tOfficially Official 2016 Spring training thread

[saddles]

Heard they wanted either Gallo, Mazara or Brinson plus Chi Chi..

I bet we go with what we have at catcher and reassess at the deadline. Then if we need to improve we will make a Benjie Molina type trade.

 

[saddles]

There are a number of catchers slated to become free agents at the end of this season and thus would probably be available if playing on a non-contending team at the deadline.

Catchers

Alex Avila (30)
Drew Butera (34)
Jason Castro (30)
Francisco Cervelli (31)
A.J. Ellis (36)
Ryan Hanigan (36) — $3.75MM club option with an $800K buyout
Nick Hundley (33)
Chris Iannetta (34) — 2017 option
Jonathan Lucroy (31) — $5.25MM club option with a $25K buyout
Jeff Mathis (34)
Dioner Navarro (33)
A.J. Pierzynski (40)
Wilson Ramos (29)
Wilin Rosario (28)
David Ross (40)
Carlos Ruiz (38) — $4.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Jarrod Saltalamacchia (32)
Geovany Soto (34)
Kurt Suzuki (33) — $6MM vesting option
Josh Thole (30)
Matt Wieters (31)

 

[DT LUNA]

I bet we go with what we have at catcher and reassess at the deadline. Then if we need to improve we will make a Benjie Molina type trade.

Think you're right and hope we do that. Not wanting to give up on the aforementioned guys this soon. Our catchers were not our biggest problem last year and imo they will be fine this year.

 

[jta4437]

There are a number of catchers slated to become free agents at the end of this season and thus would probably be available if playing on a non-contending team at the deadline.

Catchers

Alex Avila (30)
Drew Butera (34)
Jason Castro (30)
Francisco Cervelli (31)
A.J. Ellis (36)
Ryan Hanigan (36) — $3.75MM club option with an $800K buyout
Nick Hundley (33)
Chris Iannetta (34) — 2017 option
Jonathan Lucroy (31) — $5.25MM club option with a $25K buyout
Jeff Mathis (34)
Dioner Navarro (33)
A.J. Pierzynski (40)
Wilson Ramos (29)
Wilin Rosario (28)
David Ross (40)
Carlos Ruiz (38) — $4.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Jarrod Saltalamacchia (32)
Geovany Soto (34)
Kurt Suzuki (33) — $6MM vesting option
Josh Thole (30)
Matt Wieters (31)

Not much there, Cervelli I've always liked though

Interesting to see if Wieters is extended a QO again like he was last year

Rosario isn't much of a catcher and is probably more of a 1B going forward

 

[saddles]

I wonder why they are considering this?

 

[saddles]

Fraley: In switch to left field, Rangers' Ian Desmond is looking to this MVP candidate for advice | SportsDay

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

Competition for Rangers rotation about to get heated

 

[saddles]

Texas Rangers prospects at spring training

 

[jta4437]

I wonder why they are considering this?

Depends on who the 3 are, Gimenez, Ruggiano and Alberto? That covers the catcher, IF and OF... and I'm only assuming they have faith in Ruggiano's ability to play CF and 1B in that scenario, unless its some combination of Ciriacio playing the IF and OF with Ruggiano/Rua

Those are the only ways I see a 3 man bench working

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Good to see a Prince Bomb.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Perez with a good stat line today.

 

[saddles]

Depends on who the 3 are, Gimenez, Ruggiano and Alberto? That covers the catcher, IF and OF... and I'm only assuming they have faith in Ruggiano's ability to play CF and 1B in that scenario, unless its some combination of Ciriacio playing the IF and OF with Ruggiano/Rua

Those are the only ways I see a 3 man bench working

Surely they aren't going to go short all year on the bench though.

It seems to me that with our bullpen that you don't need an extra guy out there, but then that may just be me.

I was wondering if there is something going on that would require this temporarily. Maybe there is a pitcher that they don't want to put on waivers before the season starts in order to possibly trade him instead of waiving him thinking he is more tradeable if he makes the opening day roster. I can't figure it out. We usually only do this after a night or two of having to abuse the pen and then it is usually only temporary.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

Rangers could start season with 13 pitchers

"With the structure of our position players, it allows us if we choose to have the extra man in the bullpen," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "We have the option ... we're still looking at whether to go with 13, given the experience where we were last year. We got in a situation last year where we had to run a lot of young guys out of the bullpen early and it nicked us later on in the season."

Wasn't that due to who we had starting last year when Darvish, Holland, and Perez were all injured? Should anything like last year be expected this year? Couldn't we at least wait a few weeks or so to see if a short bench is required?

Closer Shawn Tolleson, right-handed setup relievers Keone Kela, Sam Dyson and Tom Wilhelmsen, and left-hander Jake Diekman are all likely to be limited to one inning of use. So too would rookie right-hander Tony Barnette, who was a closer in Japan, and left-hander Andrew Faulkner.

Why?

 

[saddles]

HR Gallo.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Not a fan of that Hamels stat line. But I do love a good GalloBomb.

 

[saddles]

Joey is slugging at a .750 clip and he is the only batter on the team with more than 20 ABs who has as many walks as strikeouts.