Texas Rangers 2022 - 2023 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

 

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Texas Rangers

Sebastian Walcott, SS, Bahamas
Pablo Guerrero, OF, Dominican Republic
Geisel Cepeda, OF, Cuba
Snarlyn Encarnacion, RHP, Dominican Republic
Juan Sulbaran, C, Venezuela

 

[saddles]

With Cepeda being 25, I wonder where the Rangers will start him off in the organization?

 

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31 more days

 

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[Kelleyman]

 

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[Bmurph]

Meh….depth option for camp. Don’t want to see him in LF but guess he can spell Nate at 1B and let him DH

 

[Kelleyman]

Meh….depth option for camp. Don’t want to see him in LF but guess he can spell Nate at 1B and let him DH

Will be interesting to see a list of all who get invited to ST. Even if not on 40 man, it gives us a picture of future possibilities. This guy is to me a bigger long shot than others. Maybe a perk to sign a minor league contract

 

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Levi Weaver has an article in the Athletic this morning where he names 5 under the radar Rangers prospects with an outside chance at a 2023 debut. He didn't include higher ranked prospects. Here are his 5.

RP Marc Church
1B Blaine Crim
RP Grant Anderson
C. Matt Whatley
SP Emiliano Teodo (as a reliever)

 

[saddles]

Will be interesting to see a list of all who get invited to ST. Even if not on 40 man, it gives us a picture of future possibilities. This guy is to me a bigger long shot than others. Maybe a perk to sign a minor league contract

At best, I think he is a bench player at AAA

 

[Kelleyman]

1B Blaine Crim — age 25​

Crim isn’t that much of a dark horse if you’ve been paying attention to the Rangers organization. The chronic underdog was drafted one round after Church in 2019, and in 295 professional games since, he has hit .305/.368/.519 (.887 OPS) with 61 home runs and 224 RBI in 1,286 plate appearances. It’s a bit of a stretch to think he would keep up that level of production as a big-league regular, but there’s certainly a temptation to divide those numbers in half and dream about a player who hits 30 home runs and drives in 110+ runs in just under 150 games.

 

[Kelleyman]

The only “problem” isn’t a fixable one: Crim is listed at 5-foot-11, and the longer his pro career has gone, the less common the experiments in left field (44 innings), right field (17 innings) and third base (36 innings) have been. Last year, he played 960 innings at first base and precisely one-third of an inning at third base.

Crim was Rule 5 draft eligible this past winter, and it’s not hard to theorize that if he’d been taller, some team would have almost certainly taken a flyer on that bat sticking in the big leagues. Alas, you can’t coach height. And besides, the Rangers don’t really have an opening at first base, boasting the reigning American League Silver Slugger in Nathaniel Lowe.

But the designated hitter situation in Arlington currently looks like a platoon between Brad Miller from the left side (.212/.270/.320 — .590 OPS in 81 games 2022) and Mark Mathias (.277/.365/.554 — .919 OPS, but in only 24 games) from the right. Both have more defensive versatility than Crim, and Mathias has probably earned a shot at regular at-bats, but that versatility might mean those two are better suited for utility roles. If Crim mashes in spring training and/or the early part of the Triple-A season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Rangers give him a shot in Arlington this season. If Lowe misses any time with injury, it feels like a virtual lock.

Oh, and don’t let his two games and eight plate appearances in winter ball concern you either. Crim wasn’t planning on playing in the Puerto Rican winter league at all this year, but Mayaguez requested that last year’s winter league batting champ (.406 with a 1.046 OPS in 25 games) come down in time for the playoffs. It was a request that paid off:

 

[Kelleyman]

How likely is a 2023 debut (1-10): 7.5. Re Crim. Lloks like Levi is now on his bandwagon. Bennie move over

 

[saddles]

How likely is a 2023 debut (1-10): 7.5. Re Crim. Lloks like Levi is now on his bandwagon. Bennie move over

I am driving this thing. He can hop aboard though.

 

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don’t let his two games and eight plate appearances in winter ball concern you either. Crim wasn’t planning on playing in the Puerto Rican winter league at all this year, but Mayaguez requested that last year’s winter league batting champ (.406 with a 1.046 OPS in 25 games) come down in time for the playoffs. It was a request that paid off:

It certainly has in the first round of the postseason for them.

 

[saddles]

The only “problem” isn’t a fixable one: Crim is listed at 5-foot-11, and the longer his pro career has gone, the less common the experiments in left field (44 innings), right field (17 innings) and third base (36 innings) have been. Last year, he played 960 innings at first base and precisely one-third of an inning at third base.

Carlos Santana has started over 1000 games in his career at 1B and he is the same height.