The Grill adding Trout and Angel Food Cake to the menu: LAA @ TEX 5/16-18

[True Rangers Fan]

Semien being part of the players union, pushing for bigger pay for the players, isn’t doing the players any favors as far as long term heavy contracts go.

I think you can point to almost all of the big contracts signed this offseason and use them and a cautionary tale for overspending. But there are also some big names coming up in FA so we'll see.

 

[saddles]

This very thorough and helpful analysis of Cole Winn's performance this year, is from Scott Lucas.

Cole Winn's walk and strikeout rates have reversed between his first four and most recent three starts. In the first four, Winn walked 7% of opposing hitters and struck out 22%. Since then, an incomprehensible 22% walk rate and 7% K rate. Other stats of note:

Strike Rate: 65% in starts 1-4, 53% in starts 5-7
Swinging Strike Rate: 14% vs. 7%
Swings Putting Ball In Play: 36% vs. 54%
Average On Contact: .289 vs. .314
Slugging On Contact: .378 vs .412

The primary change is simply far fewer strikes. An additional one of every eight pitches have been called balls in his most recent three starts. The other major difference appears to be location in the zone. Opponents aren't swinging as much but are putting the ball in play much more often when they do. Far fewer pitches are resulting in swinging strikes and fouls. Essentially, he's just not placing the ball where he wants.

The good news is Winn's velocity hasn't decreased, and his spin rates seem fine. He's lost a little break on his curve and slider, and gained a little vertical break on the fastball (not desired when working high), but I don't know if the difference is meaningful. Opponents are having more success when they make contact, although the difference isn't gigantic.

Winn has been here before. Back in 2019, I heard phenomenal reports about his sessions in Arizona, but when he arrived in low-A Hickory, he was frankly a mess. His control was poor overall, his execution varied wildly from pitch to pitch. He'd throw a nice fastball, then one in the dirt, another nice one, then a foot outside. Not until late in 2019 did he substantially improve. Since then, and until this May, he's been the dominant pitcher you've hoped for. I've mentioned that the exploits of the Major League club aren't relevant to his arrival in Arlington. He wasn't getting promoted in May, so this rough stretch won't delay his MLB debut assuming he can rectify the situation in a reasonably short time.

 

[saddles]

Semien being part of the players union, pushing for bigger pay for the players, isn’t doing the players any favors as far as long term heavy contracts go.

And he voted against the labor contract.

 

[saddles]

No Huff today.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

No Huff today.

Woody just can't help himself with revising the lineup. No reason to move Eli out of the LO spot.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

 

[saddles]

 

[DT LUNA]

No Huff today.

Would perfer White LO and Huff DH

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Would perfer White LO and Huff DH

Saw it mentioned recently that it's for the best we don't play Huff and Heim together, since if one got hurt we're screwed.

 

[DTC]

Saw it mentioned recently that it's for the best we don't play Huff and Heim together, since if one got hurt we're screwed.

Eh with the way our pitchers don’t go many innings it wouldnt hurt too bad.
Would have to forfeit the DH.. but could pinch hit for the pitcher..for less than one game.

 

[saddles]

Saw it mentioned recently that it's for the best we don't play Huff and Heim together, since if one got hurt we're screwed.

Huff could play 1B when Heim catches. Lowe can DH.

 

[DT LUNA]

Huff could play 1B when Heim catches. Lowe can DH.

Possibility of getting one of them hurt still applies.

 

[saddles]

Because he had a hot bat right before his injury...

Garver was placed on the injured list with a flexor strain in his right forearm prior to the Rangers' homestand. President of baseball operations Jon Daniels said Garver was feeling it in his arm following the Phillies series, but did not play the last two games of the Yankees series. The plan is just for medication and rest with the hopes that he will be able to swing the bat in a week’s time. Garver was slashing.296/.345/.593 in his last seven games before the injury. -- Kennedi Landry (Last updated: May 16)

The layoff pretty much nullifies the hot bat.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Huff could play 1B when Heim catches. Lowe can DH.

that's counter-intuitive to the potential problem

 

[saddles]

Possibility of getting one of them hurt still applies.

It is getting the one playing catcher hurt and having the other catcher at DH that is the problem. It would mean losing the DH if by a very slight chance the one playing catcher gets hurt.

 

[saddles]

that's counter-intuitive to the potential problem

How so, we have other guys who can play 1B?

 

[DT LUNA]

It is getting the one playing catcher hurt and having the other catcher at DH that is the problem. It would mean losing the DH if by a very slight chance the one playing catcher gets hurt.

I thought Woody did not want to chance either getting hurt would leave us with no back up so Huff would sit out. But if Heim got hurt we would still be left with no back up.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

How so, we have other guys who can play 1B?

the idea was to avoid playing Huff and Heim in the same game full stop. also, just a theory I read and threw out there, not a strategy or anything I'm pushing for.

 

[saddles]

the idea was to avoid playing Huff and Heim in the same game full stop. also, just a theory I read and threw out there, not a strategy or anything I'm pushing for.

So, he is afraid both will get hurt in the same game? If that is the case we are going to eventually be better off trading one and getting a backup who can start maybe 30 to 40 games a year. That is, if we get proper value in the trade. I would rather trade that value for value that can play more than 80 games a year or so.

 

[DT LUNA]

So, he is afraid both will get hurt in the same game? If that is the case we are going to eventually be better off trading one and getting a backup who can start maybe 30 to 40 games a year. That is, if we get proper value in the trade. I would rather trade that value for value that can play more than 80 games a year or so.

We should be OK when Garver returns unless Huff goes back down.