Here's looking forward to next season

[Windingmywatch]

Don't know if I'd let go of Matt but I wouldn't rule it out. TB thinks they have the best farm system, I'm not familiar with their prospects but I'm sure they have someone they could call up. A Price, Moore, Hellickson, Niemann + one of their guys or one of our guys is a pretty solid rotation. Thing is they need run support for any of those guys to be good. Yorvit would be a pretty big upgrade over Shoppach offensively. They also have a need at SS but Profar still has a long way to go before filling Elvis's spot.

If TEX is able to package Torrealba into that deal in some way shape of form with TB for Shields ... I'd do it in a heart beat just to be rid of that guy. He as zero agility behind the plate and what's worse isn't very good calling a game or managing pitchers. Torrealba would be death to all those young TB pitchers too.

If TEX can move Torrealba ... I'd bring Treanor back to backup Napoli with no qualms at all. I might even release Torrealba and make that happen anyway.

 

[guitarmy21b]

If TEX is able to package Torrealba into that deal in some way shape of form with TB for Shields ... I'd do it in a heart beat just to be rid of that guy. He as zero agility behind the plate and what's worse isn't very good calling a game or managing pitchers. Torrealba would be death to all those young TB pitchers too.

If TEX can move Torrealba ... I'd bring Treanor back to backup Napoli with no qualms at all. I might even release Torrealba and make that happen anyway.

C'mon now he's not that bad lol...we've been spoiled by Napoli. He's not much better or worse than Laird, Barajas, and Salty were. Yorvit to Treanor is a pretty big drop off offensively, but I'd be willing to do it because I expect Napoli to be behind the plate full time next season anyway.

 

[Windingmywatch]

C'mon now he's not that bad lol...we've been spoiled by Napoli. He's not much better or worse than Laird, Barajas, and Salty were. Yorvit to Treanor is a pretty big drop off offensively, but I'd be willing to do it because I expect Napoli to be behind the plate full time next season anyway.

Napoli may start ... but good chance he wears down so need a quality backup. I disagree that Torrealba is a match defensively over Laird or Barajas ... or the Saltalamacchia who played for BOS this season. Offensively... I'd take SH Saltalamacchia over RH Torrealba any day ... and Saltalamacchia had a superior OPS over Torrealba to validate that perspective.

Treanor is better defensively, calls a better game, and handles pitchers better than Torrealba. If my backup catcher hits .230 - .250 that's all I'm looking for him to do because he's not going to be pinch hitting anyway.

 

[guitarmy21b]

Napoli may start ... but good chance he wears down so need a quality backup. I disagree that Torrealba is a match defensively over Laird or Barajas ... or the Saltalamacchia who played for BOS this season. Offensively... I'd take SH Saltalamacchia over RH Torrealba any day ... and Saltalamacchia had a superior OPS over Torrealba to validate that perspective.

Treanor is better defensively, calls a better game, and handles pitchers better than Torrealba. If my backup catcher hits .230 - .250 that's all I'm looking for him to do because he's not going to be pinch hitting anyway.

I was only comparing them offensively, but I agree with you. All I'm saying is Yorvit isn't as bad as some of ya'll make him out to be. I think there's a lot of teams that would be interested, namely TB. Shoppach batted .176 this year with a .607 OPS.

 

[Windingmywatch]

I was only comparing them offensively, but I agree with you. All I'm saying is Yorvit isn't as bad as some of ya'll make him out to be. I think there's a lot of teams that would be interested, namely TB. Shoppach batted .176 this year with a .607 OPS.

It would be answer of my dreams if Torrealba went to TBR. Not only would he be gone ... he would be the nemesis of all those young quality pitchers TBR is raising.

Torrealba reaches for pitches out of the zone ... he rarely is able to move quick enough to block them. His lack of agility showed up in his inability to field Napoli's throw to the plate in Game 3 ... which was thrown to the right (correct) side of the plate since it was a force out ... yet Torrealba was over on the left side and rather than move to catch the ball even if it pulled him off the plate he had to reach all the way across his body and he fell on his face.

Fact is ... THAT is the play that started the ball rolling down hill and cost TEX winning Game 3 ... and hence is the play that cost TEX the WS.

If I were management and I could only make one move in the offseason ... it would be to find a new home for Torrealba.

 

[guitarmy21b]

But the stats show Yorvit as being one of the tops in the ML for getting extra strikes.

Baseball Prospectus | Spinning Yarn: Removing the Mask Encore Presentation

 

[Windingmywatch]

But the stats show Yorvit as being one of the tops in the ML for getting extra strikes.

Baseball Prospectus | Spinning Yarn: Removing the Mask Encore Presentation

How did he do in 2011 according to the listing?

Fact is ... THAT is the play that started the ball rolling down hill and cost TEX winning Game 3 ... and hence is the play that cost TEX the WS.

Amazing chart... notice how much Saltalamacchia improved between last year and this year! Neither Napoli or Treanor (especially) scored very well here. Wonder why.

 

[guitarmy21b]

How did he do in 2011 according to the listing?

Fact is ... THAT is the play that started the ball rolling down hill and cost TEX winning Game 3 ... and hence is the play that cost TEX the WS.

Amazing chart... notice how much Saltalamacchia improved between last year and this year! Neither Napoli or Treanor (especially) scored very well here. Wonder why.

About middle of the pack based on runs save by extra strikes..."switching the call from a ball to a strike on a close pitch was worth about 0.13 runs on average" but he also saw a lot less pitches than most of those guys.

 

[fanman8825]

Yeah but the thing is we need an ace to have a shot next year...CJ is not, Buehrle is not, Oswalt is not, CC could be but I like Shields more because he's younger, cheaper, not fat, and he's not a Yankee. Don't forget TB is pretty high on Moore and needs offense so I don't think they'd want the kitchen sink to let go of Shields.

Shields would get us back to the world series and probably help us win it. Holland may eventually become an ace but were built to win right now. Shields is the guy I hope the front office targets. I also think if we acqured him that our fan base and all of us would be re-energized after everything that we have been thru.

 

[fanman8825]

That is a legitimate concern ... but TEX needs a Shields-like guy for #1.

TEX has to figure out who they want ... and then find a way to make it work. You worry about "what it would cost us from our minor league system" ... yet you haven't shown any confidence in Ramirez or Perez being inserted into TEX #5 spot. So I suggest you can't have it both ways: Too good to trade ... but not good enough to promote. TEX needs a #1 who will win half of the matchups against the other team's #1 in every post season matchup. CJ doesn't get you there. Shields or a guy as good as Shields does.

Hey W you are spot on with this. I have watched Shields quite a bit and he would be lights out with this team. I hope the front office has him as their number one target. We need to move forward and put this bitter WS disaster behind us.

 

[romeo212000]

Okay. Im on board with putting together a competitive package for shields.

 

[the_broom]

First...congrats to the Rangers on a great season and good luck for next year. I read a few posts earlier that said that Pujols would be targeted...as well as James Shields. Out of curiosity, does this board think that Texas is going to drop $175-$200 million dollars on Pujols?

Really?

 

[Stinky Britches]

First...congrats to the Rangers on a great season and good luck for next year. I read a few posts earlier that said that Pujols would be targeted...as well as James Shields. Out of curiosity, does this board think that Texas is going to drop $175-$200 million dollars on Pujols?

Really?

i wouldn't

they are crazy if they think adding more offense is gonna help the situation

we've been through this drill before

save it for pitching

 

[robhea67]

What a great season. One strike away from a world championship i will take it. I just feel bad for the guys they played so well this season and last year too. I just hope this group of guys get to try again next year. GO RANGERS see yall next year. Stars are kicking ass and the boys are on their way back to their winning ways . Cant wait for next season gonna be a long winter. I do love baseball but you know that how baseball go. god bless

 

[scotsman1948]

Shields would get us back to the world series and probably help us win it. Holland may eventually become an ace but were built to win right now. Shields is the guy I hope the front office targets. I also think if we acqured him that our fan base and all of us would be re-energized after everything that we have been thru.

TB is not going to trade Shields unless someone overpays to the maximum to get him. that being said, i would expect that TB would probably expect our top 3 maybe 4 players in our minor league system as an opening gambit in the conversion. players like Torrealba would not even be on their list.

 

[fanman8825]

First...congrats to the Rangers on a great season and good luck for next year. I read a few posts earlier that said that Pujols would be targeted...as well as James Shields. Out of curiosity, does this board think that Texas is going to drop $175-$200 million dollars on Pujols?

Really?

Unless we get an ace we are going to continue to go thru heartbreak in the WS or perhaps even in the playoffs.
Shields should be targeted in a trade. Pujols way to expensive plus we may have already started to see a slight decline in his play.

 

[Al Falfa]

TB is not going to trade Shields unless someone overpays to the maximum to get him. that being said, i would expect that TB would probably expect our top 3 maybe 4 players in our minor league system as an opening gambit in the conversion. players like Torrealba would not even be on their list.

Torrealba probably has more value to the Rangers as a back up than as a trade piece.

 

[Windingmywatch]

i wouldn't

they are crazy if they think adding more offense is gonna help the situation

we've been through this drill before

save it for pitching

Amen

 

[Windingmywatch]

Torrealba probably has more value to the Rangers as a back up than as a trade piece.

Torrealba is most valuable to TEX if he is catching young pitchers for someone else.

 

[Al Falfa]

Torrealba is most valuable to TEX if he is catching young pitchers for someone else.

Meh, he's a back up. When the alternative is Treanor or Teagarden I'll take Yorvit and leave the young pitching to the world's greatest pitching coach.... until a better option shows up.