2014 Offseason

[saddles]

It was also mentioned in the Calvin Watkins story that the Rangers have a "passing interest" in Josh Johnson. I sure hope that isn't true.

 

[darrylgann]

Is his source still around?

I'm sure his source is still around, not sure of Terps. Busy studying for the bar. Source may not be needed till the winter meeting in Dec.

 

[DT LUNA]

It was also mentioned in the Calvin Watkins story that the Rangers have a "passing interest" in Josh Johnson. I sure hope that isn't true.

I hope not either but really don't put much faith in Calvin.

 

[donaldson79]

PHOENIX -- The New York Mets uncharacteristically moved aggressively in free agency, signing veteran Michael Cuddyer to a two-year deal as the general managers' meetings opened Monday at the Arizona Biltmore hotel.

Cuddyer, 35, will earn $21 million in the deal -- $8.5 million in 2015 and $12.5 million in 2016 -- according to a source. Cuddyer faced a Monday deadline to accept a $15.3 million qualifying offer from the Colorado Rockies.

 

[saddles]

From ESPNDallas.

Daniels, attending the GM Meetings, which start Tuesday, said the reports he’s getting from Japan on Darvish are good, but the pitcher will undergo an MRI just before Thanksgiving and if things are clean there he will begin a throwing program in December.

“Very good,” Daniels said. “He’s doing his normal offseason program. At this point, he typically doesn’t start throwing until December anyways, so he’s doing his normal conditioning, throwing, lifting. Get the MRI at the end of the month here, right before Thanksgiving, and he would go back (to Japan).”

 

[scotsman1948]

It was Calvin Watkins that mentioned Nick, Nick and Mikolas.

I think we will get the best of those three plus Bonilla, Colby, and one starter acquired via trade. Probably Tepesch will be the winner of the group of the 4 youngsters. I just hope we don't regret the trade a couple of years down the road when we have a more realistic chance of competing. It will be a challenge for JD to trade for a pitcher who doesn't put him over his budget while at the same time acquiring a pitcher who is better than the youngsters.

your faith in them is commendable but i don't see any of them being more than a #5

 

[saddles]

your faith in them is commendable but i don't see any of them being more than a #5

You may be right, but there is nothing to indicate that the way they each pitched overall in each of their last 10 starts was a fluke. It could have been a fluke, but then it could have been an indication that they were maturing as time went by and have the potential to be more than a #5. We will probably find out soon enough. I am pretty sure we aren't going anywhere in 2015 anyway. You just can't fix all of the problems on the budget that has been proposed without a big influx of very good and very cheap young talent. That influx is still a couple of years away.

 

[DT LUNA]

your faith in them is commendable but i don't see any of them being more than a #5

Well Scottie we have come to the "opinion" time of year and I agree totally with you.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

your faith in them is commendable but i don't see any of them being more than a #5

Time will tell. There is a long list of pitchers we thought would be great who fizzled and of those who we deemed BORP and turned out to be better than we thought.

 

[romeo212000]

Time will tell. There is a long list of pitchers we thought would be great who fizzled and of those who we deemed BORP and turned out to be better than we thought.

There was a time I thought Harry didn't have the mental toughness to be a front half of the rotation pitcher. I miss Harry.

 

[TexasPower]

Do you guys think we have or should interest in Latos from the Reds? or Leake for that matter?

I'd be interested in Latos if the price was right. He's still only 26 and has a nice career record and era.

 

[romeo212000]

Do you guys think we have or should interest in Latos from the Reds? or Leake for that matter?

I'd be interested in Latos if the price was right. He's still only 26 and has a nice career record and era.

Yes, and yes. Depends on what they're wanting, but they've been brought up as a good potential trade partner before. Honestly, we've got enough bullets in our farm system to pretty much pull off a trade with whoever for whoever we want. There are a few untouchables IMO such as Gallo, unless we're talking about Stanton.

 

[Justinkm83]

Do you guys think we have or should interest in Latos from the Reds? or Leake for that matter?

I'd be interested in Latos if the price was right. He's still only 26 and has a nice career record and era.

Yes I think we should, but I don't know if we are. I've said from the beginning that I thought the Reds might be our most likely trade partner. The Padres are another.

 

[romeo212000]

Yes I think we should, but I don't know if we are. I've said from the beginning that I thought the Reds might be our most likely trade partner. The Padres are another.

Cashner gives me a baseball stiffy.

 

[Justinkm83]

Cashner gives me a baseball stiffy.

I would love to acquire either one of them and slot them into the 3 spot. Latos is younger but Cashner is controllable longer (1 year).

Yu, Holland, Cashner/Latos, Perez, and maybe Chi Chi/Thompson for 2016 gives me a baseball stiffy.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

There was a time I thought Harry didn't have the mental toughness to be a front half of the rotation pitcher. I miss Harry.

Yeah, he really turned the corner a few years ago mentally. It is a shame what he is going thru as he is a big piece of the puzzle that we are missing.

 

[scotsman1948]

You may be right, but there is nothing to indicate that the way they each pitched overall in each of their last 10 starts was a fluke. It could have been a fluke, but then it could have been an indication that they were maturing as time went by and have the potential to be more than a #5. We will probably find out soon enough. I am pretty sure we aren't going anywhere in 2015 anyway. You just can't fix all of the problems on the budget that has been proposed without a big influx of very good and very cheap young talent. That influx is still a couple of years away.

not talking about going big time but we can make some moves this off-season and at least be competitive or we can sit on our hands and do nothing and maybe be competitive in 2 or 3 or 4 years while we wait and see if any of them pan out. personally i want them all to pan out but i know that only 1 in 4 ever does so you have to also use FA and trades around them.

i would like to see them make a trade rather than FA for a pitcher and re-sign Colby and then let the 3 you mentioned battle it out for the #5 spot.

 

[scotsman1948]

There was a time I thought Harry didn't have the mental toughness to be a front half of the rotation pitcher. I miss Harry.

so do i. imagine a front 3 of Yu, Derek and Harry

 

[scotsman1948]

I would love to acquire either one of them and slot them into the 3 spot. Latos is younger but Cashner is controllable longer (1 year).

Yu, Holland, Cashner/Latos, Perez, and maybe Chi Chi/Thompson for 2016 gives me a baseball stiffy.

that would be nice.

 

[donaldson79]

JD on MI "potential" trades:

“It’s not a secret that we have depth there,” Daniels said upon arriving at the Major League Baseball General Managers meetings in Phoenix. “Its an area of strength for us. We’ve talked about the possibility for a while. We just have to decide if now is the time to make a move there.”

In addition to Andrus, the Rangers also have former top prospect Jurickson Profar, who is recovering from a shoulder injury that cost him the entire 2014 season, prospect Luis Sardinas and superb minor league defender Hanser Alberto, who must go on the 40-man roster this winter or be exposed to the Rule 5 draft.

Three big-market teams – the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers - are among those seeking a shortstop. It’s likely that all four, however, would want somebody capable of sliding right into the starting lineup. The Yankees and Rangers have already had some fact-finding talks and the New York Post reported the Yankees were “intrigued,” by Andrus.

Andrus could certainly do that, but his value may be at an all-time low considering the huge eight-year, $120 million deal commitment to him that begins in 2015.The question is whether the Rangers could get adequate “value” for Andrus in a deal, but Daniels said it’s not incumbent upon the club this winter to absolutely determine a value for Andrus.