Texas Rangers 2021 - 2022 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

“I don't think we expect to just come out and be World Series contenders next season,” Young said. “That said, we expect to take major steps from where we were this year and continue to build this so that by 2023, we're in a very good position and competing for the division and have the opportunity to make the playoffs and potentially win a World Series.”

GM perfects sales pitch in FA talent search

How does a front office convince potential free agents to come to a club coming off a 102-loss season? Rangers general manager Chris Young embraces the challenge, he said on Tuesday at the GM Meetings in Carlsbad, Calif.

www.mlb.com

 

[saddles]

I was wondering why I quit seeing Huff's name in Arizona. He tweaked his knee and will not catch again until ST.

“Surgery takes time, no matter how big or small the procedure is,” Young said. “Certainly, you can't predict how the recovery is going to go, and Sam has really matured in the way he's handled all of these challenges this year. I'm very confident that he's going to have a great 2022.”

 

[Uncle Siggy]

@Uncle Siggy lol now thinking that other pitchers have been able to relax up and down our lineup. Hopefully that changes soon

When you have the leagues lowest OBP, next to lowest walk% and 3rd lowest runs scored you know the oppositions pitchers were snoozing alot or taking multiple coffee breaks...

 

[Uncle Siggy]

True but he is near free agency and we will likely find more value in the guys coming up. He needs to be much better offensively than Solak Ibanez and Willie yet he isn’t. His value is defensively

When you have nobody on base when you come to the plate it's hard to be an offensive force. Only 50 players in the league had a higher BA than he did and his averages with the bases empty and guys on base is only a few points different. Some better players around him might make all the difference in the world...

 

[Kelleyman]

P

When you have nobody on base when you come to the plate it's hard to be an offensive force. Only 50 players in the league had a higher BA than he did and his averages with the bases empty and guys on base is only a few points different. Some better players around him might make all the difference in the world...

well Odor was a force with men on base too. Haha

 

[Kelleyman]

CY makes a good sales pitch

 

[saddles]

Some notes from mlbtraderumors.com.

The Angels are looking to significantly improve rotation.

Seattle is not looking for a new SS, at least not to play SS.

The Rangers are looking to spend big.

The Athletics are looking to trim payroll.

 

[saddles]

Here are a couple of excerpts from Levi Weaver's latest report.

Daniels, general manager Chris Young and four other members of the Rangers front office have descended upon Carlsbad, California for the GM meetings, an annual tradition that likely carries a bit more significance than usual this year — if there is a work stoppage on Dec. 1, there will be no Winter Meetings the following week. Thus, there have already been signs that the Rangers might be operating on an accelerated timeline. Consider this:

“(Staffing) has become such a competitive part of the business,” Daniels said during that same Nov. 1 conversation. “October and really through much of November the last couple of cycles … has been spent on staffing. That being said, we have started to have some dialogue on the trade front. I expect it to kind of pick up here as the staffing piece kind of settles down, the World Series ends, free agency begins. Most of the conversations at this point have been preliminary, but I expect that we’re going to explore both trades and free agents to improve the club.”



“We’re exploring both the free-agent market and the trade market,” Young acknowledged. “I think that there’s a number of ways that we can look to improve our club and we’re exploring all avenues. We have some financial flexibility that allows us to be creative, and we’re looking at this as a multi-year approach. This is what impacts us for the next several years and how we can build a championship team.”

 

[saddles]

It appears that the rebuilding plan has been revamped in a very big way. You could even speculate that they are done with rebuilding. If we see more prospects-for-veterans trading then that is a sure sign that they have scrapped any further plans to rebuild.

 

[donaldson79]

Thought y'all might find this interesting.

Rangers Poised For Significant Payroll Increase

Rangers' brass has suggested on multiple occasions the club anticipates being active in free agency this winter, and it indeed …

www.mlbtraderumors.com

 

[saddles]

Some notes from Jeff Wilson about the Rangers being linked to some free agents from NPB.

Martinez, the Rangers’ 18th-round pick in 2011, won’t command a huge salary. He had his best season yet in Japan, posting a 1.62 ERA in 23 starts for SoftBank. He also pitched well for Team USA in the Olympics.

Martinez improved upon his 2020 ERA by three runs, so it’s easy to wonder if 2021 was a fluke. He worked out at Driveline Baseball in the offseason, where he was able to add velocity. He also pitched differently than in the past.

Sugano is a free agent who could be signed without a posting fee. He turned down the opportunity to play in the majors this season and returned to Yomiuri. He just turned 32, and Martinez is now 31.

Time flies.

The Rangers have interest in Suzuki. He’s a solid all-around player who could hit 20-25 home runs in the majors. He’s not nearly as good as Shohei Ohtani, but he’s not the same risk of being a bust as Yoshi Tsutsugo.

Two writers for mlbtraderumors.com are predicting that the Rangers will sign Suzuki, who posted a 1.075 OPS this season with 38 home runs for Hiroshima.

He would be an upgrade, and he wouldn’t cost any draft-pick compensation. That’s something that will help dictate how the Rangers navigate this offseason.

 

[saddles]

So, there is a reason for Nick Martinez improving this year.

 

[Kelleyman]

I think maybe we have to flexibility to take on a bad contract via trade adding a good long term player additionally
Maybe that way we don’t give up viable prospects. I am hoping we can make a shrewd trade or two

 

[saddles]

Put me down for Suzuki and probably out on Sugano. I am intrigued by Martinez.

 

[Kelleyman]

So, there is a reason for Nick Martinez improving this year.

Well if we have a velo increase and more polish that is a good thing

 

[True Rangers Fan]

It appears that the rebuilding plan has been revamped in a very big way. You could even speculate that they are done with rebuilding. If we see more prospects-for-veterans trading then that is a sure sign that they have scrapped any further plans to rebuild.

what does this mean

 

[saddles]

There are a few younger players and prospects that I would not mind giving up in trade. That would include Lowe and IKF. If a few of the following prospects are traded, it is fine with me.

Taveras
Howard
Walker
Hauver
Weems
Acuna
Otto
Thompson
Acosta
Rodriguez
Apostel
Cauley

 

[Kelleyman]

There are a few younger players and prospects that I would not mind giving up in trade. That would include Lowe and IKF. If a few of the following prospects are traded, it is fine with me.

Taveras
Howard
Walker
Hauver
Weems
Acuna
Otto
Thompson
Acosta
Rodriguez
Apostel
Cauley

Out of this Weems and Acuna may pan out. Not sure why we get rid of Otto unless we get a good payday. He is more than a throw in

 

[saddles]

what does this mean

It looks like we will shift from accumulating prospects to trading for players already in the big leagues. If we do trade a big league player, I think we will trade them for other big league players and not guys to put in Frisco. We may well see 4 or 5 prospects traded this winter for big league players.

 

[saddles]

Out of this Weems and Acuna may pan out. Not sure why we get rid of Otto unless we get a good payday. He is more than a throw in

There are talks of trading for Olson. That will have to include us sending back good prospects. I don't see Otto in our rotation for more than a year or two max so I am willing to part with him for the right deal. I would really rather not trade for Olson though. If we did trade for him, I would think they would ask for guys of Otto's quality at least.

I don't mind Otto for a guy with more control than those Oakland guys. Most of them are more like extended rentals.