Texas Rangers 2021 - 2022 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

From Evan Grant's article about Sam Huff:

As soon as the last out of the last game of the Rangers’ completely forgettable 102-loss season was recorded, Bobby Wilson slipped out of the home clubhouse and dashed for the airport.

He needed to see his kid.
Just not a biological one.
Wilson, the Rangers’ catching instructor, put off returning to his wife and three daughters in Florida for nearly a week to attend to the big red-headed son he never had: Sam Huff.

In Arizona, Huff, the Rangers’ next best hope for a front-line catcher, was getting ready to get behind the plate again five months after knee surgery that scrambled his season. Kind of a teenager’s coming-of-age crisis, though Huff is 23.

“I think he was relieved to see me,” Wilson said.

You bet he was.

“He’s like a second father to me,” Huff said Wednesday. “I’ve loved Bobby since the day I met him. He’s been with me through everything. He’s advanced my game so much, mentally. He pushes without pressuring you. He’s helping me to be the catcher I want to be.”

This is exactly what the Rangers had in mind two years ago when they hired Wilson, freshly retired from a 10-year MLB catching career. They felt they had a special catching talent in Huff and wanted to invest significantly in his development.

Wilson, who grew up as a player under demanding catching savant Mike Sciosica, was more than willing to dive in. In the project, he saw the ability to give Huff what “I wish I’d had more of as a player.”

Not just an investment in the player, but in the person.

 

[saddles]

More from Evan's article.

Then came another turn. The Rangers made changes at the top of their player development department and, at the same time, decided maybe it would be a good idea to ramp Huff back up to catch so that when he did go into the offseason, he would be fully confident that he was back and healthy. There wouldn’t be any doubts lingering over the winter.

Which is why Wilson ended up in Arizona. There were creeping doubts in Huff’s mind.

“I think that’s a part of why I went out there,” Wilson said.

“I was frustrated at first,” Huff said about returning to squatting in September. “This year has taught me a lot about my body and how I need to feel. It’s important to know what I can and can’t play through. I’ve had to be very consistent about things. It’s all given me a much better understanding about my body.

“I don’t want there to be any questions,” he added. “Right now, I’m really happy with where I’m at. I’m ready to catch. And I want to make sure [the Rangers] know I’ll be ready for the first day of spring training.”

Could he be ready enough to win the catching job to start the year? Probably not. There needs to be more work on game-planning and other refinements. But not too long after that? Absolutely.

On Tuesday, Huff caught the equivalent of five innings worth of bullpens and live batting practice. He’s twice caught in instructional league games in between games as a DH/1B in the Arizona Fall League. By the time the AFL ends, he may even get behind the plate in one of those games. These are not insignificant steps.

At 6-5 and listed at 240 pounds, Huff is a big catcher. Unusually so. According to Baseball-Reference.com, there has been only one catcher in the last 100 years to play at least 80 games in a season who was as tall as 6-5 and at least 230 pounds: Matt Weiters. He is listed at 235. Huff would be the biggest, heaviest regular catcher ever. The last thing he needs are doubts.

He’s also a pleaser. Pleasers want to please. They also are willing to listen to everybody with advice. For example: In the course of a 20-minute conversation Tuesday, Huff talked about “pestering” Lance Lynn, Jose Trevino, Kyle Gibson, Ian Kennedy, Jeff Mathis, Derek Dietrich and Ronald Guzman over the last two years about everything from what pitchers need most to the importance of early batting practice. That’s a lot of voices on a lot of topics.

What Huff is trying to do as a catcher is going to require listening to one voice in particular — his own.
“There are times when I have to tell him to shut his ears off,” Wilson said. “Don’t worry about trying to please other people. Listen to me.”
There might be a contradiction there, if you think about it.
Until you ask Huff what it is Wilson tells him most often.
“He tells me it’s hard; that it should be hard,” Huff said. “But then he says ‘Even with all the crap I’m telling, you are a good player. Know that you are a good player."

 

[scotsman1948]

More from Evan's article.

Then came another turn. The Rangers made changes at the top of their player development department and, at the same time, decided maybe it would be a good idea to ramp Huff back up to catch so that when he did go into the offseason, he would be fully confident that he was back and healthy. There wouldn’t be any doubts lingering over the winter.

Which is why Wilson ended up in Arizona. There were creeping doubts in Huff’s mind.

“I think that’s a part of why I went out there,” Wilson said.

“I was frustrated at first,” Huff said about returning to squatting in September. “This year has taught me a lot about my body and how I need to feel. It’s important to know what I can and can’t play through. I’ve had to be very consistent about things. It’s all given me a much better understanding about my body.

“I don’t want there to be any questions,” he added. “Right now, I’m really happy with where I’m at. I’m ready to catch. And I want to make sure [the Rangers] know I’ll be ready for the first day of spring training.”

Could he be ready enough to win the catching job to start the year? Probably not. There needs to be more work on game-planning and other refinements. But not too long after that? Absolutely.

On Tuesday, Huff caught the equivalent of five innings worth of bullpens and live batting practice. He’s twice caught in instructional league games in between games as a DH/1B in the Arizona Fall League. By the time the AFL ends, he may even get behind the plate in one of those games. These are not insignificant steps.

At 6-5 and listed at 240 pounds, Huff is a big catcher. Unusually so. According to Baseball-Reference.com, there has been only one catcher in the last 100 years to play at least 80 games in a season who was as tall as 6-5 and at least 230 pounds: Matt Weiters. He is listed at 235. Huff would be the biggest, heaviest regular catcher ever. The last thing he needs are doubts.

He’s also a pleaser. Pleasers want to please. They also are willing to listen to everybody with advice. For example: In the course of a 20-minute conversation Tuesday, Huff talked about “pestering” Lance Lynn, Jose Trevino, Kyle Gibson, Ian Kennedy, Jeff Mathis, Derek Dietrich and Ronald Guzman over the last two years about everything from what pitchers need most to the importance of early batting practice. That’s a lot of voices on a lot of topics.

What Huff is trying to do as a catcher is going to require listening to one voice in particular — his own.
“There are times when I have to tell him to shut his ears off,” Wilson said. “Don’t worry about trying to please other people. Listen to me.”
There might be a contradiction there, if you think about it.
Until you ask Huff what it is Wilson tells him most often.
“He tells me it’s hard; that it should be hard,” Huff said. “But then he says ‘Even with all the crap I’m telling, you are a good player. Know that you are a good player."

we need to stretch him at catcher all off-season and have him open at ST as our #1 catcher

 

[Kelleyman]

 

[Kelleyman]

From Evan Grant's article about Sam Huff:

As soon as the last out of the last game of the Rangers’ completely forgettable 102-loss season was recorded, Bobby Wilson slipped out of the home clubhouse and dashed for the airport.

He needed to see his kid.
Just not a biological one.
Wilson, the Rangers’ catching instructor, put off returning to his wife and three daughters in Florida for nearly a week to attend to the big red-headed son he never had: Sam Huff.

In Arizona, Huff, the Rangers’ next best hope for a front-line catcher, was getting ready to get behind the plate again five months after knee surgery that scrambled his season. Kind of a teenager’s coming-of-age crisis, though Huff is 23.

“I think he was relieved to see me,” Wilson said.

You bet he was.

“He’s like a second father to me,” Huff said Wednesday. “I’ve loved Bobby since the day I met him. He’s been with me through everything. He’s advanced my game so much, mentally. He pushes without pressuring you. He’s helping me to be the catcher I want to be.”

This is exactly what the Rangers had in mind two years ago when they hired Wilson, freshly retired from a 10-year MLB catching career. They felt they had a special catching talent in Huff and wanted to invest significantly in his development.

Wilson, who grew up as a player under demanding catching savant Mike Sciosica, was more than willing to dive in. In the project, he saw the ability to give Huff what “I wish I’d had more of as a player.”

Not just an investment in the player, but in the person.

Yes I hear Bobby Wilson thinks very highly of him. It seems like catchers often makes the best coaches. Glad he is a good study

 

[saddles]

Another Evan Grant article:

The point being there are real dollars available. In the first week after the season, Daniels said the Rangers would move back towards a payroll “consistent with the market size,” which is, however you define “market size,” in the top tier in MLB. The qualifier being: They won’t necessarily make the jump in a single year. More like two.

The best way to explain the current state of the rebuild is this: Daniels and GM Chris Young see it as no more than a two-year process in which the Rangers combine significant financial resources, high draft picks and a restocked farm system to jump back into real contention. A lot of teams have two of the three elements at their disposal at once. The separator, the Rangers believe, is they also have the financial wherewithal.

Asked if the Rangers were happy with where they are in this process, Daniels flipped the question.

“We are happy with where we are going,” he said.

Added Young: “I would say ‘optimistic’ is the right word. We’re optimistic that some of the things that we’ve laid out and are putting in place are going to set us up for success.”

On the free agent market, that means this: Daniels and Young have convinced ownership to do what’s necessary to land high-profile free agents, the “core position players” Daniels discussed (without, of course, naming names). What is necessary is a willingness to go to seven years – or beyond – at top dollar to land one of the shortstops on the market. If you want Marcus Semien or Trevor Story, you better be willing to get close to seven years. If you want Carlos Correa or Corey Seager, think closer to a decade.

 

[saddles]

Here is my blueprint for the team over the next 22 months or so. It doesn't address every single move to be made, but it does address the major ones. It allows for enough financial flexibility so that if someone isn't working out another FA can be signed. There will also be plenty of prospects left over to make any trades we might need to make mid-2023 or later. Whoever we draft in the first round next year could change part of this.

LATE 2021

Add FA shortstop



APRIL 2022

Add Josh Jung at 3B



July 2022

Add C. Sam Huff
Add SP Cole Winn



Sept 2022

Add SP Jack Leiter
Add SP Ricky Vanasco
Add 2B Justin Foscue
Add OF Blaine Crim



LATE 2022

ADD FA Outfielder
ADD 2 FA Relief Pitchers



APRIL 2023

Add 1B Dustin Harris
Add OF Josh Smith
Add DH Davis Wendzel
Add SP Zak Kent



JULY 2023

Add SP Owen White
Make trades if necessary

 

[Kelleyman]

Here is my blueprint for the team over the next 22 months or so. It doesn't address every single move to be made, but it does address the major ones. It allows for enough financial flexibility so that if someone isn't working out another FA can be signed. There will also be plenty of prospects left over to make any trades we might need to make mid-2023 or later. Whoever we draft in the first round next year could change part of this.

LATE 2021

Add FA shortstop



APRIL 2022

Add Josh Jung at 3B



July 2022

Add C. Sam Huff
Add SP Cole Winn



Sept 2022

Add SP Jack Leiter
Add SP Ricky Vanasco
Add 2B Justin Foscue
Add OF Blaine Crim



LATE 2022

ADD FA Outfielder
ADD 2 FA Relief Pitchers



APRIL 2023

Add 1B Dustin Harris
Add OF Josh Smith
Add DH Davis Wendzel
Add SP Zak Kent



JULY 2023

Add SP Owen White
Make trades if necessary

Sign FA relief pitchers... not the Ranger way. Pretty good overall

 

[saddles]

Sign FA relief pitchers... not the Ranger way. Pretty good overall

Maybe it is the Chris Young way. Also, JD may have done it that way before if he had had this kind of spending maneuverability.

 

[Kelleyman]

Maybe it is the Chris Young way. Alps, JD may have done it that way before if he had had this kind of spending maneuverability.

Trying to keep an eye on Wendzel too. If he does well this year he coul easily be up next spring

 

[saddles]

One more note about my blueprint. It doesn't include Duran, Carter, Leody, Hauver, Zavala, Thompson, Alexy, Dunning, Hearn, Roby, Bradford, or Henriquez. All of those guys have a chance to be productive players in the big leagues, if not borderline All Stars in some cases. So, there is a lot of room to fill unexpected holes or to trade for a missing piece or two at some point.

And like I mentioned, it doesn't include our top pick in next year's draft, who could be close by the end of 2023 if we draft a college player.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

Here is my blueprint for the team over the next 22 months or so. It doesn't address every single move to be made, but it does address the major ones. It allows for enough financial flexibility so that if someone isn't working out another FA can be signed. There will also be plenty of prospects left over to make any trades we might need to make mid-2023 or later. Whoever we draft in the first round next year could change part of this.

LATE 2021

Add FA shortstop



APRIL 2022

Add Josh Jung at 3B



July 2022

Add C. Sam Huff
Add SP Cole Winn



Sept 2022

Add SP Jack Leiter
Add SP Ricky Vanasco
Add 2B Justin Foscue
Add OF Blaine Crim



LATE 2022

ADD FA Outfielder
ADD 2 FA Relief Pitchers



APRIL 2023

Add 1B Dustin Harris
Add OF Josh Smith
Add DH Davis Wendzel
Add SP Zak Kent



JULY 2023

Add SP Owen White
Make trades if necessary

OCTOBER 2023

Rangers make their first postseason appearance in 7 years as the AL WC team. The SportsHoopla squad attends the first game played at the Grill, dogs and beers courtesy of @DT LUNA

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

OCTOBER 2023

Rangers make their first postseason appearance in 7 years as the AL WC team. The SportsHoopla squad attends the first game played at the Grill, dogs and beers courtesy of @DT LUNA

Honestly, it's not that far-fetched to think the Rangers could compete for the WC in 2023.

 

[saddles]

Honestly, it's not that far-fetched to think the Rangers could compete for the WC in 2023.

I think if anything holds that team back it will simply be lack of enough experience to play close to their eventual potential. I think they could really make some serious noise in the 2024 postseason. 2022 should be fun and 2023 should be a lot of fun. 2024 could be really special.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

I think if anything holds that team back it will simply be lack of enough experience to play close to their eventual potential. I think they could really make some serious noise in the 2024 postseason. 2022 should be fun and 2023 should be a lot of fun. 2024 could be really special.

Beltre going into the HOF and the Rangers winning their first title. 2024 would be incredible!

 

[scotsman1948]

Honestly, it's not that far-fetched to think the Rangers could compete for the WC in 2023.

i think that would be rushing several players but 2024 should be almost a sure thing.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

i think that would be rushing several players but 2024 should be almost a sure thing.

they would need some breaks, and competing for the WC isn't that impressive, but after two FA markets and trade deadlines, plus another year and a half of development, and it's possible.

 

[scotsman1948]

they would need some breaks, and competing for the WC isn't that impressive, but after two FA markets and trade deadlines, plus another year and a half of development, and it's possible.

well Vanasco just had TJS and is unlikely to be up to full strength until 2023 and Leiter won't pitch until ST this year and should get at minimum a full year in the minors to build up his endurance. he only threw 110 innings at Vandy his last season. let's not rush the process. also now we're tslking about trading multiple prospects reducing the farm system

 

[saddles]