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

[scotsman1948]

Jon Gray got his first win.
Still waiting on Semiens first HR

those 2 plays saved the game

 

[saddles]

 

[scotsman1948]

think it is time for Leody to get the option to the Rangers 26-man

 

[scotsman1948]

wonder if it will be a 1-game or 2 re-hab stint

 

[saddles]

Mitch Garver’s elbow and the roster situation

Mitch Garver is starting a rehab assignment, but it sounds like he won’t be catching anytime soon

www.lonestarball.com

"Garver, who landed on the injured list with a strained flexor tendon, is apparently going to be limited to DH duties, with some possible action at first base, for a while. You will note that “a while” is a pretty vague and indefinite period of time, and I do that purposely, as there’s been no real indication as to when Garver’s elbow will be able to handle the strain of catching. That said, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be back behind the plate anytime soon."

 

[scotsman1948]

Mitch Garver’s elbow and the roster situation

Mitch Garver is starting a rehab assignment, but it sounds like he won’t be catching anytime soon

www.lonestarball.com

"Garver, who landed on the injured list with a strained flexor tendon, is apparently going to be limited to DH duties, with some possible action at first base, for a while. You will note that “a while” is a pretty vague and indefinite period of time, and I do that purposely, as there’s been no real indication as to when Garver’s elbow will be able to handle the strain of catching. That said, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be back behind the plate anytime soon."

so we keep Heim and Huff splitting the catching duties and use Garver strictly at DH

 

[saddles]

Mitch Garver’s elbow and the roster situation

Mitch Garver is starting a rehab assignment, but it sounds like he won’t be catching anytime soon

www.lonestarball.com

"Garver, who landed on the injured list with a strained flexor tendon, is apparently going to be limited to DH duties, with some possible action at first base, for a while. You will note that “a while” is a pretty vague and indefinite period of time, and I do that purposely, as there’s been no real indication as to when Garver’s elbow will be able to handle the strain of catching. That said, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be back behind the plate anytime soon."

"In the “maybe something bad, maybe something good” category, Sam Huff is now in the majors as Heim’s backup. We had talked coming into the season about the importance of Huff getting reps behind the plate, after the 2020 minor league season was wiped out due to the pandemic and an injury kept Huff from catching in 2021. At Round Rock, Huff would get to catch regularly, DH on many of the days he didn’t catch, get a lot of work behind the plate, and get to hit most every day."

"That plan is, at least for now, out the window, as Huff — the only other catcher on the 40 man roster, aside from Garver and Heim — is now a major league backup catcher. Levi Weaver talked about this in his Weaver Wire, and how this is an opportunity for Huff to get more one-on-one work with catching coordinator Bobby Wilson and see how game planning and preparing is done at the major league level, and those can be positives."

"The down side is that Huff probably isn’t quite major league ready yet. He has huge power, with his prodigious home runs making the rounds on Twitter, but also a lot of swing and miss, striking out around a third of the time in Round Rock this year, and striking out five times in fourteen plate appearances in the majors thusfar (while sporting a .357/.357/.357 slash line). Huff’s defense is also seen as needing refinement."

 

[saddles]

"In the “maybe something bad, maybe something good” category, Sam Huff is now in the majors as Heim’s backup. We had talked coming into the season about the importance of Huff getting reps behind the plate, after the 2020 minor league season was wiped out due to the pandemic and an injury kept Huff from catching in 2021. At Round Rock, Huff would get to catch regularly, DH on many of the days he didn’t catch, get a lot of work behind the plate, and get to hit most every day."

"That plan is, at least for now, out the window, as Huff — the only other catcher on the 40 man roster, aside from Garver and Heim — is now a major league backup catcher. Levi Weaver talked about this in his Weaver Wire, and how this is an opportunity for Huff to get more one-on-one work with catching coordinator Bobby Wilson and see how game planning and preparing is done at the major league level, and those can be positives."

"The down side is that Huff probably isn’t quite major league ready yet. He has huge power, with his prodigious home runs making the rounds on Twitter, but also a lot of swing and miss, striking out around a third of the time in Round Rock this year, and striking out five times in fourteen plate appearances in the majors thusfar (while sporting a .357/.357/.357 slash line). Huff’s defense is also seen as needing refinement."

"Huff will presumably return to AAA when Mitch Garver is ready to catch regularly again, unless Huff has played well enough that he forces the Rangers to keep him up. That said, if Garver is unable to catch for an extended period, there may come a point where the Rangers feel Huff needs to be in AAA rather than the majors, at which point Jack Kruger, perhaps, would be an option (he was on the taxi squad earlier this year), or the Rangers could go find an acceptable temporary backup from another franchise’s AAA squad."

"From a roster management standpoint, the Rangers shouldn’t have a problem carrying Garver, Heim and Huff (or another backup catcher) for a while. While the Rangers currently have 14 pitchers on the active roster, all rosters will be capped at 13 pitchers as of May 30, so they would have to drop a pitcher by then regardless. Texas could — likely will, I’d think — just option Josh Sborz to make room for Garver when he’s ready to be activated."

"The question beyond that is, who would be sent down if the Rangers were to promote a position player from the minors in the interim? The only player at AAA really pushing for a promotion is Leody Taveras, and I don’t think its a given he’s up anytime terribly soon. However, if Leody were to force his way onto the major league roster while Garver is still unable to catcher, the Rangers have a couple of options. Nick Solak, who is slashing .219/.306/.328, has been mentioned as a possible roster casualty. The Rangers could also option Andy Ibanez, who is slashing .198/.250/.256, and use a Brad Miller/Charlie Culberson platoon at third base for the interim."

 

[saddles]

I guess that takes care of Garver's trade value.

 

[saddles]

Thoughts on four Rangers minor leaguers

AJM ruminates about one minor leaguer at each level in the Rangers system

www.lonestarball.com

Leiter, Taveras, Church and Osuna are discussed.

"Leody has cooled down since his hot start — he is slashing .250/.317/.444 in May, with four walks and 12 Ks in 41 plate appearances — and he sat for a couple of games after being pulled mid-game for not running out a dropped third strike that got away from the catcher. "

 

[scotsman1948]

I guess that takes care of Garver's trade value.

is that all we are planning when we sign or trade for players? if it is, then no wonder we have had issues signing FA's

 

[saddles]

Thoughts on four Rangers minor leaguers

AJM ruminates about one minor leaguer at each level in the Rangers system

www.lonestarball.com

Leiter, Taveras, Church and Osuna are discussed.

"Alejandro Osuna was signed by the Texas Rangers out of Mexico in October, 2020, right before his 18th birthday. I can’t find any information about his signing bonus, and the only reason his signing was at all notable is that he is the brother of pitcher Roberto Osuna, who is best known for bad things."

"Osuna likely would have been assigned to Spokane in the Northwest League in 2021, but with the non-complex short-season leagues having been eliminated, that wasn’t an option. Rather than try to squeeze Osuna into an already crowded AZL depth chart, Texas sent him to Down East in mid-June, where he immediately went into the starting lineup."

"We mentioned Osuna a little bit in our minor league updates last year, but he mostly flew under the radar, as one would expect with a corner outfielder slashing .226/.352/.380 with 76 Ks in 252 plate appearances. There were some lowkey positive signs, however — Osuna’s OPS went up each month, including a 782 OPS in September (after a 650 OPS in June), and literally every pitcher he faced in 2021 was older than him."

"Flash-forward to 2022. Osuna is back in Down East. And Osuna is raking."

"Osuna is currently slashing .333/.409/.510 in 110 plate appearances, with just 18 Ks against 11 walks. After an 870 OPS in April, he’s put up a 985 OPS so far in May. He’s still facing older competition — only five of his plate appearances have been against younger pitchers — but he’s thriving, posting the fourth-highest OPS in the Carolina League."

"Osuna has played all three outfield spots, but has primarily played left field, and he profiles as a bat-only guy, which means he’s going to have to really hit. But he’s a 19 year old who has been one of the top hitters in the Carolina League this year, which means he’s someone we should probably at least be keeping an eye on."

 

[DT LUNA]

"Leody has cooled down since his hot start — he is slashing .250/.317/.444 in May, with four walks and 12 Ks in 41 plate appearances — and he sat for a couple of games after being pulled mid-game for not running out a dropped third strike that got away from the catcher. "

His .250 BA is above the team .216 BA so he fits in there at this time.

 

[DT LUNA]

FYI: Seager leads team in all but RBI's. Garcia claims that.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

Garver 0-2 with a K and 2 BB's. Also a run scored.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

Rangers last year won 60 games with a .370 winning percentage. This year they have a .441 win % as of now, putting them on pace for 71 wins.

 

[Kelleyman]

Yes the Garver Extended DH time puts the Rangers in a dilemma. They will have to option someone and don’t think they would prefer a pitcher

And yes time with Bobby Wilson is well and good for a couple of weeks but Huff needs to catch as well.
Thinking 2 times in a 6 game week is productively enough

 

[DT LUNA]

Yes the Garver Extended DH time puts the Rangers in a dilemma. They will have to option someone and don’t think they would prefer a pitcher

And yes time with Bobby Wilson is well and good for a couple of weeks but Huff needs to catch as well.
Thinking 2 times in a 6 game week is productively enough

Say good bye to King Kalhoun

 

[Kelleyman]

Say good bye to King Kalhoun

I would have liked to think that but now he is on a hot streak I don’t think they will do as it sends a bad message to the team.
Hope it is not Solak but it might be. Or maybe Reks and they send Solak down with Willie

 

[saddles]

Yes the Garver Extended DH time puts the Rangers in a dilemma. They will have to option someone and don’t think they would prefer a pitcher

And yes time with Bobby Wilson is well and good for a couple of weeks but Huff needs to catch as well.
Thinking 2 times in a 6 game week is productively enough

Why not keep Garver on the DL until he is ready to catch?