World Series Champions, Texas Rangers 2024 Spring Training Thread

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From Jeff Wilson:

Danny Duffy turned 35 in December, not old but no longer a spring chicken.

That's especially so after three injury-plagued seasons, including 2023 with the Rangers on a minor-league deal.

His search to see if he had something left took him to Puerto Rico over the winter for a stint with los Cangrejeros de Santruce. After not allowing a regular-season earned run over 15 2/3 innings, he discovered that he did.

Duffy took another minor-league deal to return to Rangers camp, and he is a bona-fide contender to make the Opening Day roster. He is being evaluated for the fifth spot in the rotation, along with fellow left-hander Cody Bradford and at least six others, but is happy to pitch in the bullpen if needed.

The Rangers need multi-inning relievers, too.

"Until further notice, the plan is to get me stretched out," Duffy said. "I went down there to prove to myself that my arm could take the volume of a starter. I know I can pitch out of the 'pen. Whatever the team needs, I'm down for it."

Duffy said that he hasn't felt as good as he does now since May of 2021, the last of his 11 seasons with the Royals. He had a 2.51 ERA after 13 games/12 starts before his elbow started barking, ultimately resulting in offseason surgery for a torn flexor tendon.

 

[Kelleyman]

Yeah Duffy will likely make the squad out of camp. Hate to see him put Bradford out of a SP job though
Competition is not bad though
Play the best

 

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Yeah Duffy will likely make the squad out of camp. Hate to see him put Bradford out of a SP job though
Competition is not bad though
Play the best

There is part of the story that I didn't share, but it is interesting coming from Bochy.

"Manager Bruce Bochy said on Thursday that the Rangers have spots open in the bullpen."

He mentioned openings in the pen, but not the rotation.

 

[Kelleyman]

There is part of the story that I didn't share, but it is interesting coming from Bochy.

"Manager Bruce Bochy said on Thursday that the Rangers have spots open in the bullpen."

He mentioned openings in the pen, but not the rotation.

Yet he says they are stretching Duffy out.

So what does that say re Monty and/or Bradford ?

 

[Kelleyman]

One question is Monty waiting on Snell before he is going to sign.

Boras has some leverage representing both. There is likely offers on the table

 

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Yet he says they are stretching Duffy out.

So what does that say re Monty and/or Bradford ?

They do need a long man in the pen who can make an emergency start, so both things could be true.

I wonder if we were one of the clubs that saw Odorizzi throwing A few days ago. They said about a third of big league clubs saw him throw.

 

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One question is Monty waiting on Snell before he is going to sign.

Boras has some leverage representing both. There is likely offers on the table

I think they are waiting on Boras.

 

[DT LUNA]

They do need a long man in the pen who can make an emergency start, so both things could be true.

I wonder if we were one of the clubs that saw Odorizzi throwing A few days ago. They said about a third of big league clubs saw him throw.

I do not care for Odorizzi. We have to many arms on the mend now. We need to sign Monty and get on with it. The pen is still a concern. Leclerc and Sborz remain a question but did show good stuff in WS. A wait and see game.

 

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From Evan Grant:

Starting pitching is fragile. It’s why GM Chris Young should start wearing a chain with his mantra: “You can never have enough starting pitching.” Might be too big to fit.

There is also an abundance of high-profile pitching prospects in camp. Two former first-rounders: Cole Winn and Jack Leiter. A second-rounder: Owen White And Zak Kent, a guy with perhaps a better breaking ball than all of them.

The issue is this: Is anybody from the second group ready to be an adequate fill-in when the inevitable happens to somebody from the first?

That’s what the Rangers are going to try to decipher this spring.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for them to do that,” manager Bruce Bochy said Thursday. “We want to get them the work they need and give us a chance to get a good look at them and put them in situations they are going to be in at some point this year, if not the start. I want them to come in and not just make a great impression but give us a tough decision.”

Let us suggest a slight edit. There isn’t just a great opportunity to make an impression; the Rangers need at least one to do so.

“Yeah,” Bochy acknowledged. “It would be big for us.”

 

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I hope no team saves to the demand of Scott Boras for his top free agents that remain. That almost happened with Boras and Prince Fielder several years ago. The Tigers couldn't bear to see Boras with egg on his face, so they swooped in and rescued him. Then a couple of years later, the Rangers swooped in and saved the Tigers from the same fate that the Tigers had saved Boras from. Unfortunately, no one saved the Rangers though.

This time, I hope Boras ends up with some disgruntled clients who vocalize their displeasure and hopefully fire him.

 

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From Adam Morris:

There’s part of me that keeps thinking, surely the Rangers are going to make another move to get someone who can start in here. Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are still out there, of course, and I am at peace with the fact that the team isn’t looking to commit to the type of long-term deals those two are seeking.

But Jake Odorizzi, who spent all of 2023 on the 60 day injured list for the Rangers, is apparently healthy and throwing for teams. Texas acquired him with the plan for him to be a long man/sixth starter last year. You mean to tell me the Rangers wouldn’t be interested in Odorizzi on a one year, low base deal?

Maybe Michael Lorenzen? Mike Clevinger? The ageless Zack Greinke? Even someone like Zach Davies on a minor league deal?

Surely, the Rangers will get someone in here in the next week or two. That’s what I keep thinking.

The alternative? The alternative is that the Rangers feel that they need to give some of the young starters currently in the organization a chance. They need to let Cody Bradford start every fifth day. They feel confident that someone like White or Kent or Leiter can step up and fill in as needed, and that the team needs guys like that to establish themselves, so that they aren’t going out every offseason trying to fill their rotation holes in the free agent market. They feel the team is strong enough, overall, and the internal options are good enough, and the expanded playoffs provide enough opportunities, that they can ride things out with the status quo until the injured pitchers start returning.

 

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Wyatt Langford’s first round of batting practice at #Rangers spring training.

youtube.com

 

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Jung has left calf discomfort and is undergoing an MRI.

 

[Duane1952]

Duffy is washed up. Era in 2018 and 2019 was close to 5. He won’t win more than 6 games. They signed Duffy who nobody else wanted to a minor league contract and they’re going to put him in the rotation.

 

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Duffy is washed up. Era in 2018 and 2019 was close to 5. He won’t win more than 6 games. They signed Duffy who nobody else wanted to a minor league contract and they’re going to put him in the rotation.

I think he will be lucky to get the long man role in the pen.