Series Thread: Rangers Travel to Milwaukee For Three Games June 24-26

[saddles]

The Rangers offense has shown a lot more life lately. The starting pitching continues to impress. The bullpen has held its own, as well.

There has been a lot of discussion about roster moves, both on the 26-man and the 40-man. It is hard to say when Jung and Foscue will be back. Jung has had some soreness he has dealt with. Foscue could prove healthy and simply be optioned to Round Rock.

Whatever happens to the roster, one thing is sure. Josh Smith will start almost every game.

The rotation has added Scherzer, but other additions are weeks away, since it has already been decided that Bradford doesn't have enough seniority to oust starters who are not as good as he us. Mahle is still weeks away and deGrom is probably a couple of months away.

Last year's team only made the postseason because of a 40-20 stretch to begin the season. It will probably take another stretch like that to go back to the postseason this year. We have to play very well on this road trip for that to be well under way before the trade deadline.

Speaking of the deadline, we certainly have no needs in the rotation and maybe not in the pen if other starters are going to the pen. The only needs we have in the lineup are for veterans like Heim, Lowe, Taveras, and Garcia to hit better. I do not see management making a change at those positions, with the exception of Taveras. While we are at it, Semien and Seager need to hut like they are capable of, as well.

Let's see if we are going to get back in the race.

 

[saddles]

This is what Scherzer had to say after his start yesterday.

“I just don’t know how I’m going to recover from this with the thumb issues,” the three-time Cy Young winner said. “It’s still there. I did feel fatigue in my forearm. I just don’t know how I’m going to recover from this. That’s been the issue at hand here. After the fifth inning, we felt like we got enough work and felt like we’re in a good spot. That was kind of my line.”

 

[saddles]

This would be my post-All Star break 26 man roster. I do understand that this will not happen.

Eovaldi
Bradford
Gray
Lorenzen
Mahle

Scherzer
Heaney
Dunning
Yates
Robertson
Sborz
Latz
Urena

Heim
Huff

Lowe
Semien
Seager
Jung
Smith
Foscue

Langford
Carter
Garcia
Taveras
Duran

If Mahle is not ready then one of the pen guys remains a starter until Mahle is ready. That also keeps Leclerc around for a little longer.

Scherzer would be in the pen because he is fragile.

I have Smith listed as an IF, but I imagine he plays some outfield as well, just as long as his name is in the lineup every day.

Grossman, Jankowski and Knizner are all gone, hopefully via trade. I don't have a problem trading Leody, but he would likely give us more offense than Jankowski. I don't see room for both of them though.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

This would be my post-All Star break 26 man roster. I do understand that this will not happen.

Eovaldi
Bradford
Gray
Lorenzen
Mahle

Scherzer
Heaney
Dunning
Yates
Robertson
Sborz
Latz
Urena

Heim
Huff

Lowe
Semien
Seager
Jung
Smith
Foscue

Langford
Carter
Garcia
Taveras
Duran

If Mahle is not ready then one of the pen guys remains a starter until Mahle is ready. That also keeps Leclerc around for a little longer.

Scherzer would be in the pen because he is fragile.

I have Smith listed as an IF, but I imagine he plays some outfield as well, just as long as his name is in the lineup every day.

Grossman, Jankowski and Knizner are all gone, hopefully via trade. I don't have a problem trading Leody, but he would likely give us more offense than Jankowski. I don't see room for both of them though.

With you all the way on this.

 

[saddles]

From Shawn McFarland:

The Rangers have promoted right-hander Winston Santos, among other organizational promotions, to Double-A Frisco.

Others moving up: RHP Skylar Hales to Frisco, and RHP Alejandro Rosario, LHP Kohl Drake and 3B Gleider Figuereo to Hickory,

 

[saddles]

Echedry Vargas ams Sebastian Walcott were not promoted, but both are having a fantastic month of June after very slow starts. Vargas is just 19 and Walcott is just 18, so it is natural for them to take a while to become acclimated to their leagues, especially Walcott who is at High-A Hickory.

 

[saddles]

 

[Senator_fan]

This would be my post-All Star break 26 man roster. I do understand that this will not happen.

Eovaldi
Bradford
Gray
Lorenzen
Mahle

Scherzer
Heaney
Dunning
Yates
Robertson
Sborz
Latz
Urena

Heim
Huff

Lowe
Semien
Seager
Jung
Smith
Foscue

Langford
Carter
Garcia
Taveras
Duran

If Mahle is not ready then one of the pen guys remains a starter until Mahle is ready. That also keeps Leclerc around for a little longer.

Scherzer would be in the pen because he is fragile.

I have Smith listed as an IF, but I imagine he plays some outfield as well, just as long as his name is in the lineup every day.

Grossman, Jankowski and Knizner are all gone, hopefully via trade. I don't have a problem trading Leody, but he would likely give us more offense than Jankowski. I don't see room for both of them though.

From an offense perspective yes but Knizner must have the defensive edge over Huff, Janko will be a late inning defensive replacement and pinch runner and the love affair for Grossman will continue for a while.

 

[saddles]

From an offense perspective yes but Knizner must have the defensive edge over Huff, Janko will be a late inning defensive replacement and pinch runner and the love affair for Grossman will continue for a while.

I just don't think there is room on the roster for 2 backup OF, in Taveras and Jankowski, whan both Smith and Duran are able to play in the OF. At least, if I was making the roster, that is how I would go.

I don't see a need for a late inning OF defensive replacement myself, but Leody could handle that role. I mean, we don't have a Nelson Cruz to sub for. Presently, we have to do that for Grossman, but without him, the need is not great.

 

[Kelleyman]

This would be my post-All Star break 26 man roster. I do understand that this will not happen.

Eovaldi
Bradford
Gray
Lorenzen
Mahle

Scherzer
Heaney
Dunning
Yates
Robertson
Sborz
Latz
Urena

Heim
Huff

Lowe
Semien
Seager
Jung
Smith
Foscue

Langford
Carter
Garcia
Taveras
Duran

If Mahle is not ready then one of the pen guys remains a starter until Mahle is ready. That also keeps Leclerc around for a little longer.

Scherzer would be in the pen because he is fragile.

I have Smith listed as an IF, but I imagine he plays some outfield as well, just as long as his name is in the lineup every day.

Grossman, Jankowski and Knizner are all gone, hopefully via trade. I don't have a problem trading Leody, but he would likely give us more offense than Jankowski. I don't see room for both of them though.

Nice preface as Bochy has made it clear he wants Bradford as a long man. Surely he is a starter next year

Really don’t care about a backup catcher but my philosophy is to have an elite defensive catcher but Heim is good there and having a rough year offense wise

But one change I agree on is when Carter comes back it puts Robbie and Jank on the bubble. Not sure how we keep them both

Now what to do with Zeke and to a lessor degree Foscue

So unless they get someone else to be a backup 1B one has to be here

Zeke IMO would benefit with more playing time either in the bigs or MILB

 

[DT LUNA]

Nice preface as Bochy has made it clear he wants Bradford as a long man. Surely he is a starter next year

Really don’t care about a backup catcher but my philosophy is to have an elite defensive catcher but Heim is good there and having a rough year offense wise

But one change I agree on is when Carter comes back it puts Robbie and Jank on the bubble. Not sure how we keep them both

Now what to do with Zeke and to a lessor degree Foscue

So unless they get someone else to be a backup 1B one has to be here

Zeke IMO would benefit with more playing time either in the bigs or MILB

Are you saying you don't care who the bachup catcher is or you don't think we need one.

 

[saddles]

From Shawn McFarland:

Josh Jung will not swing a bat today, per Bruce Bochy, but likely will tomorrow + will be evaluated. He’s still a little sore.

 

[saddles]

Really don’t care about a backup catcher

Knizner has started 19 of our 77 games so far. That means we will probably need our backup to start at least 21 more times. If Jonah gets injured, that number could increase to between 30 and 40. That is why the backup catcher is important to me. We came very close to missing out on the postseason last year, so every single game is important, and the difference in Huff vs. Knizner could easily mean winning another game or two, maybe more.

It would also give us a late inning PH that we don't have in Knizner.

That being said, I know Bochy would not be happy with the change, so CY would probably not do it.

 

[saddles]

But one change I agree on is when Carter comes back it puts Robbie and Jank on the bubble. Not sure how we keep them both

I would throw Taveras in that mix and say I don't know how we keep more than one of the three.

 

[saddles]

Nice preface as Bochy has made it clear he wants Bradford as a long man. Surely he is a starter next year

Who knows which pitchers will be healthy when Bradford comes back. Bradford may be needed in the rotation due to injuries. Or Heaney may have 2 or 3 clunkers in a row and it may become evident that he needs to go to the pen instead.

It is just a shame that any of that is needed after Bradford proved he was better than most any starting pitcher we have used this year. The old school philosophy that seniority carries more weight than performance is a losing philosophy.

 

[Kelleyman]

Are you saying you don't care who the bachup catcher is or you don't think we need one.

I think Knapp or Kinzner or Huff would make little difference overall
Huff would be better offensively but probably not call as good a game or frame. They can’t hide him in AAA next year

To me we have to get better offense overall which it looks like is on the rise even with Leody Lowe and Adolis. Wyatt getting his mojo is huge
Looks like pitching is improving and pen stabilizing
These 3 are big more than Knizner but hey if we can improve I am all for it.

 

[Kelleyman]

Who knows which pitchers will be healthy when Bradford comes back. Bradford may be needed in the rotation due to injuries. Or Heaney may have 2 or 3 clunkers in a row and it may become evident that he needs to go to the pen instead.

It is just a shame that any of that is needed after Bradford proved he was better than most any starting pitcher we have used this year. The old school philosophy that seniority carries more weight than performance is a losing philosophy.

I would agree if Heany is starting over Bradford but I will just be watching it play out
I want to see how Bradford is throwing before I pencil him in

 

[DT LUNA]

I think Knapp or Kinzner or Huff would make little difference overall
Huff would be better offensively but probably not call as good a game or frame. They can’t hide him in AAA next year

To me we have to get better offense overall which it looks like is on the rise even with Leody Lowe and Adolis. Wyatt getting his mojo is huge
Looks like pitching is improving and pen stabilizing
These 3 are big more than Knizner but hey if we can improve I am all for it.

So you do not think we need a backup catcher?

 

[Kelleyman]

So you do not think we need a backup catcher?

Definitely not as much as many here do. I was glad to finally see Knizner throw out a guy the other day

I mean I was one who liked Hedges defense but they could not even afford him

Who is out there we should get that is alot better that is cheap? So I just think it is a low priority and yes his bat has disappointed but his arm moreso for me. I think catchers are harder to measure as they call a game that fits the pitcher
Let them have good defense and bat 9 and pick hit for him late in a game

 

[DT LUNA]

Lorensen pitching very well thru 4.