Official 2014 Texas Rangers Spring Training Thread

[fordman84]

I don't see Wolf as much of an improvement over Saunders, if at all... I mean yeah do the due diligence and he might be, but I don't get the excitement over Randy Wolf here

With me, in this instance, it's a feeling of "the unknown is better than the known". I think a 1/$1M deal was all Wolf had with SEA, could probably get a similar deal to bring him here. Then we have a tiny bit more depth and can maybe keep a BP arm in the BP.

 

[jta4437]

He did start off hot - I'll agree with that.

But he's had 4 hits since March 7. In 32 at-bats. More than "last couple of games"

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And while I'll agree that he is our 2nd baseman of the future (Odor may have something to say about this) - if things are going fine with whoever is there while he is out - it wouldnt surprise me if they take a slow approach to bring him back. IMO.

You're arguing semantics here, I should've said last "few" games

 

[jta4437]

With me, in this instance, it's a feeling of "the unknown is better than the known". I think a 1/$1M deal was all Wolf had with SEA, could probably get a similar deal to bring him here. Then we have a tiny bit more depth and can maybe keep a BP arm in the BP.

I'd only take on Wolf or Baker with the understanding they'd be STARTING in the minors at this point, and would get a crack if injuries or ineffectiveness made them necessary

BP arm in the bullpen? what does that even mean?

 

[fordman84]

I'd only take on Wolf or Baker with the understanding they'd be STARTING in the minors at this point, and would get a crack if injuries or ineffectiveness made them necessary

BP arm in the bullpen? what does that even mean?

It means being able to keep someone like Ogando in the BP instead of forcing him back to being an SP because we have a lack of SP options.

I'd say we have plenty of injuries that would make Wolf necessary. If Yu is out for any amount of time, who is our starting rotation to start the season?

Scheppers
Perez
Ross
Hanson
Saunders

Am I missing anyone? Harrison won't be ready, Yu might not be, Holland wont, don't think Lewis is. You don't think Wolf would at least bump Saunders?

 

[WastinSomeTime]

It means being able to keep someone like Ogando in the BP instead of forcing him back to being an SP because we have a lack of SP options.

I'd say we have plenty of injuries that would make Wolf necessary. If Yu is out for any amount of time, who is our starting rotation to start the season?

Scheppers
Perez
Ross
Hanson
Saunders

Am I missing anyone? Harrison won't be ready, Yu might not be, Holland wont, don't think Lewis is. You don't think Wolf would at least bump Saunders?

Can understand where you are coming from but I think Harrison and possibly Lewis could be ready in 4 weeks and Yu may miss limited time, we will know more soon, then we have all these pitchers who may not take assignments to the minors. I know Wolf won't and Saunders may not either.

 

[fordman84]

Can understand where you are coming from but I think Harrison and possibly Lewis could be ready in 4 weeks and Yu may miss limited time, we will know more soon, then we have all these pitchers who may not take assignments to the minors. I know Wolf won't and Saunders may not either.

True, for all we know Yu could just miss one start. hopefully by July we have a plethora of SP, but in a worst case scenario for our planned SP's they could be coming back to the Rangers already in a big hole. If Wolf is on a one year deal for cheap, if he doesn't take an assignment and is doing ok then trade him. if not, let him go. I think everyone would understand that he is here until we get healthy again. in the mean time he gets to start and gets some money.

 

[jta4437]

It means being able to keep someone like Ogando in the BP instead of forcing him back to being an SP because we have a lack of SP options.

I'd say we have plenty of injuries that would make Wolf necessary. If Yu is out for any amount of time, who is our starting rotation to start the season?

Scheppers
Perez
Ross
Hanson
Saunders

Am I missing anyone? Harrison won't be ready, Yu might not be, Holland wont, don't think Lewis is. You don't think Wolf would at least bump Saunders?

Not really, if he's better its only slightly, there's a reason Wolf has been out of the league since 2012

I'd be for Wolf as long as its a minor league assignment, no sense in giving another fringe guy a ML roster spot, we have plenty of those

 

[fordman84]

Not really, if he's better its only slightly, there's a reason Wolf has been out of the league since 2012

Isn't the reason he has been out is because of an injury? He has been serviceable in ST for Seattle. I want no part of Saunders going out every 5th day.

 

[jta4437]

Isn't the reason he has been out is because of an injury? He has been serviceable in ST for Seattle. I want no part of Saunders going out every 5th day.

He was pretty awful in 2012 as well, last time he was an effective pitcher was 2011

Like I said, we have plenty of those types already

Edit: He underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2013... his age 36 year, he's 37 now and trying to make a comeback, if it requires a ML roster spot then its not worth it, its just a pointless band-aid

 

[fordman84]

He was pretty awful in 2012 as well, last time he was an effective pitcher was 2011

Like I said, we have plenty of those types already

Perhaps we do. I just don't see the harm in getting another one in here on a 1 year deal for cheap to see if he can give us a month or so of inning eating starts. $1M insurance policy is cheap, relatively speaking in terms of baseball contracts.

 

[jta4437]

Perhaps we do. I just don't see the harm in getting another one in here on a 1 year deal for cheap to see if he can give us a month or so of inning eating starts. $1M insurance policy is cheap, relatively speaking in terms of baseball contracts.

Its not the money it the spot he fills, he could play for free and I still wouldn't want him eating up a ML roster spot

 

[Justinkm83]

If anyone is an ESPN insider I would appreciate you posting the article on the 5 offseason moves that will backfire. It appears Choo is on the list.

 

[The Commish]

 

[fordman84]

If anyone is an ESPN insider I would appreciate you posting the article on the 5 offseason moves that will backfire. It appears Choo is on the list.

When a general manager makes a trade or a free-agent signing, he must always have significant justification why the move was made. This could include:

• Scouting reports
• Advanced metrics and analytics
• Medical reports
• Evaluations of makeup and character
• Financial considerations
• Roster structure
• Team needs to wants

Most GMs will provide owners with at least 20 pages of documentation supporting any significant move. By the time everyone evaluates why the decision was made most of the organization should believe the move was made in the best interest of the organization.

However, after all the preparation and analysis is done, the decision is right only until something goes wrong. That could be an injury, a decline in performance, a personal problem that changes the player’s focus, a change of vibe in the clubhouse or even a change of league or position that all of a sudden makes the move go wrong, leaving the club with nothing but regrets.

Of course, anyone who's ever been a GM, president or owner would love to have a mulligan or two during their careers. Looking at this year’s offseason moves, here are the five that will backfire, either by season’s end or some time in the next few years.

1. Texas Rangers sign OF Shin-Soo Choo

Choo’s seven-year, $130 million contract will expire on his 38th birthday. Choo is a solid player, and although he was one of the worst defensive center fielders in baseball last year, at least the Rangers will be playing him in his best position -- left field. I like Choo and the fact he has hit 20 home runs three times and stolen 20 bases in four different years, demonstrating a speed/power combination that is somewhat unique in this day and age. The best part of his game is his .389 career on-base percentage.

However, this is also a player who has never won a Silver Slugger, Gold Glove or ever been voted or named to an All-Star team and probably never will. For $130 million, you should at least be an All-Star caliber player. I also don’t like his age during this seven-year deal. He’ll be 32 in the first year of the deal. I think Choo will be valuable to the Rangers for the first three years of the deal, but I can’t imagine it ending well for the Rangers, especially in this post-PED era.


2. Oakland Athletics trade Brett Anderson to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Drew Pomeranz and Chris Jensen

This was a perplexing deal at the time considering Billy Beane had opined to me back in 2010 that he thought Anderson could win a Cy Young Award someday. Anderson certainly has been plagued with injuries over the past several years, and with an inflating salary, I can understand why Beane felt it was best to trade him for healthy arms and non-arbitration eligible players based on the team's financial limitations.

However, Anderson is just 26 years old and his stuff is top-of-the-rotation caliber. Based on what I saw in spring training, he might end up being the Rockies' No. 2 starter behind Jorge De La Rosa. I remember back in 2002 when the Toronto Blue Jays were tired of waiting for Chris Carpenter to get healthy, and with his salary inflating, they let him go. He would go on to become a three-time All-Star with the Cardinals, finishing in the top three in Cy Young voting three times.

Anderson won’t do that pitching half of his games at Coors Field, but at 26, his stuff is all the way back and this is a move that could really backfire for the A's, especially because Jarrod Parker is out for the year.


3. Colorado Rockies trade Dexter Fowler to the Houston Astros in exchange for Jordan Lyles and Brandon Barnes

As good a trade as the Anderson move was, trading Fowler was equally bad, and one of the worst moves of the offseason. The Rockies’ biggest need right now is center field and leadoff. Fowler was both.

In return, the Rockies received Lyles, who won’t even make their Opening Day rotation and whose repertoire probably won’t work at Coors Field, and Brandon Barnes, who’s a solid fourth outfielder. Fowler, on the other hand, just turned 28 and just starting to figure it out. His career on-base percentage is a respectable .365 and he has 20 stolen base potential. He runs down the ball in both gaps and is a high-character, high-energy and high-enthusiasm player. The Rockies will regret this trade.


4. Los Angeles Angels trade OF Peter Bourjos to the St. Louis Cardinals for 3B David Freese

Freese will be 31 in April but looks and plays a lot older based on a bad lower half that has endured a litany of injuries. Freese did not look good last season for the Cardinals, and by the postseason his range was so limited that manager Mike Matheny had to sub for him late in games. Freese's power was reduced to nine home runs during the regular season, and he didn’t look any better in BP either.

After watching him this spring, I didn't see much improvement in his range or power. He's a winning-type player who can get the big hit as we've witnessed in the postseason several times. However, his decline is already in motion and he probably isn't going to impact this club on the field, although he does make the clubhouse much better.

In return the Angels gave up the speedy Bourjos, who only once got a chance to play every day for them. Having elite defenders such as Mike Trout and Bourjos in the same outfield was special for the fans and pitching staff. His one year of playing every day was a success, and based on the fact he's about to turn 27, this trade won’t have a happy ending for Angels fans. In addition, the second player the Angels included in the deal, Randal Grichuk, is considered a legitimate outfield prospect and at the very least a trade chip for the Cardinals.


5. Arizona Diamondbacks trade OF Adam Eaton to the White Sox and LHP Tyler Skaggs to the Angels

This three-way deal netted Arizona power hitting left fielder Mark Trumbo and two minor leaguers. The Diamondbacks should "win" this deal in the short term and Trumbo should hit 35-40 home runs this year. Although he's a below-average defender in left field, he has been working hard and should improve now that he has only one position to worry about. His power is undeniable, but his on-base percentage is questionable. He's a No. 5 or 6-hole hitter as manager Kirk Gibson quickly found out this spring.

The Diamondbacks control Trumbo for three more years and will pay him $4.8 million this year; that annual salary will at the very least double over the next couple of years during his arbitration years. They would have controlled the two players they gave up, Skaggs and Eaton, for six years -- twice as long as Trumbo -- and they would not have had to pay either one significant money until 2017, when Trumbo will be a free agent.

Skaggs is only 22 years old and still profiles out to a solid No. 2 starter, and Eaton is a cross of Lenny Dykstra and Kenny Lofton. Eaton is a true leadoff hitter and scrappy player who will become a fan favorite. As much as I love Trumbo's power, I think this deal will backfire on Arizona in the long run.

 

[fordman84]

So to reply on that Choo comment, they are knocking it because he has never been voted for any awards? Lame.

 

[terpsfball09]

And that it looks like its only gonna benefit us for the first half of the contract.... as the vast majority of big contracts do

 

[RevSader]

[MEDIA=twitter]448870705791504385[/MEDIA]

Another D Murphy...Not sure if I want...

 

[WastinSomeTime]

So to reply on that Choo comment, they are knocking it because he has never been voted for any awards? Lame.

I do see where he could be a liability during the last half of his contact.

 

[RevSader]

If anyone is an ESPN insider I would appreciate you posting the article on the 5 offseason moves that will backfire. It appears Choo is on the list.

Cano is not though? Suuuuuuure ESPN.

 

[jta4437]

Another D Murphy...Not sure if I want...

I'm ok with Donnie Murphy

Neutral defensively, a little bit of power, ok bat, doesn't walk... he's at least serviceable