Texas Rangers 2022 - 2023 Offseason Thread

[saddles]

A great trade, give me break. A good trade, maybe. This guys era was 4.40 last year and 4.20 the year before. If this was a great trade they need to sign him to a long term deal. I bet you thought the Howard trade was a good one too.

Well, you can grade it however you like. Myself, I don't think they could have made a better trade for someone to fill his position.

A great trade, to me, is based on what you give up compared to what you get for the position you need the player for. I think they could make a great trade for a bench guy, but that doesn't mean the guy should start and hit cleanup.

 

[saddles]

 

[Kelleyman]

Who knows maybe we will see improvement if health was issue

 

[True Rangers Fan]

A great trade, give me break. A good trade, maybe. This guys era was 4.40 last year and 4.20 the year before. If this was a great trade they need to sign him to a long term deal. I bet you thought the Howard trade was a good one too.

not sure where the hostility is coming from. We had a few guys who just didn't pan out. Allard was one of them. If Odorizzi can stay healthy, give us 30+ starts and toss up a 4.30 ERA I will take that any day.

 

[DTC]

what pitchers do y’all think would be good for a trade?
I know a lot of people don’t want Pablo Lopez or Brandon Woodruff because they have only 2 years left.
Are there some pitchers y’all can think of that have 3 years left and are likely able to be had ?

 

[DTC]

not sure where the hostility is coming from. We had a few guys who just didn't pan out. Allard was one of them. If Odorizzi can stay healthy, give us 30+ starts and toss up a 4.30 ERA I will take that any day.

Especially for $2.5 million

 

[DTC]

Bowden: 25 predictions for 2022-23 MLB offseason — another wild winter awaits

What signings, trades, hires and other developments will shape this offseason? It's impossible to predict. Let's give it a shot anyway.

theathletic.com

“17. The Rangers sign Carlos Rodón to a five-year, $144 million contract.”

 

[DTC]

Rosenthal: What I'm hearing about MLB free agency with Verlander, Rizzo and more

The latest information about the MLB offseason from Ken Rosenthal.

theathletic.com

“Rangers general manager Chris Young, who already traded for Jake Odorizzi and extended a qualifying offer to Martín Pérez, has said he will explore “all ends of the market.” But the early asks by the big three might compel the Rangers and other clubs to pivot to trades and lesser starters”

 

[saddles]

what pitchers do y’all think would be good for a trade?
I know a lot of people don’t want Pablo Lopez or Brandon Woodruff because they have only 2 years left.
Are there some pitchers y’all can think of that have 3 years left and are likely able to be had ?

We should be able to sign Perez and another pitcher and not have to trade for one. I don't think the plan has ever been to acquire 4 pitchers.

 

[DTC]

We should be able to sign Perez and another pitcher and not have to trade for one. I don't think the plan has been to acquire 4 pitchers.

Maybe Instead of spending $42 million a year on a risky DeGrom. Or $30 million a year on Rodon.
Or $22 mil a year on Bassitt- 3 WAR pitcher.
Maybe they decide to spend $38-40 million a year on Judge (6-10 WAR) or $38 a year on both Nimmo & Benentendi or Benentendi & Abreu and then trade for a cheaper controllable pitcher.

As in, maybe the top hitters are a better investment vs the top pitchers in this years FA class?

 

[saddles]

From an Evan Grant article:

“I thought [not going to free agency] was the best thing for me,” Odorizzi said Monday. “I had an incomplete season. After the ankle injury, it was an uphill battle. I didn’t really like the way I finished up. That was a factor. I’ve been through free agency twice. It can be a stressful time. So, [not opting out] just made the most sense for me at the time. That’s the beauty of it. It was my decision.

“I knew a trade was a possibility; I feel like it’s a possibility for anybody in any situation, so I knew there was a chance,” he added. “So, whatever happened, happened, but this is a tremendous landing spot for me.”

 

[saddles]

More from the Grant article:

What the Rangers are betting on is that Odorizzi, who averaged 31 starts and 166 innings per season from 2014-19, is over a spate of injuries that limited him to an average 105 innings and 22 starts the last two years. Most recently, he injured tendons in his ankle trying to sprint from the mound to first base with Houston in May, before the trade to Atlanta, and missed six weeks.

They also hope the cutter he’s developed into a true secondary pitch over the last year becomes more of an equalizer for him. It’s not a swing-and-miss pitch, but does to ride far enough away from right-handers, and in on lefties, to miss bats.

He threw the cutter a career-high 21% of the time last year and allowed a .222 batting average and .291 expected WOBA (weighted on-base average). Among the 61 pitchers who threw cutters at least 300 times last year, Odorizzi’s xWOBA ranked 16th-best, just behind Joe Musgrove (.288) and Nestor Cortes (.291) and just ahead of potential free agent target Chris Bassitt (.292).

 

[saddles]

Some more from the Grant article:

Over the last two seasons, as effectiveness with his splitter waned, Odorizzi struggled to find a way to put hitters away the third time through the order. He was a PSA for the analysts who championed not letting pitchers face hitters a third time through. The slash line on him after a second trip through the order since 2021 should come with a parental viewing warning: .373/.417/.710/1.127.

The cutter is key to changing that.

“It’s become a big pitch,” he said. “And I don’t see any reason why that is going to go away.”

He will also have a full offseason to work with a pitching coach, providing the Rangers name one soon. A turn through free agency after 2020 left him in limbo until March 2021 before signing with Houston. Last offseason was disturbed by the lockout, which kept pitchers from working on pitching plans with team-affiliated coaches.

 

[armadillooutlaw]

Bowden: 25 predictions for 2022-23 MLB offseason — another wild winter awaits

What signings, trades, hires and other developments will shape this offseason? It's impossible to predict. Let's give it a shot anyway.

theathletic.com

“17. The Rangers sign Carlos Rodón to a five-year, $144 million contract.”

I was all for Rodón before, but If I were GM and Rodón is looking at close to 30 million per year I'd probably look another direction.
Maybe Bassitt for 3/60 instead, for example.
Or maybe target a Frontline starter via trade like DTC suggests.

 

[saddles]

Twelve months from now we may be hoping for another contract with Odorizzy. You never can tell.

 

[armadillooutlaw]

Twelve months from now we may be hoping for another contract with Odorizzy. You never can tell.

Could be.

 

[DTC]

Twelve months from now we may be hoping for another contract with Odorizzy. You never can tell.

Truth. He could be a legit SP this coming year.
I’m hoping he is

 

[saddles]

Lowe,
Heim or Taveras
Acuna
Bratt
Acker or Teodo
Kelly

for:

Alcantara
Floro
Pop


What needs to be adjusted to make it work? Does Foscue need to be part of our package?

If the Rangers traded for a pitcher, I would want it to be something like this. It would be for a really good pitcher who is under control for several years. It would be with a team that needed both young inexpensive MLB players and some prospects as well.

I don't think they need to make any trades for a pitcher, but if they do, then go very big.

 

[saddles]

Maybe Instead of spending $42 million a year on a risky DeGrom. Or $30 million a year on Rodon.
Or $22 mil a year on Bassitt- 3 WAR pitcher.
Maybe they decide to spend $38-40 million a year on Judge (6-10 WAR) or $38 a year on both Nimmo & Benentendi or Benentendi & Abreu and then trade for a cheaper controllable pitcher.

As in, maybe the top hitters are a better investment vs the top pitchers in this years FA class?

Spend the money on Perez and Senga. If that doesn't work out, save the money for Darvish and get Perez and one of the many other lesser pitchers.

If we need to, we can trade at the deadline or a year from now.

The whole final product does not have to be built this offseason.

 

[DTC]

The whole final product does not have to be built this offseason.

Good & valid point