2017 Texas Rangers offseason thread

[scotsman1948]

His moves made sense to some, but they didn't make sense to others.

that's the nature of the game if everyone agreed on every move a GM makes where would the fun be? my point is a man who was hired to produce and maintain a MLB team made moves that he felt made sense and he will do it again if he thinks they make sense.

 

[scotsman1948]

We don't have the quality in excess that could bring us MLB ready players or very high quality prospects. The list you gave the other day included some very sketchy prospects like Heineman, Morgan and others. We have very few high quality positional prospects above the High-A level. After Guzman and Calhoun we don't have anyone who looks like they will be ready anytime soon that is a high quality positional prospect. Trevino hasn't proven he can be more than a backup catcher yet. Who knows if DeLeon or Tejada will ever pan out. They are very far away. We have some interesting CF prospects, but lets see what they can do at the AA level before we consider the possibility that we have any excess.

so what do you suggest we do. sit on every prospect until we know? we talk about trading odor without anyone in the system being ready to step in and play 140+ games at 2nd. Profar has never shown he can do it. Robinson is a utility player. what's your solution at 2nd?

 

[donaldson79]

Odor on the other hand, has played on a regular basis up here for a very long time and he continues to slump. The idea that it might take an offseason to correct mistakes is an excuse that I don't believe I have heard before. Seems like I can recall many players breaking out of slumps and bad habits during the season.

I laughed at Kevin's take, and yours as well. And like you, I had the same take.

However, I do believe that 90%+ of Odor's problems are between his ears. So, he may have a better opportunity to actually work on his "thinking/approach process" as opposed to a physical trait.

I have taken note that many writers/management/players stand by him as an intensely proud player who really works hard, gives 100%-100% of the time, and truly wants to improve. Last year notwithstanding perhaps.

 

[DT LUNA]

I laughed at Kevin's take, and yours as well. And like you, I had the same take.

However, I do believe that 90%+ of Odor's problems are between his ears. So, he may have a better opportunity to actually work on his "thinking/approach process" as opposed to a physical trait.

I have taken note that many writers/management/players stand by him as an intensely proud player who really works hard, gives 100%-100% of the time, and truly wants to improve. Last year notwithstanding perhaps.

Could not agree more.

 

[saddles]

so what do you suggest we do. sit on every prospect until we know? we talk about trading odor without anyone in the system being ready to step in and play 140+ games at 2nd. Profar has never shown he can do it. Robinson is a utility player. what's your solution at 2nd?

Profar did very well the one time they let him play everyday. He would be my solution, but I know he isn't JD's solution.

His most regular playing time came in 2016 when he started playing regularly in late May and by the end of July he was hitting .300. He then had a 2 week slump and got benched. Unlike veterans he was never allowed to stay in the lineup in order to get out of his slump. And that was after only having about 300 big league AB before that period. The idea that he has failed over and over again here is fake news. The Rangers have failed to utilize him properly over and over again.

Sitting on every prospect and thinking we have an excess of good positional prospects are very far apart. I don't agree with either. Mainly I am saying that the idea of yours that we have an abundance of positional prospects is not correct, especially those who could command a good return in a trade.

 

[saddles]

that's the nature of the game if everyone agreed on every move a GM makes where would the fun be? my point is a man who was hired to produce and maintain a MLB team made moves that he felt made sense and he will do it again if he thinks they make sense.

He is the same GM who has led us to zero playoff series wins in the past 6 years too. What made sense to him is not working to bring us a pennant.

My point to begin with was that just because some fans clamor for prospects to be traded for quick results that doesn't mean they are right. The more prudent course to begin with would be to have not made those trades and build around those great prospects we had who were only a year or two away at that point. Whether JD should have known that a couple of years ago is less important now than him knowing it now. Although, we don't have any Alfaros, Brinsons, or Williamses in AA or above at this point. Guzman and Calhoun don't measure up to those guys as prospects.

 

[Duane1952]

Wonder what it would take to get Pederson from the Dodgers.

 

[Kelleyman]

I like the idea of seeing what they can get for Odor. Sherrington has an even more optimistic idea of what they could get for him than I did when I suggested we could get a minor league pitcher who projects to a middle of the rotation type pitcher.

As I have said before I would be leery of Arrieta based on his history while pitching in our league.

The reason Profar didn't adjust to the utility role was due to the fact that most young players cannot hit well when playing sparingly. Organizations doom a young player to failure when they bench him for going through a slump when the only way out of it is to play on a regular basis. Yet, they will stick with a slumping veteran like Napoli for months.

Odor on the other hand, has played on a regular basis up here for a very long time and he continues to slump. The idea that it might take an offseason to correct mistakes is an excuse that I don't believe I have heard before. Seems like I can recall many players breaking out of slumps and bad habits during the season.

Sounds to me he needs to figure out his approach and do better recognizing pitches He is still young and pretty athletic

 

[saddles]

From mlbtraderumors.com.

First, the Rangers will have to decide upon a qualifying offer for righty Andrew Cashner. Despite some prior indications that the team might issue one, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports that’s not likely at this point.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

He is the same GM who has led us to zero playoff series wins in the past 6 years too.

Allow me to demonstrate why that statement is complete bullshit:

2012 - Rangers were the absolute, without-a-doubt, top team in the AL... until they took a nosedive in September. Lost 5 games in the standings in 9 days to close out the season, lost the AL West title, and lost the WC game.

2013 - Rangers in the thick of things all year, ended tied for the second WC spot. Lost the tiebreaker game.

2014 - Everyone was injured.

2015 - Recovering and rebuilding, the Rangers still managed to win the AL West and took the ALDS to 5 games to close out a season where everyone predicted they'd finish third at best.

2016 - Led the AL in wins. Primed for a deep postseason run. Got swept by the BJs.

2017 - Despite several significant players taking significant steps back, Beltre missing a good chunk of the year, and trading away a TORP, the Rangers managed to hang on in the WC race almost until the end.

 

[scotsman1948]

From mlbtraderumors.com.

First, the Rangers will have to decide upon a qualifying offer for righty Andrew Cashner. Despite some prior indications that the team might issue one, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports that’s not likely at this point.

this is good news because paying Cashner 17.4M is one of those moves some on here have been complaining about.

 

[saddles]

Allow me to demonstrate why that statement is complete bullshit:

2012 - Rangers were the absolute, without-a-doubt, top team in the AL... until they took a nosedive in September. Lost 5 games in the standings in 9 days to close out the season, lost the AL West title, and lost the WC game.

2013 - Rangers in the thick of things all year, ended tied for the second WC spot. Lost the tiebreaker game.

2014 - Everyone was injured.

2015 - Recovering and rebuilding, the Rangers still managed to win the AL West and took the ALDS to 5 games to close out a season where everyone predicted they'd finish third at best.

2016 - Led the AL in wins. Primed for a deep postseason run. Got swept by the BJs.

2017 - Despite several significant players taking significant steps back, Beltre missing a good chunk of the year, and trading away a TORP, the Rangers managed to hang on in the WC race almost until the end.

The excuses are fine for a year or two, but this is six years running now. All I was trying to say to Scottie is that JD's decisions are not beyond being questioned.

You can stick your head in the sand if you want to.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

The excuses are fine for a year or two, but this is six years running now. All I was trying to say to Scottie is that JD's decisions are not beyond being questioned.

You can stick your head in the sand if you want to.

Running a baseball team is not an exact process. Player execution happens to be a pretty big part of a team's success.

 

[scotsman1948]

The excuses are fine for a year or two, but this is six years running now. All I was trying to say to Scottie is that JD's decisions are not beyond being questioned.

You can stick your head in the sand if you want to.

and i agree that in retrospect some of the moves can be questioned but at the time they were made they made sense to the team. at the time of the trade lucroy was one of the best catchers in baseball and jeffers was considered a top of the line reliever how was JD suppose to know what would happen? if by sticking your head in the sand you mean we shouldn't ever make a trade then you're wrong

 

[DT LUNA]

Running a baseball team is not an exact process. Player execution happens to be a pretty big part of a team's success.

I also find a huge difference in excuses and reasons.

 

[scotsman1948]

instead of Cashner being offered the qualifying offer of 17.4M how about Alex Cobb and Miles Mikolas for less than 60% of that on multi-year deals to fill the 4 and 5 spots in the rotation?

 

[True Rangers Fan]

I'm not trying to say that JD has the golden touch with every move he makes. But he has built some damn good lineups post-2011, and that the team hasn't won any postseason series since then shouldn't land at his feet.

 

[scotsman1948]

I'm not trying to say that JD has the golden touch with every move he makes. But he has built some damn good lineups post-2011, and that the team hasn't won any postseason series since then shouldn't land at his feet.

agreed. all JD can do is make moves that statistically put the best team available on the field. he has no control over how the players picked up in these moves perform or what injuries may occur. to point out the final finish in any season as lying solely on his shoulders is just narrow minded

 

[Kelleyman]

JD biggest flaw has been not developing and retaining SP via farm. Seems to me he has had the wrong guys and approach. That being said JD started a legit farm system that never existed. Became HUGE players in the international market.

 

[scotsman1948]

JD biggest flaw has been not developing and retaining SP via farm. Seems to me he has had the wrong guys and approach. That being said JD started a legit farm system that never existed. Became HUGE players in the international market.

again JD is not alone in developing and retaining SP. every pick is a crapshoot with one in 100 or higher panning out.