Texas Rangers 2022 - 2023 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

This is from last night's new mock draft from Prospects Live:

4. Texas Rangers

Walker Jenkins, Outfield, South Brunswick

The Rangers heavily considered high school talent in 2022, but with Jenkins and Max Clark still on the board here, it’s quite a win. Jenkins has the potential to be a 5-tool centerfielder with massive raw power and a polished hit tool that keeps his floor rather high. Jenkins has had some bumps and bruises keep him off the field this year at times, but when healthy, he’s looked like the best player in the country.

 

[Kelleyman]

So both the signings have risk mostly due to potential injury

Hoping the Drs gave approval

 

[saddles]

So birth the signings have risk mostly due to potential injury

Hoping the Drs gave approval

Lol. The doctors saw his strikeout totals and passed him. Or actually, I guess he hasn't officially passed the physical yet.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

C'mon CY, one more splash.

 

[saddles]

C'mon CY, one more splash.

Maybe it will come later this month with Yoshida.

At this point, if we sign Senga or Rodon I would think that means trading Gray.

 

[saddles]

It seems really odd that Matt Moore hasn't signed yet.

 

[saddles]

Here is a list of free agent relievers:

RELIEF PITCHERS

Edwin Díaz (29 years old, 5.0 WAR) -- Signed 5-year deal with NYM (Nov. 9)
Craig Kimbrel (34, 3.0)
Kenley Jansen (35, 2.9) -- Reported 2-year deal with BOS
Taylor Rogers (32, 2.5)
Andrew Chafin (32, 2.3)
Michael Fulmer (30, 2.2)
Chris Martin (37, 2.1) -- Reported 2-year deal with BOS
Chad Green (32, 1.9)
Rafael Montero (31, 1.9) -- Signed 3-year deal with HOU (Nov. 15)
Jesse Chavez (39, 1.7) -- Signed MiLB deal with ATL (Nov. 12)
Danny Duffy (33, 1.6)
Adam Ottavino (37, 1.6)
Richard Bleier (36, 1.5)
Brad Boxberger (35, 1.5)
Garrett Richards (35, 1.3)
Matt Wisler (30, 1.3)
Pierce Johnson (31, 1.2)
David Phelps (35, 1.1)
Matt Moore (33, 1.1)
Luke Weaver (29, 1.1)
Joely Rodríguez (31, 1.0) -- Signed 1-year deal with BOS (Nov. 23)
Carlos Estévez (30, 1.0) -- Signed 2-year deal with LAA (Dec. 5)
Jake McGee (36, 1.0)
Jimmy Nelson (33, 1.0)
Dominic Leone (30, 0.9)
David Robertson (38, 0.8)

 

[Kelleyman]

It seems really odd that Matt Moore hasn't signed yet.

Maybe wait after rule 5. There may be something unreported

 

[True Rangers Fan]

It seems really odd that Matt Moore hasn't signed yet.

could be that his agent played it smart and waited for the market to shake out. Matty probably just added several million to his contract by letting the market play out.

 

[saddles]

Maybe wait after rule 5. There may be something unreported

I doubt Rule 5 has much to do with it. They are full at 40 so they won't be participating and whoever was added to the 40 will stay.

 

[saddles]

could be that his agent played it smart and waited for the market to shake out. Matty probably just added several million to his contract by letting the market play out.

Unless he is still sitting there when most of the spending is already done. Maybe that is what the Rangers are counting on. Hard to tell.

 

[saddles]

Lol at the sensitive content remark by Twitter. I guess the phrase "Never Forget" triggered it.

 

[saddles]

These responses are great.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Unless he is still sitting there when most of the spending is already done. Maybe that is what the Rangers are counting on. Hard to tell.

such is the risk of free agency. that's why i love F5 season.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Yanks said to be targeting Rodon now

 

[WilltheThrill]

I just thought the Perez signing was an insurance policy. It didn't really bother me.

The Gray contract was too long for me.

I can't remember what I thought about Lynn.

I do remember liking the Gibson signing.

I did like the Odorizzy trade a lot, more than most folks.

So, I can be pleased. Lol

I have to ask out of curiosity… why do you keep spelling his name Odorizzy?

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

I have to ask out of curiosity… why do you keep spelling his name Odorizzy?

Bad habit I guess.

 

[WilltheThrill]

For one thing, Martin didn't come with a very recent history of an extremely fragile arm.

Also, just because Perez turned things around doesn't mean that you can count on anyone else to do the same thing. And over his last 8 starts he gave up a lot of runs, mainly due to all those HR he gave up. His first 6 starts of 2022 were fantastic though.

He is here now, so he will get his chance no matter what I think. I am trying to look on the bright side though. He isn't here for 4 years blocking young starters. He could easily be converted to a reliever by 2024 freeing up a rotation spot for one of those young starters. His fragile arm will most likely give guys like Otto and Dunning opportunities that they might not get had another starter been signed. So, there are positives even in the negatives.

Sorry, but you’re not telling the whole truth about Heaney. He did not give up a lot of runs in his last 8 starts. From the time he returned from injury in July until the end of the season, his ERA was 3.77 and his WHIP was 1.15. That’s better than every Rangers starter from last year except for Perez.

Instead of just using the blanket “lot of runs” statement which is misleading, here are the run totals (by game) he allowed from July 27 to the end of the season:

0,1,0,2,3,2,2,6,1,0,4,0,3

He had only one truly bad game over his final 13 starts, the September 5th game against the Giants in which he allowed 6 runs in almost 6 innings of work. For all of those starts, he averaged between 4-6 inning a start.

Now, ideally, you’d like that number to fall in the 5-7 innings range, so there you have one of the two reasons why he wasn’t able to command a better contract on the free agent market (his spotty health over the years being the other).

But the HR/9 innings stat is useless when looked at without context. If a pitcher has a relatively high HR/9 but a low ERA, it means he makes a few mistakes per outing that leave the yard, but he does a much better job of keeping base runners off the paths than others. Which would you rather have, a guy with a 2.0 HR/9 with a 3.20 ERA, or a guy with a 1.0 HR/9 with a 5.50 ERA? That last guy might rank way better in terms of HR allowed, but he’s also giving up a ton more walks, hits, and runs.

I’m not saying Heaney is some All-Star pitcher who is the best free agent signing ever. Certainly he has his red flags and flaws. But it feels like you made up your mind on him by glancing at a few cherry-picked stat lines, and you’re making him out to be much worse than he really is. If we were counting on him to be our ace or #2, and it we had signed him to a long contract, then I would not be happy as well. But for his talent level and what he’s capable of doing on a 2-year deal to replace the likes of Dane Dunning… that’s a win all-day every day.

 

[WilltheThrill]

I’ll follow that up by saying that a team who has been starting the likes of Allard, Folty, Howard, and Hearn over the last few seasons and whose minor league pitching is still a year or two away can’t be too choosy on the free agent market if the goal is to compete now. Heaney is just one of many free agent starters who come with some baggage and risk, but who unquestionably represent a significant upgrade over some of the trash we’ve been watching over the last several seasons.