The Officially Official Off Season Thread (2016)

[True Rangers Fan]

I wouldn't be surprised. Teams have more money to spend the last few years with all of the new TV contracts.

I get that, but to me, Cespedes isn't a $20m/yr player, let alone a $25m/yr one.

 

[Kelleyman]

I get that, but to me, Cespedes isn't a $20m/yr player, let alone a $25m/yr one.

I want guys that show up in the postseason. Prince needs to prove he can do this. Maybe this year was fatigue. Both had terrible post seasons

 

[saddles]

Rangers notes: Yu Darvish headed home to Japan during ‘no-throw’ rehab

 

[scotsman1948]

Can he? He is a career .235 hitter who hasn't hit that high in 3 of his last 4 seasons.

He showed this last season he could while Hamilton couldn't. Maybe we need to platoon LF: Hamilton against eighties and someone like Young against lefties.

 

[romeo212000]

He showed this last season he could while Hamilton couldn't. Maybe we need to platoon LF: Hamilton against eighties and someone like Young against lefties.

Last year was clearly Young's outlier. You don't bank on an outlying year.

 

[saddles]

He showed this last season he could while Hamilton couldn't. Maybe we need to platoon LF: Hamilton against eighties and someone like Young against lefties.

More than likely it was a fluke since most guys don't suddenly hit their peak at 32. If he was 4 or 5 years younger I might be more inclined to think he was coming into his own. I certainly wouldn't want to sign him to anything more than a one year contract.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Rangers notes: Yu Darvish headed home to Japan during ‘no-throw’ rehab

The sentence that stood out to me:

"Although it’s four months away, the Rangers plan to have Profar work exclusively at shortstop, at least early in the spring."

 

[donaldson79]

The sentence that stood out to me:

"Although it’s four months away, the Rangers plan to have Profar work exclusively at shortstop, at least early in the spring."

Interesting for sure, and I agree, that statement really stands out.

It's a positive to me though. His value is highest to us or in a trade, if he can play SS.

 

[donaldson79]

From saddles Darvish post:

The Rangers are looking to add one starting pitcher this off-season and hope to find a fifth rotation member during a spring training competition among a slew of candidates, including Chi Chi Gonzalez, Nick Martinez, Nick Tepesch, Anthony Ranaudo, and Phil Klein.

I heard on a rumor via one of the talk shows recently that Gallardo is willing to give the Rangers a "home team discount" if they'll go 3 years with him. Would that be of interest to you guys?

 

[saddles]

The sentence that stood out to me:

"Although it’s four months away, the Rangers plan to have Profar work exclusively at shortstop, at least early in the spring."

That doesn't surprise me. Even when they envisioned him coming up to replace Ian at 2B they still played him mostly at SS in the minors in 2012 and 2013. It reminds me of the statement in ST last year that they were keeping Gallo at 3B.

It probably also has a whole lot to do with letting him play one position and getting comfortable playing everyday again. I don't know that it means they automatically envision him taking over for Elvis. He may very well do that eventually, but I don't know that that is the plan now. I think the plan now is to get him comfortable playing in the field again and the best way to do that is to let him continue to play at the position where he has usually played in the past.

 

[saddles]

From saddles Darvish post:

The Rangers are looking to add one starting pitcher this off-season and hope to find a fifth rotation member during a spring training competition among a slew of candidates, including Chi Chi Gonzalez, Nick Martinez, Nick Tepesch, Anthony Ranaudo, and Phil Klein.

I heard on a rumor via one of the talk shows recently that Gallardo is willing to give the Rangers a "home team discount" if they'll go 3 years with him. Would that be of interest to you guys?

No thank you. That is assuming the discount isn't so huge as to make it impossible to pass up. If it is a deal where he would be extremely tradeable then I would consider it, but if he really wants to pitch here and gives a discount then I would assume there would be a no trade clause.

 

[saddles]

Has anyone considered the scenario where Roogie goes into one of his extended slumps again in 2016 and Profar comes up to replace him and plays so well that he can't be taken out of the lineup? There are a lot of ways the 2016 season can play out regarding Profar and that one is a possibility. Not a probability, but a possibility nonetheless.

 

[donaldson79]

No thank you. That is assuming the discount isn't so huge as to make it impossible to pass up. If it is a deal where he would be extremely tradeable then I would consider it, but if he really wants to pitch here and gives a discount then I would assume there would be a no trade clause.

If memory serves, I think they were speculating 3 @ $40 mil. And they were assuming someone would offer him 3 @ $52 mil. Frankly, the entire conversation seemed like a spaghetti throwing contest.

I was more curious in the overall concept of "would you be interested in having him back for 3 years at a very reasonable number?" $13+ mil per season at this point in time is probably a semi-reasonable number.

For me, the guy makes me nuts with all those 20+ first inning pitches and 5.1 innings for the game. So I'm ready to move on from him.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

That doesn't surprise me. Even when they envisioned him coming up to replace Ian at 2B they still played him mostly at SS in the minors in 2012 and 2013.

I wasn't paying attention to any of it back then... why did they play him at SS if they planned for him to be a 2B?

 

[saddles]

I wasn't paying attention to any of it back then... why did they play him at SS if they planned for him to be a 2B?

I just think their philosophy is to let them stay at their natural position as long as possible. I would have liked for them to have played Joey at other positions more often this season, but they don't seem to do it that way. As far as Profar was concerned they probably saw the transition from SS to 2B to be an easy one so they kept him mainly at SS.

I do think sometimes they are a bit stubborn in not playing or trying guys at other positions. Had we done that in 2014 with Odubel Herrera he would have probably been our CF in 2015 and 2016.

 

[scotsman1948]

More than likely it was a fluke since most guys don't suddenly hit their peak at 32. If he was 4 or 5 years younger I might be more inclined to think he was coming into his own. I certainly wouldn't want to sign him to anything more than a one year contract.

that sounds about right.

 

[donaldson79]

I just think their philosophy is to let them stay at their natural position as long as possible. I would have liked for them to have played Joey at other positions more often this season, but they don't seem to do it that way. As far as Profar was concerned they probably saw the transition from SS to 2B to be an easy one so they kept him mainly at SS.

If Profar goes down and shows his old form, stays healthy, it may make it easier to move Elvis, if this is the inclination. We'd still have to eat salary but it would make it a lot easier to digest if we had a cheap option to replace him with. And I'm not making a recommendation, just a thought.

But I've speculated for some time now that he may be our next 3rd baseman.

 

[scotsman1948]

More than likely it was a fluke since most guys don't suddenly hit their peak at 32. If he was 4 or 5 years younger I might be more inclined to think he was coming into his own. I certainly wouldn't want to sign him to anything more than a one year contract.

so who do you go with? Hamilton who only played 50 games while battling multiple injuries or one of the following: Joey Gallo who struggled at .204 in 36 games, Ryan Strasboegher(SP) at .200 in 31 games or Ryan Rua at .193 in 28.

all i'm saying is Young played in 140 games at all 3 OF positions while battling.327 against LH pitching

 

[donaldson79]

all i'm saying is Young played in 140 games at all 3 OF positions while battling.327 against LH pitching

What's his price and for how long?

A lot may depend on if we move Moreland and what we'd look for in return.

 

[scotsman1948]

What's his price and for how long?

A lot may depend on if we move Moreland and what we'd look for in return.

don't understand what moving moreland has do with adding a legitimate 4th OF'er unless you're thinking about Cespesdes,upton or heywood