SB Nation - Willie Eyre

Rangers outright Willie Eyre

Adam J. Morris — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:22:27 -0000

Per Evan Grant, Willie Eyre has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to AAA.

So you know how I said the 40 man roster was at 39 in my last post? Ignore that...it is now at 38.

Rangers designate Thomas Diamond for assignment

Adam J. Morris — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:00:07 -0000

Per the S-T blog, Thomas Diamond has been designated for assignment, and Brandon Boggs has been recalled and transferred to the 60 day disabled list, moves necessitated by the activation of Brandon McCarthy from the 60 day disabled list and purchasing the contracts of Kevin Richardson and Craig Gentry.

Esteban German and Eddie Guardado have been activated from the disabled list, and Guillermo Moscoso and Warner Madrigal have been recalled. Willie Eyre will likely be recalled, as well, as soon as his 10 days run.

The Diamond move is a bit of a shocker, as I figured Joaquin Arias would be the one to get the axe, but Diamond has disappointed this season after being considered a dark-horse candidate to make the team out of spring training in the bullpen. Diamond has missed a lot of time the past three seasons due to injury, and I suspect the Rangers are going to look to move him for a fringe prospect in the next 10 days.

Eddie Guardado to the disabled list, Willie Eyre recalled

Adam J. Morris — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:57:49 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

5 months ago: Texas Rangers reliever Eddie Guardado reacts in the seventh inning after giving up a single to Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki in a MLB baseball game Saturday, July 11, 2009, at Safeco Field in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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Eddie Guardado is headed to the disabled list. Willie Eyre is being recalled.

I've thought for a little while now Eddie was going to have a d.l. trip. I don't think the Rangers feel comfortable with him being out on the mound right now, but they also don't want to cut ties with him. This allows them to let him rest his arm for a couple of weeks, stay with the team, and then activated him in September.

With Jason Grilli due back soon, along with Nelson Cruz, Eyre and Guillermo Moscoso are likely going to end up heading back to Oklahoma by Sunday.

Moscoso Recalled, Eyre Optioned

Adam J. Morris — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:58:43 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

6 months ago: Texas Rangers relief pitcher Guillermo Moscoso delivers to Oakland Athletics' Jason Giambi in the ninth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas Saturday, May 30, 2009. The Rangers won 14-1.(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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The Rangers have recalled Guillermo Moscoso from AAA, and have optioned Willie Eyre to make room for him on the 25 man roster.

I'm guessing that if Vicente Padilla has to go to the d.l., Moscoso steps in for him in the rotation. Moscoso will also probably follow Doug Mathis today, with Mathis giving the Rangers three or four innings.

Sunday morning Rangers things

Adam J. Morris — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:47:34 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

5 months ago: Texas Rangers starting pitcher Derek Holland exhales after giving up an RBI-double to San Diego Padres' David Eckstein in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, June 27, 2009. With the 7-3 loss to the Padres on Saturday night, the Rangers dropped out of the first place for the first time since May 5. They are a half-game behind the Los Angeles Angels in the American League West. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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So for the first time in almost two months, the Rangers aren't in first place. This day seemed inevitable, because...well, because, that's what happens in playoff races. Teams are in first place, then they often drop into second, and then they oftentimes go back into first. It happens.

There has seemed to be a mentality, though, among Rangers fans that once the Rangers fall out of first, that's it...it is over. Of course, among some, there has been a mentality that this day was inevitable, that this team just isn't good enough to stay in first and thus the Rangers were going to fall out of first before too long anyway. But beyond that, there seems to be almost an attitude that if the Rangers fell out of first place, that was it...the Angels are the better team, and if they could manage to pass the Rangers at some point this season, the Rangers weren't going to be able to get first place back.

I don't think that's a given, but obviously, this coming series against Anaheim is pretty big. If Texas loses today and gets swept by Anaheim, they could be 4.5 games back in the middle of next week. Taking two of three or sweeping Anaheim, though, should get the Rangers back in first. And this is a team that's gotten basically nothing from Josh Hamilton this season, or from Chris Davis, or from their catchers...this is not a team that is playing over its head so far, particularly offensively.

Anthony Andro writes that Derek Holland had a strange start, allowing 13 hits while striking out 8, only the third time this decade that a pitcher has allowed at least 13 hits while striking out at least 8.

Ron Washington says that his secondary stuff was better in San Francisco, and because he could throw his secondary pitches for strikes, the Giants couldn't sit on his fastball, like the Padres did.

Holland getting back on track is particularly key with Matt Harrison going on the disabled list. Tommy Hunter is making today's start in place of Harrison, and I'm guessing he'll be sent down after the game, with Greg Golson being called up to get the Rangers back to 13 position players. With an off-day on Thursday, the Rangers are skipping the 5th starter spot next time around, and then a decision will have to be made as to who is going to fill that role in Harrison's absence. My guess is that Jason Jennings will step into the rotation, although if Dustin Nippert continues to make progress in his rehab stints, he could possibly be an option.

Gil LeBreton says that the Rangers are leaking, and there's no easy solution for what is ailing them. LeBreton hits in particular on the offense, which has been bad all month, but also points out the main problem with any quick fix:

Trading for Washington Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson — a bad idea, by the way — isn’t going to solve this.

Nor is any one move that Rangers general manager Jon Daniels or club president Nolan Ryan could be contemplating.

Jean-Jacques Taylor offers his baseball wisdom this morning, as well. He says there's no reason to worry about the offense. Why?

We can talk about the Rangers' pitiful offensive performance this month – they delivered another putrid effort against the Padres – but history says the Rangers will eventually hit and score runs.

So there you go. Taylor says that this team's problem is that the starting pitching isn't good enough.

Willie Eyre, recently activated from the disabled list, is hopeful he'll be able to stick in the majors the rest of the way.

Evan Grant has some notes up, which includes Hank Blalock saying he thinks he is still an everyday player, and updates on Josh Hamilton and German Duran. Duran, Grant says, had to be put on release waivers because a player cannot be outrighted if he's on the minor league disabled list.

Saturday morning Rangers things

Adam J. Morris — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:49:08 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

5 months ago: Baseball fans look on at a fire works show following a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers at the Texas Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas, Friday, June 26, 2009. The Rangers won 12-2. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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I like games like that. And it seems like it has been forever since we've had one.

Jeff Wilson says Kevin Millwood was unhappy with how he pitched, but the explosion by the bats meant Millwood's struggles didn't matter.

Jeff (the writer) Miller says that Millwood had flown back the day before and watched the 12 inning late-night game against the D-Backs on TV, so he was rested and ready for his start.

Willie Eyre's activation meant that someone had to be dropped from the 40 man roster, and it ended up being German Duran, who has been put on release waivers. However, if he clears waivers, both Duran and the Rangers want him to stay with the organization, and since he's on the minor league disabled list, if someone claims him, he has to go on the major league disabled list, so it appears likely he'll clear and sign a minor league deal with Texas.

Kevin Sherrington says that there have been no stars for the Rangers this season, just a bunch of role players. Sherrington dismisses Ian Kinsler as having had one hot month and being irrelevant since, but he's got an 883 OPS while playing great defense at second base, which makes him one of the 5 or 10 best players in the A.L. this season, I think. It makes me wonder if we aren't starting to take Kinsler for granted.

Wednesday a.m. Rangers things

Adam J. Morris — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:06:00 -0000

More photos » by Tom Pennington - AP

6 months ago: Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler rounds the bases after hitting a home run off of Houston Astros starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez in the bottom of the second inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, June 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Tom Pennington)

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Nice to see Ian Kinsler with a big game yesterday. And nice to see a win, particularly after Sunday's flat, ugly loss.

Evan Grant has some quotes from Ian Kinsler, where Kinsler says his problem was that he was looking for off-speed pitches, with the result being that he was getting beat by fastballs and was yanking off-speed pitches foul. Kinsler says he adjusted his approach yesterday, and the result was a 3-4, 2 homer, 1 walk game.

Jeff Wilson notes that Kevin Millwood overcame a sluggish first inning to win his third straight start, with the only run he allowed coming on a solo homer by Pudge Rodriguez.

Wilson also has some injury updates. Josh Hamilton played catch yesterday, his first baseball activity since undergoing surgery. Frankie Francisco said, after throwing yesterday, that his shoulder was "money," and he's supposed to have a rehab stint at Oklahoma City on Thursday. If all goes well, he presumably will be activated on Friday, when he's eligible to return. Dustin Nippert starts a rehab assignment with Frisco on Thursday, and Willie Eyre goes on rehab with Oklahoma City on Friday.

Kevin Sherrington has a column about about the chain-of-command issues that it seems every one of the D/FW pro teams has, with the part talking about the Rangers focusing on Ron Washington's lack of control over his coaching staff, and in particular, the conflict between Washington's desire to have his hitters be patient and work the count, and hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo's more aggressive philosophy.

And Houston businessman Don Sanders, who has been mentioned as a possible financial backer for Nolan Ryan, should Ryan seek to buy the Rangers from Tom Hicks, says that investing in the Rangers is a "long shot" for him.

Monday morning Rangers things

Adam J. Morris — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:04:53 -0000

That was a 6-3 loss that felt a lot more like a 10-1 loss.

Jeff Wilson says Derek Holland was angry with himself after yesterday's game, for not doing enough to help the team win lately.

Chris Davis was disappointed he didn't start yesterday, saying he felt he's swinging the bat well right now. In the same notes items, Wilson reports that Willie Eyre and Dustin Nippert threw yesterday, and are getting closer to being able to head out on a rehab stint.

Gil LeBreton says that the Rangers are clearly frustrated right now, but it is not time to panic.

Either rain or a roster move tonight

Adam J. Morris — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:55:59 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

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Evan Grant says that if there's a game tonight, the Rangers are going to option Warner Madrigal to AAA, purchase the contract of Doug Mathis, and move Willie Eyre to the 60 day d.l.

Why? Beats me, other than they want to get Madrigal work. This does suggest, though, that Kris Benson is going to lose his roster spot when Matt Harrison comes back, with Mathis replacing him as the long man. As has been mentioned before, if the Rangers aren't going to use Benson in a situation like last night's game -- and instead would go with Derek Holland, who is supposed to be starting just four days later, and who is a lefty facing a team that kills lefties -- then there's really not much reason for him to be on the team.

The other possibility is that Benson is going to make Saturday's start now, since Holland was used yesterday, and they presumably don't want to start him on three days' rest. In that situation, Mathis replaces Benson as the long man, although Benson could still get the ax when Harrison returns.

In the meantime, there's rain in New York, and some question about whether or not the game tonight will even be played. I imagine the Rangers would like a rainout, since it means they can skip Holland's spot in the rotation altogether on Saturday, and not worry about starting him on short rest or Benson at all. Presumably, the game would be made up in August, and you'd hope that Josh Hamilton would be back in the lineup by then, and possibly someone like Roy Oswalt in the rotation...

Friday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:48:39 -0000

More photos » by Tom Mihalek - AP

I guess the beard is staying now.

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Some things to read while wearing neckerchiefs and tassels.

As the Phillies series, the first Brewer series win of 2009, drifts away in the rear view mirror, the biggest story of all three games may turn out to be the starting pitchers:

Yesterday, Dave Bush threw a near no-hitter in front of his hometown. FanGraphs has a look at his stuff, which might not have been as good as one would expect, given the results.
Wednesday, Braden Looper continued to be the Brewers' most consistent starting pitcher. Chuckie Hacks compares his early season small sample size performance to CC Sabathia.
Tuesday, Manny Parra painted himself into a corner, but Cute Sports has figured out his problem.

If Dave Bush hadn't thrown a near no-hitter, the story of yesterday's game would have been the line drive off the bat of Prince Fielder that hit Cole Hamels in the shoulder and removed him from the game. Hamels has a contusion and is expected to make his next start.

The Brewers are now 2-0 since changing up their lineup: Mike Cameron hit fifth yesterday, moving J.J. Hardy down to sixth. I don't know if this is a permanent move, but while Cameron is putting up MVP-caliber numbers and Hardy is hitting under .150, it's hard not to make a move at this point.

Speaking of early moves, Carlos Villanueva is not upset about being removed from the interim closer's role, and given his early performance, he has no right to be.

R.J. Swindle continues to amaze stat geeks everywhere: Beyond the Box Score has more Pitch f/x graphs from his debut Tuesday.

Meanwhile, David Riske's DL stay could turn out to be longer than he expected. He's going to begin a rehab program to attempt to fix some "laxity" in the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, but may need Tommy John surgery if rehab doesn't fix it.

Some minor notes:

Cole Gillespie, who had been DH'ing in Brevard County, is finally ready to play everyday and reported to Nashville yesterday.
To make room for him, the Brewers assigned Jason Tyner to the Tigers. It's kind of like a trade, except the Brewers receive nothing in return.
Mat Gamel continues to rake in AAA, and made Prospect Paradise's list of hot starting prospects.

Maybe Mat Gamel's early performance has boosted franchise value: Forbes Magazine has valued the Brewer franchise at $347 million, 24th in all of baseball and up 5% from last season. (Also noted in FanShot)

Taking two of three in Philadelphia has caused some to notice the Brewers again: MLB FanHouse upgraded the Brewers from 25th to 23rd in their power rankings.

Elsewhere around the league:

Angels: Placed Darren Oliver on the DL with back stiffness.
Blue Jays: Placed B.J. Ryan (shoulder) and Ricky Romero (side) on the DL.
Cubs: Designated Luis Vizcaino for assignment and may DL Milton Bradley.
Mets: Nelson Figueroa refused his assignment to AAA and is now a free agent.
~~Orioles~~ Rangers: Placed Kris Benson on the DL with elbow tendinitis.
Also Rangers: Placed reliever Willie Eyre on the DL with a groin strain. They also claimed Darren O'Day off waivers from the Mets.
Red Sox: Acquired Kason Gabbard from the Rangers for cash.

Major League Baseball is a highly successful product in and of itself, and MLBAM also continues to make great strides, so I guess it only makes sense that MLB would decide to hedge its bets by also investing in a failing industry and opening an online newspaper. Best of luck to them.

Meanwhile, they're still not working on resolving blackout issues. In fact, one cable provider is directing customers to call The Biz of Baseball for more information on the policy.

Wes Helms is likely still one of the worst everyday players in Brewer history, and the fact that he enjoys kickboxing does not change that.

Oh, and even if you're a dog, relieving yourself on the field is grounds for ejection.

Drink up.