Texas Rangers 2025 Spring Training Thread

[saddles]

I respect your opinion and it will probably happen. Just don’t think it will if they break camp and one of our OFs are injured
I think Zeke goes to the minors

Are you talking about a longterm injury or simply a minimum stay on the DL?

 

[Kelleyman]

Are you talking about a longterm injury or simply a minimum stay on the DL?

No more than a minimum. Say 30 days plus
Let’s say if Wyatt strain is more than grade 1

Now do they risk bringing up Osuna early?
That’s another conversation

 

[WastinSomeTime]

No more than a minimum. Say 30 days plus
Let’s say if Wyatt strain is more than grade 1

Now do they risk bringing up Osuna early?
That’s another conversation

I wouldn't want Osuna to come up yet.

 

[scotsman#1948]

I think Smith would be in CF if both Wyatt and Carter were hurt at the same time, except for when he was needed elsewhere. If they had that many injuries, all of this might not matter much though. Lol

If Leody was making close to the minimum salary he might be safer, but they are up against it budget-wise, and that makes Leody cost much more than a 5th OF is allowed to cost with our bidget constraints..

how close are they

 

[Kelleyman]

https://x.com/samhorvathbb/status/1895546960746336628?s=46&t=y4Pv59dV5ugp-4OQjDxHwQ

Re Joe Barlow and increased velo
Driveline

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

No more than a minimum. Say 30 days plus
Let’s say if Wyatt strain is more than grade 1

Now do they risk bringing up Osuna early?
That’s another conversation

It would be Ornelas again, most likely.

 

[saddles]

how close are they

It has been reported that they are within $6 million.

 

[saddles]

https://x.com/samhorvathbb/status/1895546960746336628?s=46&t=y4Pv59dV5ugp-4OQjDxHwQ

Re Joe Barlow and increased velo
Driveline

Did you see Wes Benjamin was signed after working with Tread?

 

[scotsman#1948]

It has been reported that they are within $6 million.

on spotrac they're saying around14M either way apparently they had enough to actually sign a decent closer

 

[Kelleyman]

Did you see Wes Benjamin was signed after working with Tread?

No I did not. Who did he sign with. Thx

 

[saddles]

From Shawn McFarland:

Rangers lefty Robert Garcia is expected to make his Cactus League debut Monday, Bruce Bochy said this morning. He threw a live bullpen earlier this week after forearm irritation took him down for a bit.

 

[saddles]

No I did not. Who did he sign with. Thx

He signed a minor league deal with the Padres.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

From Mark Feinsand:

Jacob deGrom will throw his first live BP session today, and Bruce Bochy said he’s slated to make his Cactus League debut on Friday.

 

[saddles]

From Shawn McFarland:

Jack Leiter’s got a new pitch. Thank Matt Festa, who introduced Leiter to the “kick changeup,” a weapon that ran 92-93 mph on Friday, got some whiffs and turned some heads.

“He’s got a little spike changeup going,” Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford said. “I was playing catch with him yesterday, missed one and it hit me straight in the leg. I have a bruise on my thigh from it.”

 

[saddles]

From Shawn McFarland:

Leiter, a 24-year-old right-hander competing for a rotation spot, added a “kick change” to his arsenal this offseason. The former second overall pick threw a standard changeup 39 different times last season in the major leagues. It averaged 89.5 mph and reached 90 mph just a quarter of the time.

His new changeup, which has become popularized around in the league in the last year and was introduced to him at the end of last season by relief pitcher Matt Festa, averaged 92.3 mph on double-digit attempts in Friday’s 8-8 tie vs. the Chicago Cubs at Surprise Stadium. It reached 93.1 mph, elicited two swings and misses, and was responsible for three of the four strikeouts he recorded in three innings.

 

[saddles]

More from Shawn McFarland:

Among pitchers who threw at least 100 changeups in the major leagues last season, only four (Pete Fairbanks, Gregory Soto, Edward Cabrera and José Marte) averaged a harder velocity than Leiter did during Friday’s game. He threw it alongside his four-seam fastball (which averaged 97.4 mph), his sinker (97.4 mph) his slider (89 mph) and a two-seam fastball that he’s playing around with as well.

“I’m just making the arsenal a little bit deeper and better and more unpredictable,” Leiter said. “I see myself having games where I throw that [changeup] 30 times and I see myself having games where I throw it four times.”

 

[saddles]

From Thomas Nestico:

Jack Leiter continues to test out his arsenal this spring, and it looks very encouraging!

His new sinker performed well today and it is awesome to see him throwing his changeup more. The stuff has always been excellent, and a more refined arsenal could only help!