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Be Patient and Finish Right #TakeBackTX
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More from Adam Morris' article:
Currently, the Rangers have $67.25 million allocated to five current players (Shin-Soo Choo, Elvis Andrus, Rougned Odor, Mike Minor and Chris Martin) and two former players (Prince Fielder, net of insurance, and Austin Jackson). In addition, the Rangers appear likely to decline the options of Martin Perez, Matt Moore and Doug Fister, whose buyouts would total $2 million, and will pay Cole Hamels’ $6 million buyout of his $20 million team option for 2019 if the Chicago Cubs don’t exercise the option. Robinson Chirinos, meanwhile, has a 2019 option for $2.375 million that is almost certain to be picked up. That gets us to $77.625 million.
The Rangers have arbitration cases for five players who almost certainly will be tendered contracts for 2019 — Jurickson Profar, Nomar Mazara, Alex Claudio, Delino DeShields, and Matt Bush. That group probably pushes you to somewhere around $90 million in payroll. Ryan Rua, Eddie Butler, Hanser Alberto and Carlos Perez are also all arbitration-eligible, but if any of them return, it will be for something not much more than the league minimum.
So if the Rangers wanted to spend money, they easily could. They dropped payroll significantly this year, to $133 million to start the season, but even assuming they stayed at that level, that would give them about $40 million to go out and splurge. ...
So what we will likely see is some moves similar to last season, when Doug Fister, Matt Moore and Mike Minor were brought in on relatively inexpensive deals. Moore was a disaster, Fister was okay until he got hurt, and Minor was a success. Unless Clayton Kershaw opts out and indicates he wants to come home, Texas isn’t likely to spend big on a long-term expensive deal for a starting pitcher. Instead, they’ll probably look to see if one of the lefty bats can bring back a controllable pitcher they can try to plug into the rotation, will go with a reclamation case or two like Drew Pomeranz or Sonny Gray or Gio Gonzalez, will look to get creative if there’s another Mike Minor-type out there, and otherwise will bide their time until the starting pitchers who ended the year at Frisco are ready.
The bullpen is up in the air as well, but Texas isn’t going to spend big there either. Probably two-three guys of the Tony Barnette/Chris Martin variety, maybe a reunion with Jake Diekman, but probably not more than $5-8 million spend on relievers. That, plus whatever costs are associated with whatever starting pitchers the Rangers opt to bring to Arlington, will be the money that is likely to be used above and beyond what’s currently committed.
Currently, the Rangers have $67.25 million allocated to five current players (Shin-Soo Choo, Elvis Andrus, Rougned Odor, Mike Minor and Chris Martin) and two former players (Prince Fielder, net of insurance, and Austin Jackson). In addition, the Rangers appear likely to decline the options of Martin Perez, Matt Moore and Doug Fister, whose buyouts would total $2 million, and will pay Cole Hamels’ $6 million buyout of his $20 million team option for 2019 if the Chicago Cubs don’t exercise the option. Robinson Chirinos, meanwhile, has a 2019 option for $2.375 million that is almost certain to be picked up. That gets us to $77.625 million.
The Rangers have arbitration cases for five players who almost certainly will be tendered contracts for 2019 — Jurickson Profar, Nomar Mazara, Alex Claudio, Delino DeShields, and Matt Bush. That group probably pushes you to somewhere around $90 million in payroll. Ryan Rua, Eddie Butler, Hanser Alberto and Carlos Perez are also all arbitration-eligible, but if any of them return, it will be for something not much more than the league minimum.
So if the Rangers wanted to spend money, they easily could. They dropped payroll significantly this year, to $133 million to start the season, but even assuming they stayed at that level, that would give them about $40 million to go out and splurge. ...
So what we will likely see is some moves similar to last season, when Doug Fister, Matt Moore and Mike Minor were brought in on relatively inexpensive deals. Moore was a disaster, Fister was okay until he got hurt, and Minor was a success. Unless Clayton Kershaw opts out and indicates he wants to come home, Texas isn’t likely to spend big on a long-term expensive deal for a starting pitcher. Instead, they’ll probably look to see if one of the lefty bats can bring back a controllable pitcher they can try to plug into the rotation, will go with a reclamation case or two like Drew Pomeranz or Sonny Gray or Gio Gonzalez, will look to get creative if there’s another Mike Minor-type out there, and otherwise will bide their time until the starting pitchers who ended the year at Frisco are ready.
The bullpen is up in the air as well, but Texas isn’t going to spend big there either. Probably two-three guys of the Tony Barnette/Chris Martin variety, maybe a reunion with Jake Diekman, but probably not more than $5-8 million spend on relievers. That, plus whatever costs are associated with whatever starting pitchers the Rangers opt to bring to Arlington, will be the money that is likely to be used above and beyond what’s currently committed.
