OFFICIAL OFF SEASON THREAD ( 2017 )

[donaldson79]

The Rangers have announced a contract extension for their catcher.


Chirinos that is.

Now, if we can sign that "other guy" our catching will be in terrific shape.

 

[romeo212000]

Now, if we can sign that "other guy" our catching will be in terrific shape.

Him and that one pitcher. Then we're still at least a couple pieces away from being real contenders.

 

[saddles]

Gallo has soreness in the same hamstring that cut his winter league play short.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Very shaky start for Hamels but he settled in.

 

[romeo212000]

Game isn't televised I suppose? Watching team USA right now.

 

[romeo212000]

Wouldn't mind seeing us go after Japan's starting pitcher at some point soon.

 

[romeo212000]

So Gomez out with a shoulder injury. No bueno.

 

[Duane1952]

So Gomez out with a shoulder injury. No bueno.

It's being reported as a jammed shoulder.

 

[Bmurph]

Watch this Sam Dyson pitch, its NASTY

 

[Bmurph]

Congrats to Team USA for making its first WBC finals, now go win the damn thing!

USA.....USA....USA...USA

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Sam Dyson is a very intimidating dude up close. Shorter than I thought, but will stare right through you.

 

[donaldson79]

Banister was on with Norm this morning and he had a pretty interested outlook/observations on Profar, and DeShields. e

Profar.........Banny felt people have forgotten he was basically out of baseball for 2 years. And just as importantly, when he came back no one on the team had to make the mental adjustments Profar had to make. It's hard on any player and he expects us to see a very different Jurickson this season.

DeShields.........Banny picked him as the player who's been the best surprise at ST. He's lost the weight, regrouped on his approach and has forced himself into the forefront of making the 25 man roster. Expect to see the DDJ of 2 years ago.

Now, I know Banister is somewhat known for seeing the glass completely full. But still, it was good to hear his take on these 2 guys, in-particularly.

 

[DT LUNA]

Banister was on with Norm this morning and he had a pretty interested outlook/observations on Profar, and DeShields. e

Profar.........Banny felt people have forgotten he was basically out of baseball for 2 years. And just as importantly, when he came back no one on the team had to make the mental adjustments Profar had to make. It's hard on any player and he expects us to see a very different Jurickson this season.

DeShields.........Banny picked him as the player who's been the best surprise at ST. He's lost the weight, regrouped on his approach and has forced himself into the forefront of making the 25 man roster. Expect to see the DDJ of 2 years ago.

Now, I know Banister is somewhat known for seeing the glass completely full. But still, it was good to hear his take on these 2 guys, in-particularly.

Good post. Thanks.

 

[donaldson79]

Diekman lost 25 lbs, give or take, when he had the surgery. I mean, instantaneously, he lost this!

 

[DT LUNA]

Diekman lost 25 lbs, give or take, when he had the surgery. I mean, instantaneously, he lost this!

Read once that John Wayne's colon weighed nearly 50 lb when removed after cancer surgery. So maybe that's a clue.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Read once that John Wayne's colon weighed nearly 50 lb when removed after cancer surgery. So maybe that's a clue.

 

[saddles]

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Profar with 2 ABs today; 2 on, 0 out - strikeout on 3 pitches, and 3 on, 1 out - SACFLY on first pitch.

Sure would have liked more out of those ABs, considering how much he tore it up in the WBC.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

maybe it's me, but it's weird Hauschild didn't start today... I thought he was a candidate for the rotation?

 

[saddles]

Here are some updates on some of our prospects by Scott Lucas, of the Newberg Report.

On Monday, my annual mind-cleansing drive through the back roads of New Mexico and Arizona stalled a few miles short of Surprise at the Peoria complex, where the low-A and high-A teams were facing the Mariners. I arrived just in time to watch the first plate appearances by SS Anderson Tejeda (walk) and CF Leody Taveras (single). I'd never seen Tejeda before, and Taveras only in the batting cages last spring.

You've undoubtedly heard of Taveras by now. He's Texas's #1 prospect, a standout in a system long on depth but a bit shorter on the toolsy, high-upside types who've topped the rankings in recent years. (The counterpoint to a weaker system will be on your television in the form of Cole Hamels and Jonathan Lucroy.) Taveras is lean but not skinny, loose and fluid at the plate and in the field. A pleasure to watch. He reached short-season Spokane last year and in April should join low-A Hickory, where he'll be 18 all season long.

Until late Tuesday, my video of Taveras consisted of three strikeouts and a weak grounder to third. Fortunately, given one more at-bat to conclude the high-A game against a KC lefty who'd fanned many a Ranger, Taveras smacked a fastball the opposite way, into the breeze and over the right-field fence for a "walk-off" grand slam.

Tejeda rocketed from "one to watch" to a not-quite-consensus top-ten prospect in the course of a few months, belting ten homers and slugging .520 across two lower levels. Opinions vary on Tejeda; while a shortstop for now, I've heard anywhere from "somewhere on the diamond" to "left field" as his eventual home, and we'll see how his sell-out swing adapts to full-season ball. He's only three months older than Taveras.