Series Thread: Rangers Go To Oakland For 4 July 25-28

[saddles]

Braves Reportedly Considering Outfield Acquisition

 

[Nightcrawler]

Well I guess we could just release all of them if all you want is them off the team.

Of course I want prospects and trades first.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Braves Reportedly Considering Outfield Acquisition

Would be glad to send them Mazara or Choo.

 

[scotsman1948]

Of course I want prospects and trades first.

Of the ones you listed only Minor is going to bring anything worth while with Pence maybe bring in one low level prospect.

 

[Kelleyman]

Not getting something for Minor now would be a disappointment. An extension(a contract beyond 2020) is something we can discuss with him in about 15 months. Trading him now and getting him under contract for 2021 and beyond are two separate subjects that don't have to have anything to do with each other.

Whether they are mutually exclusive or not is a matter of opinion.

Just something I would like to see happen. Extending Minor makes a statement that the team wants to win sooner and not doom itself for next year

 

[saddles]

Whether they are mutually exclusive or not is a matter of opinion.

Just something I would like to see happen. Extending Minor makes a statement that the team wants to win sooner and not doom itself for next year

What is not opinion, is that trading Minor doesn't keep us from signing him in 15 months if we still want to do that. That is all I am trying to convey.

Next year is not "doomed" if it is used to prepare for a WS championship in the future, even if that means we don't make the postseason next year.

The idea that when we go to a WS that Minor should be a part of it is very much a matter of opinion. Who knows how good Minor will be 3 or 4 years from now when that window could first open. We have a relatively expensive 2B who is stuck at 2B now because of his contract. I don't want the same thing to happen in a rotation spot because we extended Minor prematurely.

This team has saved lots of money on salary over the past 2 or 3 years and can go out and make competitive offers to pitching free agents when they choose to. Then they can decide if Minor should be a part of that or not. There will be multiple ways of making statements over the course of the next couple of offseasons.

I would like a statement to be made over the next 38 hours that this team is dead serious about accumulating as much young talent as it can in its pursuit of an eventual WS appearance.

To me keeping Minor next year is simply for the hope that the team will win a few more games and shoot for Fool's Gold. No thank you.

 

[PhantomWarrior]

Maz maybe get traded.

Makes sense. A one for one. Lefty for righty. Even Steven type trade.

 

[PhantomWarrior]

Would be glad to send them Mazara or Choo.

Both not spectacular in the OF.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Sampson stepping on his bat was a punk ass move.

And I wouldn't be afraid to say all part of a mind game which gets played a lot if you're paying attention. Hit batter here, hit runner there, pretending to not have control of a certain pitch, throwing high and tight, throws that end up in the dugout, all mind games that get played on a regular basis. Some work splendidly and some fail miserably but they're all part of the game on a nightly basis. (The ones we used to pick on were the ones who looooved to run their mouths, they were so easy to fluster/piss off)

There was an interview with Pedro Martinez about 5 years ago in which he was asked "you had such great control how come you hit so many batters (141) in your career"? His reply was "about 90% or more were on purpose", he wouldn't name guys he intentionally hit but said most were on purpose. He also said "you have to make the batter feel uncomfortable if you want to have success, pitching inside and/or hitting one is a way to make them uncomfortable". You can't argue with the man look at all the success he had in his career.

So the next time you see something you consider to be "punk ass" it might have all been done on purpose to get under someone's skin, whether it works or not is a different story...

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Both not spectacular in the OF.

No they're there for their bats although Choo has a pretty decent arm, too bad Mazara hasn't realized his full potential at the plate.

I'm curious as to who they think will take Choo's place as leadoff when he leaves/retires? Don't think anybody currently on the team can handle it.

Was watching the Reds/Pirates game last night Cincy hung a 10 spot on them in the 2nd and 2 Grand Slams were hit in the game, both with 2 outs.

 

[DT LUNA]

Clock's a ticking

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

Beltre got hit #3K two years ago today.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

This should help the market for Minor.

 

[saddles]

MLB Trade Rumors: Texas Rangers interested in Trey Mancini, per report

This is the first I’ve heard of the Rangers having interest in Mancini, who is slashing .280/.341/.532 this year, and has a career .271/.324/.477 slash line. However, according to Morosi, the Rangers are looking for “controllable bats,” and as we have discussed, the Rangers tend to be very lefthanded at the corner and DH spots.

Its not quite clear what level of interest the Rangers might have in Mancini, but if they are at least kicking the tires on him, it would suggest that they are looking at potential changes at the COF/DH spots. Right now, Willie Calhoun, Nomar Mazara, Shin-Soo Choo and Hunter Pence are holding down those spots, though Mazara has struggled this year, and there is talk that he could be sent down, while there is a good chance that Pence is dealt in the next 30 hours.

The Astros and Rays are teams that have been looking for a DH, but it is interesting that they are two teams that are generally considered to be among the better run teams, and have a tendency to pursue established players that they feel can take steps forward with a few adjustments. The Rangers have significantly changed the offensive profile of the position players they have acquired in the last 12 months, and with their new hitting coaches and new philosophy, one has to wonder if they may not be targeting Mancini because they think they see some upside in him that hasn’t been unlocked.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Why would the rangers be interested in him?

 

[saddles]

Why would the rangers be interested in him?

See the Adam Morris article I quoted above. Basically, to become less LH on the corners.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[WastinSomeTime]

There are a lot of teams with really good records with very spotty pitching. Will be interesting.