The Officially Official Off Season Thread (2016)

[saddles]

is that all you worry about? if there is someone that will fill a hole JD will spend the money irregardless of how much it increases the budget. you worry about the wrong things

In the real world every decision a business makes involves a budgetary decision. You can ignore that part of the equation all you want to, but you will never be able to reasonably discuss the matter if you ignore such a big part of it. I am not worrying about the wrong thing. You just refuse to be realistic.

 

[scotsman1948]

In the real world every decision a business makes involves a budgetary decision. You can ignore that part of the equation all you want to, but you will never be able to reasonably discuss the matter if you ignore such a big part of it. I am not worrying about the wrong thing. You just refuse to be realistic.

not ignoring anything. but in any business you make decisions involving finance when you know you have to.

 

[saddles]

2015 offseason preview: Texas Rangers

This guy has some interesting suggestions including us trading for Aroldis Chapman. He also suggests Mazara, Gallo, Brinson and Dillon Tate could all appear at the big league level in 2016. I really doubt we see Tate up here before 2018 unless it is for a cup of coffee when rosters expand in 2017. I remember when I used to read that Ortiz would be here sometime in 2015 and reading this about Tate reminded me of that.

 

[saddles]

not ignoring anything. but in any business you make decisions involving finance when you know you have to.

Yes, and finances usually is a very big deciding factor. When you don't have the money you don't make the purchase unless you want to go out of business or go bankrupt like Hicks. Greinke, Upton, and Davis could all greatly help this team, but just because they could all help that doesn't mean the team can afford to sign all three of them. Without a corresponding cost cutting move I doubt we could afford any of them.

 

[donaldson79]

2015 offseason preview: Texas Rangers

This guy has some interesting suggestions including us trading for Aroldis Chapman. He also suggests Mazara, Gallo, Brinson and Dillon Tate could all appear at the big league level in 2016. I really doubt we see Tate up here before 2018 unless it is for a cup of coffee when rosters expand in 2017. I remember when I used to read that Ortiz would be here sometime in 2015 and reading this about Tate reminded me of that.

Well, he does have some interesting suggestions. But once you start down the slope of "trading for Chapman" the rest of his equation loses credibility b/c the only way you get him is giving up at least one of the names he's so highly complimentary of, and this, at least potentially, destroys his model.

However, I do think we need a closer. I'd love to see Tolleson become the 8th inning guy. I honestly don't think he'll be our answer, long term, as a closer. Sincerely appreciate what he did in 2015. Just don't think he'll duplicate this feat again.

 

[Kelleyman]

Never enough Rangers baseball

 

[DT LUNA]

Never enough Rangers baseball

Thanks

 

[Kelleyman]

Thanks

Funny MLB guys mentioned getting Chris Young as an ideal pickup for Rangers. Ha maybe they follow our site for Intel. Also, mentioned picking up Pearce which makes sense. No way they pay money for Chapman as they have never paid for relief with this GM. Yeah this week we make get a Colby signing pretty soon. One thing said did make sense, we need options in LF in case Josh has a breakdown. Would be nice to have Rua turn it around. He is under the radar.

 

[Bmurph]

Im sorry but Josh will never play more than 3 games a week on avg, the rest of his career. They aren't paying him much, and should count on him as bench player or bonus when he can be on the field. I don't think they can count on Hamilton to be the starting LF'er. This team needs some production from a COF spot. Choo doesn't provide much in the way of a power bat and having little in the way of RBI's in DDJ, means this team needs a bat with power in the outfield. That said I don't know who it would be or how to fit it in the SAID budget

 

[donaldson79]

Im sorry but Josh will never play more than 3 games a week on avg, the rest of his career. They aren't paying him much, and should count on him as bench player or bonus when he can be on the field. I don't think they can count on Hamilton to be the starting LF'er. This team needs some production from a COF spot. Choo doesn't provide much in the way of a power bat and having little in the way of RBI's in DDJ, means this team needs a bat with power in the outfield. That said I don't know who it would be or how to fit it in the SAID budget

I agree with ya 100% on Hamilton.

But Choo hit 22 HR last year, (4th time he's exceeded 20) and had 82 RBI (3rd time for this). IMO that's good and I'll take every season from now on.

DeShields accounted for 120 runs (RBI+R) and from the LO position I consider this very good. He'll probably never hit double digit HRs and honestly, I'm happy with this. You saw what one lousy HR did to his swing/production last year.

Lastly, we were 3rd in runs scored in MLB. How many more runs can we score? IMO any team which can rank in the top 5 in the game in any positive, offensive category is excellent.

 

[donaldson79]

I meant to say, as far as runs are concerned, I fully acknowledge we were very poor with RISP. Ranking 24th is not in that "excellent" category I mentioned. If we'd just finished 12th, cutting our spot in half, we'd challenged for most runs in the game.

But maybe a new hitting coach with assist with this problem.

 

[DT LUNA]

I agree with ya 100% on Hamilton.

But Choo hit 22 HR last year, (4th time he's exceeded 20) and had 82 RBI (3rd time for this). IMO that's good and I'll take every season from now on.

DeShields accounted for 120 runs (RBI+R) and from the LO position I consider this very good. He'll probably never hit double digit HRs and honestly, I'm happy with this. You saw what one lousy HR did to his swing/production last year.

Lastly, we were 3rd in runs scored in MLB. How many more runs can we score? IMO any team which can rank in the top 5 in the game in any positive, offensive category is excellent.

The little guy is hard to ignore. Appears he will either play CF or split time in LF with Josh assuming he is not involved in a trade. Hard call to make. Hard to overlook those 120 runs too. Seems to me CF question is the answer as to what happens. Will JD bring one in? If so, who splits time in LF? Josh and Rua/DDJ? Guess I will wait and see unless JD and I have coffee this week and maybe he let's me in on decision.

 

[saddles]

I agree with ya 100% on Hamilton.

But Choo hit 22 HR last year, (4th time he's exceeded 20) and had 82 RBI (3rd time for this). IMO that's good and I'll take every season from now on.

DeShields accounted for 120 runs (RBI+R) and from the LO position I consider this very good. He'll probably never hit double digit HRs and honestly, I'm happy with this. You saw what one lousy HR did to his swing/production last year.

Lastly, we were 3rd in runs scored in MLB. How many more runs can we score? IMO any team which can rank in the top 5 in the game in any positive, offensive category is excellent.

I think our run total doesn't tell the whole story. We have way too many games where we only score a few runs. Our run total for the year is skewed by some very high scoring games. We were better at being more consistent In scoring runs late in the year, but for most of the year we were extremely inconsistent.

 

[Bmurph]

I agree with ya 100% on Hamilton.

But Choo hit 22 HR last year, (4th time he's exceeded 20) and had 82 RBI (3rd time for this). IMO that's good and I'll take every season from now on.

DeShields accounted for 120 runs (RBI+R) and from the LO position I consider this very good. He'll probably never hit double digit HRs and honestly, I'm happy with this. You saw what one lousy HR did to his swing/production last year.

Lastly, we were 3rd in runs scored in MLB. How many more runs can we score? IMO any team which can rank in the top 5 in the game in any positive, offensive category is excellent.

I dont necessarily have an issue with Choo's production, or really DDJ for that matter. Im not sure I was clear on what I was trying to trying to say there. I just a think we need a 30 HR type guy in the OF to go with tho others. Again I don't know where this comes from, since aside from Nellie, Cespy and maybe Justin Upton, I don't know who all that leaves. That said that would require us moving some $ from on of our big contracts.

I think there were some that thought Josh was the answer to a LF'er that would provide 25 Hr's and that isn't happening. I just don't think there is enough power with an OF of Choo, DDJ and a CF TYPE, LIKE Leonys (I realize he probably is gone). Anyway I'm just thinking out loud, as to where we can get the most production

 

[donaldson79]

I think our run total doesn't tell the whole story. We have way too many games where we only score a few runs. Our run total for the year is skewed by some very high scoring games. We were better at being more consistent In scoring runs late in the year, but for most of the year we were extremely inconsistent.

No, obviously doesn't tell the whole story, but it can't be ignored either. It does seem to me that almost all teams struggle with too few runs one night and an onslaught the next.

But, the fact of how poorly we were with RISP probably played a rather large roll in our ebb & flow. And I'm in high hopes this will be addressed by Anthony Iapoce.

 

[donaldson79]

I think there were some that thought Josh was the answer to a LF'er that would provide 25 Hr's and that isn't happening. I just don't think there is enough power with an OF of Choo, DDJ and a CF TYPE, LIKE Leonys (I realize he probably is gone). Anyway I'm just thinking out loud, as to where we can get the most production

You and I are not only on the same page, but the same sentence when it comes to Hamilton. If we get anything better than 60/65 games outta him in LF we'll be fortunate.

And I also agree on Martin. Wonder what a pkg of Moreland/Martin might bring back?

 

[Bmurph]

No, obviously doesn't tell the whole story, but it can't be ignored either. It does seem to me that almost all teams struggle with too few runs one night and an onslaught the next.

But, the fact of how poorly we were with RISP probably played a rather large roll in our ebb & flow. And I'm in high hopes this will be addressed by Anthony Iapoce.

There were a few games where we put up some runs vs. good pitching (Bumgarner, Price, Kershaw, maybe), but it was all the games where we made mediocre to garbage pitchers look like Koufax, that leaves me puzzled as to "what was really the problem"? Hopefully guys benefit from a different voice.

I say Mrs. Choo should have gotten Magadan's job. HAHA! I kid, I'm hoping Anthony does change our fortune w RISP.

 

[Bmurph]

You and I are not only on the same page, but the same sentence when it comes to Hamilton. If we get anything better than 60/65 games outta him in LF we'll be fortunate.

And I also agree on Martin. Wonder what a pkg of Moreland/Martin might bring back?

I think JD tries moving those 2 for arms, maybe BP and a 4th type rotation guy maybe?

 

[donaldson79]

There were a few games where we put up some runs vs. good pitching (Bumgarner, Price, Kershaw, maybe), but it was all the games where we made mediocre to garbage pitchers look like Koufax, that leaves me puzzled as to "what was really the problem"? Hopefully guys benefit from a different voice.

I say Mrs. Choo should have gotten Magadan's job. HAHA! I kid, I'm hoping Anthony does change our fortune w RISP.

Maybe it was a case of us hitting up to the competition, or down to, whichever the night called for. And I can't help but feel a different voice can't hurt.

Good line about Mrs Choo too.

 

[saddles]

No, obviously doesn't tell the whole story, but it can't be ignored either. It does seem to me that almost all teams struggle with too few runs one night and an onslaught the next.

But, the fact of how poorly we were with RISP probably played a rather large roll in our ebb & flow. And I'm in high hopes this will be addressed by Anthony Iapoce.

All teams do struggle with that at times, but we struggled more than our share. We had more games where we scored 2 or less runs than every other American League team that went to the postseason this year. The team that beat us in the postseason had 19 fewer games where they scored 2 runs or less than we did. And that was with a much better offense over the course of the last few weeks than we had shown all season long. For much of the season we were on pace to do far worse than we did.

For those reasons I think our overall run total for the season was somewhat of a mirage. I think we need offensive help to achieve the prize we are all wanting. We are too prone to long stretches where we struggle to put up more than 2 or 3 runs.