Game Thread: April 1,2,3 Rangers Take on Houston's Hinchmen

[WastinSomeTime]

Stranger things have happened but on paper it does not look good for tonight. Verlander vs Shelby Miller looks like a serious mismatch.

 

[fordman84]

Yeah, but Beltre was not 12 years at $430 million or all of us would have said trade him. If Trout's skills diminish in 5-6 years they are going to still be paying a boatload of money. To me that franchise just does not learn from Vernon Wells, to Pujols and now this.

Considering that team already has witnessed the downside of the mega contract via Pujols, the fans would likely have understood. BUT, you better be deep in the playoffs within 3 years.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

My preference is always to trade to the mega super star if your system needs restocking. I realize most will say "bird in hand" and all that, but if we had Trout and our current system I'd trade him. Why would he want to stick around and spend his best years rebuilding, and we have YEARS until we are ready to go. I could go get a couple of big FA's with the money he would cost and you could start the price at "your top 5 prospects" or "top 3 prospects and 1-2 ML youngsters".

Agree. You have to think they would have gotten a decent package for Trout. And besides the money I just am not into those really long term contracts. I just think that back end of the contract could hamstring a team.

 

[fordman84]

The question is will he ever take them to a WS while soaking up the money for the next decade? If not, what is the point? If he fails, flipping him will be impossible. Was a terribly bad move on LAA IMO.

They have to be betting that in 8 years the cost of all contracts will be so high that his will look normal, if not a bargain. I know old farts like me have been saying this for a while, but the money has to top out at some point. There is a point where TV money stagnates, you can't raise parking or tickets any more, and concessions just aren't bringing in the bucks. The growth of contracts will have to stall out at some point.

 

[fordman84]

Agree. You have to think they would have gotten a decent package for Trout. And besides the money I just am not into those really long term contracts. I just think that back end of the contract could hamstring a team.

See...Choo.

 

[saddles]

More from Scott Lucas:

AA FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS
Texas League
Dr Pepper Ballpark (2003)
Park Factor: 1.02
Park-Adjusted Average Scoring: 4.7 runs per game
Home-Grown Players: 15

With San Antonio moving into Amarillo’s new park, Frisco’s teenaged facility is now the second-oldest in the league. Only Midland’s stadium constructed in 2002 is older. It’s showing its “age” well, leading all of AA in attendance for the 14th consecutive season and setting a franchise record of 12,067 fans in July. (Attendance is actually down from the peak in the previous decade, but that’s also true of minor league ball in general.)

Rotation (maybe):
Edgar Arredondo
Brock Burke (#9 MLB, #10 BA, #16 Fangraphs)
Jonathan Hernandez (#8 MLB, #6 BA, #19 Fangraphs)
Emerson Martinez
Joe Palumbo (#7 MLB, #8 BA, #6 Fangraphs)
Pedro Payano

In April, the rotation will generate most of the excitement, specifically Burke, Palumbo and Hernandez. What they and Hearn do in 2019 will have a major effect on how the Rangers decide to move forward into the new park and beyond.

Arredondo and Martinez have hovered around the fringe of top-thirty status the past couple of years.

Relievers:
Jairo Beras
Blake Bass
Yoel Espinal
Wei-Chieh Huang
James Jones
Jake Lemoine
Jeffeson Medina
Locke St. John
Walker Weickel

Texas acquired the 25-year-old Huang for Jake Diekman last summer and added him to the 40-man roster. He’ll look to refine other pitches to compliment his fine changeup.

Only eight players in the organization predate Beras, who converted to mound work in the middle of 2017. He’s still raw but can reach triple digits and deal an occasionally filthy slider. Espinal, the back end of the Profar trade, runs mid-90s with a change and slider. Converted outfielder James Jones is another hard thrower.

Weickel is a former San Diego supplemental first-rounder released by the Pads on the eve of the 2017 season. He could start some games.

Catchers:
Chuck Moorman
Josh Morgan
Tony Sanchez

Morgan adopted part-time catching duties in 2017 while maintaining roles at second, short and third. Tampa Bay selected Brock Burke immediately after Morgan in the third round of 2014.

The 30-year-old Sanchez hasn’t played in AA since 2013, and I’d expect him to spend most of 2019 either in Nashville or a different organization.

Infielders:
Andretty Cordero
Brendon Davis (#26 Fangraphs)
Michael De Leon
Charles Leblanc
Christian Lopes
Juremi Profar

Everybody listed can play multiple positions. Davis you may recognize as the third player in the Yu Darvish trade. He hasn’t shown much statistically, but in watching him, I’d think improvement was possible. Leblanc (2016, 4th round) doubled his nine career homers in the first two months of 2018, after which he froze solid for two months.

Profar and De Leon are starting in Frisco for the third and perhaps final time, as both can become free agents after the season.

The free agent Lopes spent all of 2018 in AAA and played well enough to stay. Like Sanchez, I’d expect more appearances from him in Nashville.

Outfielders:
Josh Altmann
Preston Beck
Eliezer Alvarez
Ledarious Clark

Clark jumps from high-A. The 2015 12th-rounder has never hit much for average but has greatly improved his walk rate and is a decent power/speed combo.

In 2018, Altmann led all players originally signed by Texas with 20 homers in the location (Down East) and league (Carolina) arguably least suitable to going yard. He can play anywhere but shortstop and catcher, and he made eight (!) relief appearances for the Wood Ducks last year.

Beck is a UT Arlington product who re-signed with Texas after reaching free agency. Alvarez also liked Texas enough to stay despite being removed from the 40 last June and becoming a free agent.

Youngest: Davis (21 years / 9 months), Arredondo (21 / 11), Cordero (21 / 11), De Leon (22 / 3), Burke (22 / 8)

 

[saddles]

Yeah, but Beltre was not 12 years at $430 million or all of us would have said trade him. If Trout's skills diminish in 5-6 years they are going to still be paying a boatload of money. To me that franchise just does not learn from Vernon Wells, to Pujols and now this.

The difference in them and us is that they can have bad contracts and it doesn't paralyze their finances. Personally, I wouldn't have wanted us to do the same kind of thing because it would have paralyzed us. Then again, I was pushing for us to get prospects for Beltre and his contract wasn't paralyzing our finances. I wish we would have started our rebuilding then or maybe even in the offseason before then.

I was just saying I would imagine that most Angels fans were on board with the contract.

 

[saddles]

 

[Nightcrawler]

From what little I’ve seen so far this year, I think pence should get more at bats then he does.

 

[DT LUNA]

From what little I’ve seen so far this year, I think pence should get more at bats then he does.

Probably the Choo factor or at least some of it.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[Kelleyman]

Impressive play by Mazara to save at least on run

Miller looks wild so far

 

[Kelleyman]

Hard luck single against Miller.

 

[Kelleyman]

Miller looks like he is overthrowing and seems like he missed high when that happens. Got a bit flustered and now the baes are loaded

 

[DT LUNA]

Look for the BP early

 

[Kelleyman]

Our new 3rd baseman just tied it. HR

 

[DT LUNA]

AC 2R HR

 

[saddles]

Cabrera may be our most valuable trade chip by far.

 

[Kelleyman]

Cabrera may be our most valuable trade chip by far.

Shawn Kelley may be in demand too. Wonder which team likely contending needs infield help. Or wonder if we resign him. Nothing in the immediate pipeline