2017 Texas Rangers offseason thread

[donaldson79]

Not a rumor. Rangers are discussing it.

Did I say I'm in the Davis Mts with limited net capabilities? ha ha ha

Not against, nor for, the move......Just been out of the loop and little surprised to see this.

Haven't we sorta "screwed the pooch" on this starter-to-reliever, reliever-to-starter routine enough already?

 

[donaldson79]

Is it nice out there in the mts.

Pretty sweet, must say......Terrific weather, full moon, we're smoking a brisket/ribs, having some cold brews/wine. What's not to like?

 

[DT LUNA]

Pretty sweet, must say......Terrific weather, full moon, we're smoking a brisket/ribs, having some cold brews/wine. What's not to like?

I'm not there is all I can think of.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Haven't we sorta "screwed the pooch" on this starter-to-reliever, reliever-to-starter routine enough already?

Well, it's not advanced past the "ehh, we'll see" stage. But the Rangers will need 3 more starters when 2018 rolls around, and JD leaves no stone unturned.

Now get your ass offline and go enjoy the outdoors, beer, and BBQ.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

The meat of the postseason kicks off today. We've got the ALDS, two games. BOS/HOU at 3pm, and NY/CLE at 6:30pm.

Goes without saying that I'm pulling for a BOS sweep. Rooting for CLE as well.

 

[scotsman1948]

Some team will give him a multi year deal after the season he had. I read somewhere where they thought he would get a deal close to 4 years for 70 million.

17 to 18M a year? he is not a 1 or 2 and only a desperate team would pay a 3 or 4 that much. 4 years 40 to 50M is more like it

 

[scotsman1948]

Hope not. Will have a hard time making the playoffs with that rotation. Really don't want to see AJ in the starting rotation.

Hope not. Will have a hard time making the playoffs with that rotation. Really don't want to see AJ in the starting rotation.

would have a hard time not losing a 100 games with that rotation

 

[scotsman1948]

How many players have ever taken the QA? Just wondering since you think in this particular case it's such a done deal.

the last couple of years several mainly because they knew they would not get any where near that much on the open market. if i were Cashner and the Rangers threw the 18M QO at me i would jump on it

 

[donaldson79]

the last couple of years several mainly because they knew they would not get any where near that much on the open market. if i were Cashner and the Rangers threw the 18M QO at me i would jump on it

Name em. I think I remember one, although I don't remember who it was. However, I do remember it was a pretty shocking situation across the board. But if it's been several you should be able to rattle them off.

Does anyone remember?

 

[DT LUNA]

Name em. I think I remember one, although I don't remember who it was. However, I do remember it was a pretty shocking situation across the board. But if it's been several you should be able to rattle them off.

Does anyone remember?

I doubt very many do.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Hellickson, Walker accept offers; 8 decline

2 in 2016, and 3 in 2015.

 

[donaldson79]

Hellickson, Walker accept offers; 8 decline

2 in 2016, and 3 in 2015.

I stand corrected. That's several more than I thought.....Good pick up sir.

 

[Duane1952]

Rangers rebuild? Not for 2018, despite pitching needs

The Rangers will go about their off-season work with an open mind, from the very top of the free-agent market to the under-the-radar types who could make a positive impact.


But Daniels said that the Rangers won’t have as much money to spend for 2018 as they did for 2017, as their payroll returns to the 2016 level of around $155 million rather than the $165 million they had on their Opening Day payroll this season.


The Rangers, he said, need to “add wisely” as they acquire arms, either by money-whipping a free agent or via trade with another organization.



“The pitching side is where we’re going to be the most active from an acquisition standpoint and what we’re looking to do this winter,” Daniels said. “We probably have two starters and four relievers we can pencil in right now and a number of other guys in competition.


“Sometimes smart is the top-of-the-market moves. Sometimes the best moves are Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels and Joe Nathan. Sometimes the best moves are Jake Diekman and Colby Lewis.”



The club might not pursue a closer, Daniels said, but is likely to add a veteran arm that can help guide the young relievers through the course of a 162-game season.


Nick Martinez, Austin Bibens-Dirkx and A.J. Griffin are among the internal candidates for the rotation, while Diekman, Bush, Keone Kela and Alex Claudio could compete in spring training to be the closer.

JD never reveals what he is really going to do. Can't believe he really thinks that Martinez and Griffin are viable options for the rotation. If this is true Beltre probably won't like it.

 

[DT LUNA]

I stand corrected. That's several more than I thought.....Good pick up sir.

5 in two years is a very small percentage

 

[True Rangers Fan]

5 in two years is a very small percentage

it is, but it's enough to set a precedent.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Regarding Cashner though, he's widely projected to get a decent deal on the market, so for him to accept would be very surprising.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

motherfucker!

 

[saddles]

5 in two years is a very small percentage

It is a small number because usually the GMs do a good job of not offering QO to those free agents who they think will accept it. The percentage would no doubt be much higher if every free agent was offered a QO. The one year 2 of 10 took it and that is with GMs not offering it to those who they thought would jump at it.

 

[saddles]

R-word or not, Rangers GM Jon Daniels now faces one of the most daunting tasks of his tenure

For his next trick, which is probably overdue, Jon Daniels will attempt to return the Rangers to the playoffs next season by fashioning a starting rotation out of thin air rather than with lavish budgets or internal prospects. And the magic word will not be "rebuild."

If Daniels pulls this off, he retires the Executive of the Year award.

And if he doesn't, "rebuild" is the dirty word, and nothing's magic about it.

Of course, Daniels didn't call his prospects any such thing in his annual postseason news conference Wednesday. They are, after all, "glass half-full" guys, as he confessed upfront and without qualification.

"This is not a rebuild," he said, declining to put any kind of label on it.

So we'll try a few: Reload? Refinish? Reboot?

Reupholster?

No matter what you want to call it, this offseason presents one of the most daunting tasks in Daniels' decade-plus as general manager, at least if he really means to contend next season.

Now I get what he's saying. The Rangers were a mere two games out of the wild card with 10 games left, and that after Daniels traded his best pitcher, filled up the disabled list, watched his bullpen implode and his second baseman spin like a top at the plate. Considering the series of ruinous developments, it was a miracle the Globe didn't cave in on them.

 

[saddles]

There's also no viable reason to bottom out. There's no Mark Teixeira, a star player with a short shelf life on a bad club and the promise of a franchise-shaping return in the form of a trade. The only one close is Adrian Beltre. He might, indeed, bring a good prospect, but even that's iffy at his age.

Other than unloading Shin-Soo Choo's awful contract, which isn't going to happen, who else do you really want to trade and expect a good return?

Might as well go for it in 2018 then. As Daniels pointed out, who expected the Twins or Rockies to make the postseason? A fair point. Unfortunately, planning on good luck is never the way to go...

The Rangers may be interested in giving Cashner, 31, the qualifying offer of $18 million instead of a multiyear deal. Once again, I get it. Cashner had a good season but didn't put up a lot of strikeouts, which usually indicates a pitcher is more lucky than good.


But, if the Rangers really plan on contending next season, do they have any choice with just two starters in house? Cashner will have several options. Maybe even the Astros, close to his native Conroe, and a team headed a different direction from the Rangers.

Chances seem pretty good that, in what Daniels calls a "demand heavy; supply poor" pitching market, Cashner could get three years and $45 million from someone else. He's probably not going to turn that down to bet on another season with the Rangers.

If the Rangers don't really believe in Cashner or want to commit to him past next season, more power to them. But it also says they'd rather wait on the pitching prospects now loitering in the lower levels of their system. Which sure smells like a rebuild.

As previously noted, the free-agent pitching market isn't exactly rife with prospects. Yu Darvish is the premier candidate, and the chances of his return are almost nil. Shohei Otani? The Rangers love him, like everyone else, and some even offer friendlier parks, climates and prospects. Jake Arrieta's name comes up, mainly because of his Texas roots and a disappointing season with the Cubs. But even if he were so inclined, it doesn't mean he'd come cheap.