They appear to be giving an average player super star treatment and it is so frustrating. Mark Teixeira was the last good 1B Texas has had. How long ago was that? I'm not counting Prince because he was hurt and not effective at all last year.

Vlad Guerrero was the last good DH Texas has had. My baseball knowledge isn't as high as some people here, I'm more of a football / basketball guy first and foremost, but I still love baseball. It seems to me that DH and 1B should be the easiest spots to fill and I don't get why the Rangers organization can't find good players at both positions. If Fielder makes a full recovery like I think he is going too, we just need a good DH.

Umm... Michael Young in 2011?????

 

[Nightcrawler]

Umm... Michael Young in 2011?????

I never truly considered Michael Young a DH. He'll always be remembered as an infielder to me. SS , 2B, or 3B.

 

[saddles]

!B does seem to be a position that we simply don't put much importance in developing within the organiization. Even Teixeira and Davis were converted third basemen. Chris played some 1B in the minors, but he mainly played 3B. Was Pete O'Brien our last 1B that we developed in the minors that became a successful big leaguer?

 

[romeo212000]

I never truly considered Michael Young a DH. He'll always be remembered as an infielder to me. SS , 2B, or 3B.

He was our DH in 2011.

 

[saddles]

Young played 69 games at DH in 2011 and 72 in 2012.

 

[saddles]

Projecting The Rangers Opening Day Roster CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

 

[Windingmywatch]

Last guy TEX developed in the minors that became a (successful) big leaguer: Justin Smoak. Shows how bringing up a LH 1b only corner bat is high risk.

Lots of guys playing 2b and 3b are converted short stops ... and there are probably more ML and AAA 1bmen who are converted 3bmen. (I'll have to do some research)

MM is obviously not a converted 3bman ... but as an ex pitcher his strong, accurate arm and excellent fielding of his position ... plus a power LH bat make him worth the investment in time.

It is not like there is another option in the system right now you'd promote to be a backup 1bman and DH is there? And signing a FA to fill that job (remember Lance Berkman?) hasn't worked out too well either.

I'd stick with Moreland.

 

[romeo212000]

Projecting The Rangers Opening Day Roster CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

Sounds pretty legit.

 

[donaldson79]

I just heard a stat on our new LH arm outta the pen, Freeman, which is very concerning. Last season the batting average against him when facing LH was over a 100 points higher than RH.

 

[saddles]

Last guy TEX developed in the minors that became a (successful) big leaguer: Justin Smoak. Shows how bringing up a LH 1b only corner bat is high risk.

Lots of guys playing 2b and 3b are converted short stops ... and there are probably more ML and AAA 1bmen who are converted 3bmen. (I'll have to do some research)

MM is obviously not a converted 3bman ... but as an ex pitcher his strong, accurate arm and excellent fielding of his position ... plus a power LH bat make him worth the investment in time.

It is not like there is another option in the system right now you'd promote to be a backup 1bman and DH is there? And signing a FA to fill that job (remember Lance Berkman?) hasn't worked out too well either.

I'd stick with Moreland.

I don't consider Smoak a successful big leaguer. I guess it would depend on the definition of "successful", but I don't consider Smoak a successful MLB payer. He has never hit over .239. I think our last one was Pete O'Brien.

Mitch might still be one eventually, be he isn't so far. He was primarily an OF in the minors though who played 1b part time. In his 4 minor league seasons he played 1B in a little over 40% of his minor league games. In his last 2 minor league seasons he only played 1B about 25% of the time.

 

[donaldson79]

Norm is going over our BP right now (11:20).

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Tepesch to Round Rock. Scheppers getting MRI on ankle.

 

[saddles]

I just heard a stat on our new LH arm outta the pen, Freeman, which is very concerning. Last season the batting average against him when facing LH was over a 100 points higher than RH.

Yes, JD even acknowledged he was better against RH when they made the trade. I haven't looked close enough to see if any of our RH bullpen pitchers have those type of reverse numbers the other way.

 

[Windingmywatch]

Small numbers from the spring so far ...

Player AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG▼ OBP SLG OPS
Andrus, E 36 4 14 2 2 1 6 2 3 1 1 .389 .410 .639 1.049
Odor, R 34 6 13 2 1 1 2 2 5 1 0 .382 .417 .588 1.005
Smolinski, J 41 6 14 4 1 1 5 5 7 1 0 .341 .413 .561 .974
Rua, R 53 6 16 4 2 1 9 3 13 0 0 .302 .351 .509 .860
Moreland, M 38 6 12 1 0 3 8 1 9 0 0 .316 .333 .579 .912
Martin, L 46 9 12 1 0 2 6 5 6 3 2 .261 .333 .413 .741
Fielder, P 37 4 11 1 0 1 7 1 2 0 0 .297 .316 .405 .721
Peguero, C 38 6 12 2 0 1 5 4 15 1 1 .316 .409 .447 .856

Beltre and Choo are slow starters but I think the best news is Fielder has spent his spring getting his timing down and not trying to bomb shots. Rua's K rate is down over the past week or so while Pageuro's is up at exactly the wrong time vis a vis Smolinski. Sure wish there were a way to post a table. This sucks.

Sortable Player Stats | texasrangers.com: Stats

 

[WastinSomeTime]

I don't consider Smoak a successful big leaguer. I guess it would depend on the definition of "successful", but I don't consider Smoak a successful MLB payer. He has never hit over .239. I think our last one was Pete O'Brien.

Mitch might still be one eventually, be he isn't so far. He was primarily an OF in the minors though who played 1b part time. In his 4 minor league seasons he played 1B in a little over 40% of his minor league games. In his last 2 minor league seasons he only played 1B about 25% of the time.

I definitely take him at 1st over playing the OF. Looks like that was a move they had to make.

 

[donaldson79]

Now this is really strange.

Hitzges said the former Rangers 2nd BM, Odubel Herrera, who was picked up on a rule 5 by the Phillies, is going to start in CENTER FIELD for them.

Isn't that bizarre?