2017 Texas Rangers offseason thread

[Kelleyman]

So for he NMart nonfanclub. Here ya go

 

[saddles]

So for he NMart nonfanclub. Here ya go

I wonder if Nick worked with the same people who righted Fister's ship if Nick would be better as well.

 

[saddles]

Rangers To Sign Doug Fister

It’s a one-year, $4MM guarantee that includes a $3.5MM base salary for 2018 and either a $4.5MM club option or a $500K buyout for 2019, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. The option could be worth as much as $7MM, and both years include $500K in performance bonuses, Cotillo adds.

 

[saddles]

It is way too early to see how the Fister acquisition fits in with other moves. If in 6 weeks Fister is our third best starter then no one will be happy with this offseason. To me, right now we have a weak #2 or a strong #3 in Hamels, a #4 in Martinez and a #5 in Fister. If we fill in with a #1 and a #2, neither of which is named Arrieta, then everyone would be happy.

To me, an acquisition of Arrieta would not only be a disappointment for the offseason, it would finish off what hope I have in JD.

 

[Kelleyman]

I wonder if Nick worked with the same people who righted Fister's ship if Nick would be better as well.

You would like to think coaching and mentoring add value to pitchers. For example, sure Pudge does that for catchers and Wash did that for infielders

Fister is pretty seasoned and maybe he can add some mentoring to the other pitchers

 

[saddles]

A reminder to Mr. Sandler. You don't have to act so pompous and condescending.

 

[Kelleyman]

It is way too early to see how the Fister acquisition fits in with other moves. If in 6 weeks Fister is our third best starter then no one will be happy with this offseason. To me, right now we have a weak #2 or a strong #3 in Hamels, a #4 in Martinez and a #5 in Fister. If we fill in with a #1 and a #2, neither of which is named Arrieta, then everyone would be happy.

To me, an acquisition of Arrieta would not only be a disappointment for the offseason, it would finish off what hope I have in JD.

Assuming it is a long term sink of money? Correct? This seems like. A good first move and there is quite a bit of staged money left. NMart is likely behind Fister in rotation. Still think there is another 2 SP to be acquired

 

[saddles]

MLB Rumors: Texas Rangers interested in Lance Lynn, Alex Cobb, per Morosi


MLB Free Agent Rumors: The Texas Rangers have interest in Lance Lynn and Alex Cobb, two prominent free agent pitchers, even after reportedly agreeing to a deal with free agent pitcher Doug Fister, according to Jon Morosi on Twitter.


Which, really, if you think about it, makes sense...Fister has basically been a replacement level pitcher the past three years, and is getting just $3.5 million guaranteed for the 2018 season (or $4 million, if you include the $500K buyout of the 2019 team option he reportedly has). Fister is a guy you pick up when you have three spots to fill in the rotation and you don’t want to trade your top prospects...he’s a cheap option you can slot into the mix at the back of the rotation who doesn’t keep you from going after potential impact pitchers.


Lynn and Cobb are both 30, are both coming off their first full season post-Tommy John surgery, and both received (and rejected) qualifying offers, meaning that signing either pitcher would cost the Rangers their second round draft pick under the new free agent compensation rules. They are exactly the type of pitchers the Rangers are going to be interested in so long as they have holes in the rotation...one could argue, in fact, that the Rangers would be more interested in a Lynn or a Cobb after signing Fister, since he fills a hole for cheap, allowing Texas the flexibility to go after one or both of those guys at their expected costs.


Of course, the extent of the Rangers’ true interest in Cobb and Lynn is largely dependent on what the ultimate price will be to sign them. The expectation seems to be that they’ll end up somewhere around 5 years, $75 million, which is probably on the outer edge of what Texas would be comfortable with. I’m sure the Rangers would snatch either pitcher up right now at, say, 3 years, $48 million, but the extra years for pitchers with an injury history who are already 30 is what makes it potentially problematic.


But expect the Rangers to be linked to this pair until each is signed by some team. Even if the Rangers were to pull off the Hail Mary and land Shohei Ohtani, Cobb or Lynn would make sense to round out the rotation, and if they don’t get Ohtani, or Jake Arrieta, or Yu Darvish, then you could make an argument for signing both pitchers, giving you a rotation of Cole Hamels, Alex Cobb, Lance Lynn, Martin Perez and Doug Fister, and with $10-12 million left over to spend on relief help or someone like Jarrod Dyson.

 

[Kelleyman]

A reminder to Mr. Sandler. You don't have to act so pompous and condescending.

Much hate for JD in Twitterverse from Nolan crowd. I saw this one.

He did not take the high road though

 

[saddles]

Much hate for JD in Twitterverse from Nolan crowd. I saw this one.

He did not take the high road though

Yeah, sometimes both Sandler and Morris can come off a bit condescending and pompous when folks disagree with them. It isn't just the Nolan Fan Club that they treat that way. In fact, when they act like you have to be overboard pro-Nolan to be against things JD does that is a big part of their problem. I have never understood the folks like them who think you have to act like a JD apologist in order to show any baseball sense. But both of them provide some good content for us so we have to put up with it. lol

 

[saddles]

 

[scotsman1948]

Assuming it is a long term sink of money? Correct? This seems like. A good first move and there is quite a bit of staged money left. NMart is likely behind Fister in rotation. Still think there is another 2 SP to be acquired

if NMart is in the Rangers 2018 plans then they are in trouble. Fister is a #5 with Perez #4 and Hamels a #2 or 3 at best. they better have higher plans or Beltre will be more than disappointed he will be voicing his desire to be traded again. he is not interested in just playing in 2018 he wants to be on a team that is going to be competitive thru the entire 162 games of the season and has a chance to make it into the playoffs.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Generally speaking, Rangers fans who are vocal on Twitter are not the sharpest tools in the shed.

 

[scotsman1948]

hopefully they are looking at 2 of Watson, Nicasio or Kintzler

 

[saddles]

Reasons Shohei Ohtani should sign with Rangers

1. Prize money
The Rangers have $3.535 million to spend in international bonus money. Currently they are the leaders, although the Yankees are right behind at $3.5 million, followed by the Twins at $3.07 million. The Mariners, always a factor with Japanese players, have $1.57 million to spend, while the Dodgers are limited to $300,000. Money is not likely to be the deciding factor, but the Rangers do have a slight advantage.

2. Winning situation
The Rangers aren't going to be anybody's favorites to win the World Series next year, and they have a monumental task in competing with the Astros in the American League West. But this is a franchise that, despite this past season, has a strong identity of success, is always willing to be aggressive in trading Minor League prospects for pennant-race reinforcements and has a potentially talented offense that could rise quickly with the right pitching acquisitions.

3. Powerful ground force
This may be the Rangers' best asset. The Rangers have a strong presence in Japan led by top scouts Joe Furukawa and Hajime Watabe. Pro scouting director Josh Boyd also has well-established credentials in Japan, general manager Jon Daniels has made multiple visits to the country and the Rangers made a serious run at Ohtani when he was in high school. High-profile players and former players like Ivan Rodriguez, Michael Young, Darren Oliver, Colby Lewis, Cole Hamels and Adrian Beltre can also be enlisted in the sales force. The Rangers, having established their deep appreciation for players from Japan, are well-positioned for a full-court recruiting press.

4. Two-pitcher parlay
The Rangers seem to have the ability to sign both Ohtani and Yu Darvish, who is also a free agent. They have the financial flexibility, and they have two immediate openings in the rotation. The question is if the two Japanese superstars truly do want to play together and share the spotlight, and if Darvish does want to return to Texas after the myriad mixed signals he sent at the end of last season.

5. New ballpark coming
No free-agent discussion is complete without mentioning the Texas summer heat, but the Rangers will be moving into a new ballpark in 2020, including a retractable roof and climate control. Ohtani also might figure out that the Texas weather means a warm, comfortable April and May, rather than cold and wet conditions elsewhere.

6. Favorable DH situation
The Rangers have a designated hitter in Shin-Soo Choo, but he is not interested in the role on a full-time basis. The answer could be a shared arrangement with Ohtani being the designated hitter 1-2 times between starts and Choo in the outfield on those occasions. The Rangers need the pitcher, but have said they are willing to explore ways to use Ohtani's hitting talents.

7. Low-pressure system
Dallas-Fort Worth is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States. But when it comes to intense media spotlight, it pales in comparison to much larger New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Even East Coast metro areas like Boston have a greater spotlight. That might end up being a good thing for the Rangers. The Rangers had special rules for Darvish in dealing with the media to ease his burden. They have expertise in that regard and could help make Ohtani comfortable if he wants to pitch without excessive pressure and scrutiny.

8. Economic conditions
Texas has no state income tax and is among the top 10 states in the country as far as cost of living. That may not be a big deal for a young player who is willing to give up a larger payday two years down the road to jump to the Major Leagues now. But it is there.

 

[saddles]

What signing Doug Fister means to the Rangers' offseason pitching plans

The Rangers aren't signing Fister to be the linchpin to the rotation. They are signing him to be a portal to bigger moves. The money the Rangers are giving Fister doesn't impact that in the least. I'd even suggest, let's say, if the Rangers have a $155 million payroll in mind, ownership is willing to not count the signing against the cap. It's the price of buying time.

The Rangers have a lot of work to do with their pitching staff, as perhaps you've seen me mention in every piece I've written since the season ended. They needed to find at least three starters and a couple of bullpen pieces in a market that isn't real deep. Leverage was not on their side. It still isn't, but the playing field is slightly more level.

With Cole Hamels, Martin Perez, Fister and the possibility of Matt Bush (who is attempting to convert from reliever to starter), the Rangers can now focus on the upper end of the market. Shohei Ohtani remains the angel they'd like to place atop their Christmas tree, but every team in baseball is trying to grab him, too. Ohtani, who could be posted this week, is a unique case all about recruitment, not money. But there won't be a resolution until three weeks after he signs.

They can continue to talk to Jake Arrieta about a homecoming, but only if he's willing to take a discount to do so (don't bet on that). They can wait to see just how far Dallas resident Yu Darvish's price tag falls based on his World Series struggles (it's unlikely to fall into the Rangers' price range).

They can continue to stay persistent in talks with their most realistic top-tier candidates: Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn. There is not a great deal of separation between the two; I've written that Cobb is probably a slightly better fit for the Rangers, but truth is, if either one is willing to take about $15 million a year for four years, the Rangers aren't going to get too picky over which one it is.


And they will remain vigilant in bargain-hunting. Maybe Miles Mikolas, returning from Japan, is worth a market-adjusted (for eight years of growth) Colby Lewis-type investment. Maybe Michael Pineda, who will spend most of the year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, is worth a two-year commitment. Maybe John Lackey wants to pitch one final season in his home state. Maybe a reliever with previous starting experience, like Tommy Hunter or Mike Minor, is willing to trade a bit of money upfront for a chance to return to the rotation and potentially make even more with incentives.

The Rangers entered the offseason planning to explore any and all options for improving the pitching staff.

The signing of Fister for a relative pittance may help them achieve that goal. And it doesn't appear to come at the expense of any of their other options.

 

[jta4437]

if NMart is in the Rangers 2018 plans then they are in trouble. Fister is a #5 with Perez #4 and Hamels a #2 or 3 at best. they better have higher plans or Beltre will be more than disappointed he will be voicing his desire to be traded again. he is not interested in just playing in 2018 he wants to be on a team that is going to be competitive thru the entire 162 games of the season and has a chance to make it into the playoffs.

Part of us being competitive will be him staying healthy, he can't really complain about last season, he barely played half of it

 

[scotsman1948]

Part of us being competitive will be him staying healthy, he can't really complain about last season, he barely played half of it

he understands that. but he wants to be part of a competitive team and that entails signing quality parts to fill missing holes on the roster. Fister and Martinez are not quality parts. Martinez is at best a #6 or 7, Fister is at best a #5 or 6 and Perez is at best a #4 or 5. with Hamels possibly degrading to a #3 or 4 we need 2 quality starters that are 1 and 2 level or we can anticipate another flustrating season at around 70 to 75 wins and a 4th or 5th place finish in the West

 

[saddles]

he understands that. but he wants to be part of a competitive team and that entails signing quality parts to fill missing holes on the roster. Fister and Martinez are not quality parts. Martinez is at best a #6 or 7, Fister is at best a #5 or 6 and Perez is at best a #4 or 5. with Hamels possibly degrading to a #3 or 4 we need 2 quality starters that are 1 and 2 level or we can anticipate another flustrating season at around 70 to 75 wins and a 4th or 5th place finish in the West

Between needing 3 rotation pieces, 2 bullpen pieces, and needing to be better at 3 positions up the middle it is just too much to accomplish in one offseason in my estimation.

 

[scotsman1948]

Between needing 3 rotation pieces, 2 bullpen pieces, and needing to be better at 3 positions up the middle it is just too much to accomplish in one offseason in my estimation.

So we should write off 2018 sign a bunch of low level talent and wait until 2019 or beyond.