Angels vs Twins

ESPN2

Jered Weaver vs Scott Baker

Mariners vs A's

DirectTV

Felix Hernandez vs Ben Sheets

NCAA National Championship Game

Butler vs Duke

Just in case anyone is watching any of these three games.  Duke has the early two point lead and Butler's PG already in foul trouble.  I know it's cliche and I'm not alone, but I hate Duke.  So go Butler.

Feel free to Ranger-bate as well.  There is always room for Rangerbation.

So I might have gotten in a little over my head.

Continue reading this post »

Don't know if this is worth enough people's time to be a FanPost.  And if it turns out not to be, I am familiar with the delete function as it pertains to worthless FanPosts.  But, there was some good conversation going late in the GDT today about what shows out there are worth watching.  And I am always down to talk good television. 

Continue reading this post »

Jamey's post has gotten me thinking, and combing the internet too.  It's gotten me thinking about the two camps when it comes to the trade deadline as it pertains to your Texas Rangers.  The camp that says, "When you have a shot at the playoffs, you load up as best you can and go after it."  And then the camp that says. "Stick to 'The Plan' and hold your cards.  Don't go chasing 'the missing piece' when this team is a 2010 and beyond team."  I guess I should also include the 3rd camp that says, "It's Jonny Donuts time to step up and shine and fix this awful mess he has THIS THING in and stop worrying about BA rankings and worry about what's going on in THE SHOW.  And if it fails it's because JD is a moron.  But if it succeeds it's because Nolan Ryan identified the guy(s) THIS THING needed.  KRIS DAVIS!  THIS THING! THE SHOW! T.G.H.B.W.O.J '09!!!"

Continue reading this post »

I failed to notice Miles' post was rec'd up because I just assumed it was all CPP posts.  Should have known a Miles post would eventually get rec'd to the top. 

Continue reading this post »

And that means it's officially okay to devote excess time to possible trades. 

And with this team, the trading season will likely be a hot point of contention.  You have a young team with tons of talent on the farm that is competing a year (or even two depending on who you ask) earlier than they were supposed to.

So what do you do?  Who/What do you target?  Who is untouchable?

Warning: What follows is lengthy and a subject I know some like to avoid.  Enter at your own risk.

Continue reading this post »

Hickory trails Kannapolis 3-0 in the 2nd Inning

Font roughed up to start- 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR

5 outs, 4 on strikeouts, so there is a tiny silver lining

Bianucci 0-0 with a BB

Murphy goes for Bakersfield at 9:30

Frisco trails San Antonio 5-0 in the 4th

Ballard just pulled for Garr after this line: 3.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR

Lemon and Whittleman both 2-2 with a single and a double so far

OKC off tonight

Thanks to the great and powerful Shroomer for his calendar

Life without a computer is rougher than I thought.  After a couple of months of saving following my latest computer crash, I finally spent some money and got a Mac with all kinds of goodies.  I've pretty much been limited to keeping up with LSB via the Blackberry (speaking of that Adam, any idea if/when SBN will go mobile with commenting?) and it has sucked not being able to fully participate in all the chest bumping that the Rangers play has induced among the faithful.

All that said, the hacking is getting out of hand.  I've read plenty here regarding the 1st pitch swings, the K's, and the lack of on base skills that the Rangers have demonstrated during this great start.  So, for my first fanpost back from the world of the computerless, I thought I would try taking somewhat of an in-depth look at your 2009 Texas Rangers Hackers.

Continue reading this post »

Tomorrow night some of the big guns are out:

Hickory: Martin Perez

Bakersfield: Michael Main

Frisco: Kasey Kiker

OKC: Neftali Feliz

Tonight Wilfredo Boscan, Tim Murphy, Doug Mathis and Omar Poveda are the headliners:

Hickory (Boscan) vs. Bowling Green 6:00 PM

SAL league scoreboard

Bakersfield (T. Murphy) vs. Modesto 9:00 PM

CAL league scoreboard

Frisco (Poveda) vs. Springfield 7:10 PM

TEX league scoreboard

OKC (Mathis) vs. Memphis 7:00 PM

PCL scoreboard

All credit for the farm probables go to Shroomer as usual.

Shroomer's calendar

And from Zywica's new gig over at DMN:

Oklahoma City: RHP Doug Mathis vs PJ Walters (7:05 start)
Frisco: RHP Omar Poveda vs Kyle Mura (7:10 start)
Bakersfield: LHP Tim Murphy vs Connor Graham (9:05 start)
Hickory: RHP Wilfredo Boscan vs Matt Moore (6:00 start)

The featured matchup here is the Low A South Atlantic League pairing, where Hickory will play its first game as a Rangers affiliate. Boscan looks to follow up on an excellent summer in the Short-Season A level Northwest League, where he put up a very impressive 70 K / 11 BB ratio in 69.1 innings. He and the Crawdads face another Rays up and comer in Moore, a lefty with excellent stuff.

Murphy is the club's 3rd rounder from last summer's draft and had a nice debut, finishing the season in Low A. Poveda faces a pretty impressive Springfield (Cardinals affiliate) lineup that includes fast rising first round pick Brett Wallace. Boscan, Murphy and Poveda were all listed among the Rangers' top 30 prospects (11, 22, 24, respectively) by Baseball America this winter.

We'll have recaps on all of the games in the morning.

Stuart Scott just reported it as breaking news on sportscenter. 

Only link so far: http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/03/espn-reporting-to-released-by-cowboys.html

Titled: ESPN reporting T.O. released by Cowboys

They cite two sources. Should be a busy night here at the blog.

I sure am glad the local fellas were on top of this one.  Should have known when Jerry said the word "roster" umpteen times the last time he was asked about it.  Maybe now Dan Reeves will come back.

ESPN STORY: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3953647

The Dallas Cowboys have released controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens, sources told ESPN's Michael Smith late Wednesday

So, where does T.O. go?

Do the Cowboys draft a young WR now?

RW2 is the #1, Crayton the #2, then a battle royale between Austin, Hurd, Stanback and any newbies for the #3-5 spots. 

From TR Sullivan:

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers have settled all their arbitration cases after reaching an agreement with outfielder Marlon Byrd on Friday.

Byrd agreed to a base salary of $3.06 million. He was asking for $3.6 million in arbitration and the Rangers were offering $2.7 million. Byrd, who made $1.8 million in 2008, is eligible for free agency after the 2009 season.

The Rangers had already reached agreements with pitchers Brandon McCarthy, C.J. Wilson and Frank Francisco. They have not had an arbitration hearing with a player since Lee Stevens in 2000.

Byrd hit .298 with 10 home runs and 53 RBIs for the Rangers in 2008. In 122 games and 403 at-bats, he had 70 runs scored, 28 doubles, a .380 on-base percentage and a .462 slugging percentage.

He enters this season competing for playing time with left fielder David Murphy, center fielder Josh Hamilton and right fielder Nelson Cruz. Byrd is the most versatile of the four, having played 57 games in center, 39 in right and 31 in left in 2008

 

 

Link

Per Jamey:

The Rangers have signed 11-time Gold GLove shortstop Omar Vizquel to a minor league contract, with a non-roster invite to big league camp.

 

TR has it too

Story

Omar Vizquel, who has played more games at shortstop than anybody in Major League history, is officially with the Rangers and coming to camp as a candidate to be their utility infielder.

laxtonto pointed this out, but the DMN blog has it too

And no, the Rangers aren't one of those two teams.

The Story

Some excerpts:

"We achieved our goal last year to rebuild our farm system; it has gone from near the bottom to near the top,'' said A's general manager Billy Beane. "We played well early last season, but we knew we were not good enough to win our division. We had no illusions about that. Now we've addressed a major need, I think we're better. And we insulated our young players, especially our young pitchers. We needed some room for error.''

That would seem to be the key to rebuilding.  Recognizing that you are not a contender and addressing your team and its needs appropriately.  The Rangers have finally committed to it and soon (hopefully) we will see the results of that committment.  But, this also brings up the scariest point for me with regard to the Angels coming back to the pack.  If the Rangers and/or A's are right there with them at the deadline, the temptation will be there to just go for it and make a short term move that would further hinder the long term development of the team.  Hopefully, and I think this has happened, Daniels has learned from a couple of short term moves and would be smart and cautious if the Rangers are in this thing around the deadline.

Things set up nicely for the A's, but Beane is nothing but realistic. He says the Rangers, who finished second in the AL West last year, are a young team on the rise. He knows the Mariners will play better than they did last year. And he knows the Angels are always good.

 

"We've improved,'' Beane said. "But the Angels are the team to beat even though they've had some significant losses. You won't hurt my feelings picking the Angels.''

For some reason, this story and quotes from Beane just get me excited about the coming years.  There is the potential for some incredible baseball between the A's and Rangers to take place in the near future.

And as far as the A's go, they have made a couple of nice off season moves without really hurting themselves.  Giambi, Holliday, Cust, maybe Chavez, maybe Barton with some of their young outfielders and Suzuki behind the plate...that lineup should be vastly improved.  It's definitely fair to say that they have really closed the gap on the Angels and should be in the division race all season.

But maybe, just maybe, the Rangers will be right there to surprise some folks too.  And that is when JD's tenure could be defined. 

Not sure how many are gonna watch this...or be around LSB...or be doing both at the same time.  But I figured why not.

Former farmhand John Danks is going against Nick Blackburn in the Twins/White Sox 1-game playoff.  It's being broadcast on TBS and just started.

I, for one, am cheering for John and against Ozzie.  I am also cheering against Morneau getting any RBI, so Hammy can win that battle outright...it may not mean much, but it means something.

First, let me say that I am a proud alumni of Abilene Christian University.  Second, I am not relaying this news in any attempt to spark any kind of religious or political discussion, because I know how out of hand those can get.  I do understand some will immediately form opinions on the school and perhaps it's religious affiliations based on this story.  My reason for posting this is simply that it is weighing on me and I feel like their are several people involved with this particular public forum who will be struck one way or another by this incident.

The story pretty much boils down to this;  ACU's student body president for this school year is a young man by the name of Daniel Paul Watkins.  Mr. Watkins is an African American student and a vital member of ACU's student body.  From all accounts, and in talking to some acquaintances still on the ACU campus, he is a wonderful young man with strong religious convictions and a heart for others.  That is all the info I can provide on Mr. Watkins as I do not know him at all. 

On Wednesday, a noose was discovered in Mr. Watkins chair in his SA (Student's Association) Office on ACU's campus.  The office has no surveillance and no one saw anyone go into his office.  The incident has gotten wide coverage in the Abilene area and I would assume at some point that it will get some level of state and/or national coverage. 

I'm not sure what to really say about this, other than it is a sad statement in terms of the racial hurdles that we as a society still have to clear.  ACU specifically has an unfortunate past, racially speaking, as the school denied entrance to African American students early in its existence.  The school has been working over the past decade to heal some of the wounds left from its early history and to bring together a campus that has experienced racial division over the years.  Clearly, there is work left to be done.  And this incident would seem to be a microcosm of the work left to be done on a much larger scale.  My thoughts go out to Mr. Watkins, his family, friends, and the number of students who have been hurt by this incident.  I hope that somehow, something positive can come from this and large steps can be taken toward a less divisive society.

Links:

ABC News Coverage

Abilene Reporter News Coverage

University Probes SA Noose Incident

Students Condemn act as hateful

Racial Symbol Exhibits Unacceptable Prejudices

An Outrageous Act

Video Interview with Daniel Paul Watkins

ACU President Dr. Royce Money addresses Incident

BP has a rundown up that is viewable as part of its free preview.  John Perrotto touches on the "rumors and rumblings" for both the AL and the NL.  Of particular interest is this:

The Rangers are expected to be among the top bidders for Brewers left-hander CC Sabathia when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season.

It's thrown in there and not exactly a shock, but the fact that it is already making the rounds among writers is somewhat encouraging.

Here is the link to the story

Well, tyd whined like a little girl, so here is another minors thread.

Diamond is the headliner tonight and he hasn't disappointed thus far, going 3 innings of one hit shutout ball with 4 Ks and no BB.

Ballard goes for OKC against a Salt Lake lineup that went deep 5 times last night.  My prediction....Nelson Cruz one ups the whole Salt Lake team and hits 6 home runs tonight.

Tatusko has been roughed up early for 4 runs in 4 innings and Clinton trails Great Lakes 4-1 in the 5th inning.

Richard Bleier goes for Spokane tonight at 9:00 PM.

And we have a Glenn Swanson sighting in Bakersfield.  Swanson, 25, will make the start for the Blaze.

No Shroomer=No Probables

you happy now tyd?

How the hell do you spell Loosey?  Loosie?  Looseiyey?

No big club tonight and lots of chatter in the last two so let's do it again.

Gordon is through 2 innings for OKC with 3 Ks and 1 run allowed.  OKC leads 3-2 with triples from Arias (no surprise) and Shelton????

Super prospect Jared Hyatt has gotten through 7 innings against Midland yielding only 2 runs and sitting 6 down on strikes.  Frisco leads 3-2.

The AZL Rangers defeated the AZL Mariners 8-4.  De Los Santos struck out 5 in 4 innings, giving up 2 runs.

Fabio Castillo has come in to relieve Kirkman (6 IP, 2 runs) and thrown 2 shutout innings with 3 Ks.  Mitch Moreland has gone deep and Clinton leads 4-2 in the 9th.

And the lefties are headed to the hill for Bakersfield and Spokane.

Martin Perez has already struck out two in his one inning of scoreless ball.

Derek "Dutch" Holland is set to go for the Blaze as they are about to get under way.

Shroomer as usual with the probables...

Looseee?

Kyle O'Campo struck out 4 in 4 innings of work, allowing 2 runs for the AZL Rangers who beat the AZL Cubs 10-4. 

Evan Reed will go for the Blaze at 9:00 and Lizard goes for OKC at 8:00.

Spokane will get under way at 8:30.  Not sure who is pitching that one.

The big guns are out for both Clinton and Frisco.

C-Wun and Clinton are just about to get under way.

Neftali goes at 7:00 for Frisco against Midland.

Edit: Here is the HUH? part.  Feliz was scheduled to start, but Parker is in the box score to start the game.  There is no audio on MILB from either side that I can get to work.  And Shroomer can't make it all better.

Not a bad night for minor league action considering two one of the Rangers top prospects are set to pitch.  I need something to get the taste of today's game out of my mouth.

Thanks to Shroomer as usual for the probables.

Let's look at some stats:

K/9 IP: 27

ERA: 0.00

WHIP: 1.00

How can a guy with numbers like that possibly be overlooked?  The answer; he is a right fielder, not a pitcher.  With Clinton getting blown away 13-3 by Dayton, they called upon Moreland to do some mop up work in the 9th inning.  He promptly struck out the side and yielded just a single to the second batter of the inning.  For good measure, Moreland also went 3-4 with a double at the plate.

Moreland has a background in pitching, but the Rangers drafted him as a power hitting OF/1B and that is exactly what he is becoming.  In fact, Josh Hamilton is not the only member of the Rangers organization to hit 20+ home runs in a derby.  Moreland sent 25 balls out of Red Wilson Field in 2006 as part of the Cape Cod League's Home Run Derby.  Moreland, unlike Hamilton, won the derby he dominated.

The Rangers drafted Moreland out of Mississippi State in the 17th Round of the 2007 amateur draft.  After signing him, they assigned him to the short season Spokane roster.  He put together very modest numbers in 118 plate appearances:

.259/.305/.398, 8 walks, 25 K, 2 HR, 15 RBI

It wasn't the kind of debut that makes heads turn, in either direction, but it was a debut he got out of the way in 2007.  And that is what allowed the Rangers to send him straight to full season ball to start 2008.

Moreland has responded by being the best offensive player for the Clinton Lumberkings.  In a lineup that features more heralded prospects Engel Beltre and Cristian Santana, Moreland has been the star.  His 2008 line has far exceeded what he put together in 2007:

.322/.396/.529, 38 walks, 40 K, 29 2B, 10 HR, 66 RBI

Moreland has put together an almost 1-to-1 walk to strikeout rate while flashing gap power and showing some home run pop.  All of his home runs have come in May and July, and those have been his two big power months all around.  He slugged .559 in May, and has absolutely crushed the ball thus far in July:

.329/.412/.630

That staggering line has come in spite of July being his lowest month in terms of his BABIP.  Another thing that July has seen is Mitch Moreland, the 1st Baseman.  One question about Moreland coming out of MSU was his defensive ability in the OF.  He profiled more as a 1B/DH defensively with his defensive upside being that of an average corner outfielder.  Since Ian Gac's promotion to Bakersfield, Moreland has played virtually all of his innings as a first baseman or DH.  And that is a spot that it is easy to be overshadowed at in this organization.

Chris Davis has already earned a nod as Beasticon, Jr.  Justin Smoak (when he signs) will immediately be one of the Rangers' top prospects.  Max Ramirez was one of the top minor league hitters of '08 before his call up.  JMJ has put together his best minor league season to date.  All 4 of these guys profile as 1B/DH types, with JMJ being a candidate for a corner OF spot as well.  That's a tough list to crack if you're Mitch Moreland.

One positive for Moreland is that there isn't likely to be a lot of playing time at 1B at the stops he figures to make in 2009.  Ian Gac is a level ahead of him now and could be in Bakersfield and/or Frisco next year.  Justin Smoak figures to be a fast riser as well and could be a teammate of Moreland's in Bakersfield to start the season.  The reason this is a plus is it forces Moreland to log lots of innings in RF.  And if, by chance, Moreland can figure out what it takes to be an adequate defensive corner outfielder then he won't be overshadowed for long.

One of the thinner spots in the system is at the corner outfield positions.  Along with 3rd base, right and left field are two spots that a prospect could make big gains at in 2009.  Moreland is in a great spot to do just that.  At 6'2" and 230 pounds, the left handed slugger could instantly become the organization's top corner outfield prospect the second JMJ is out of the picture.

Moreland has made a big stride in 2008 to becoming the offensive player the Rangers hoped they were getting.  His defensive growth will determine exactly where he fits into the Rangers' future.  As a 1st baseman, he is more likely to be traded than to see Arlington for an extended period of time.  But as a right fielder, his future with the Rangers could be much brighter.

If things go well for Moreland and the Rangers, he may be making a cut off throw from the RF corner in Arlington trying to nail a runner at 3rd base in a couple of years.  And you can bet Moreland will have familiarized himself with the guy who would be the potential cut off man.  You see, the Rangers have a recent history with a 17th round pick out of a school the begins with "Miss____."  And, with any luck, Ian Kinsler will cut the throw form his fellow 17th rounder and fire a strike to 3rd to nail the runner.  And as they both get high fives from a former #1 overall pick on the way into the dugout, they will serve as reminders that every pick counts.  Even the overshadowed ones.

Moreland's MILB Page

Moreland's First Inning Page

Recap from Moreland's 2 home run game

Nellie Cruz has gone deep twice (28,29) for OKC

Elvis is 2-2 with 2 RBI and got stolen base #38 for Frisco

Ryan Tatusko went 7 shutout innings for Clinton and K'd 5

Miguel De Los Santos went 3 scoreless for the AZL Rangers and K'd 4

Martin Perez is about to take the hill for Spokane

Dutch goes for Bakersfield in about 30 minutes

I drank too much last night so I'm staying in tonight and the Rangers (thank God) are already done.  So, feel free to talk minors, Erin Andrews, Dark Knight, whatever...I'm posted up for the evening.

Pitching, pitching, pitching.

Whenever you bring up the Texas Rangers, the conversation inevitably leads you to pitching.  And not in the same way a conversation about the Oakland A's or the Atlanta Braves of the past decade does.  While those teams have been rich in pitching, the Rangers have been devoid of it. 

Cue the 2008 minor league system.  Neftali Feliz now headlines a group of youngsters that includes Blake Beavan, Michael Main, Kasey Kiker, Neil Ramirez, Wilmer Font, and Derek Holland...just to name a few.  Jon Daniels and his cohorts have the Rangers busting at the seam with young pitching prospects.  They also have guys like Eric Hurley and Matt Harrison breaking into the big leagues.  And a guy in Tommy Hunter that is attempting to conquer three levels of the minors and make his major league debut all in the same season.

Two things about all this pitching though:

1.) There is no guarantee with any of these young arms.  We all know that, but sometimes have to be reminded of it.

2.) There are two parts to a pitching staff.  You have to have a bullpen.  Rangers fans have been constantly reminded what a poor bullpen can do in 2008.

JD and company know these two things.  It's why they continue to try and load up on pitching.  It's why they will look for more arms should they go into sell mode before the deadline.  It's why they wasted no time getting Warner Madrigal.  It's why they are committed to finding out exactly what CJ Wilson is or isn't.  It's why Andrew Cashner's name was flying around Arlington before Justin Smoak slid to the Rangers.  It's also why they tabbed Andrew Laughter in the 10th round of the 2007 draft.

Laughter was a reliever in college at Louisiana-Lafayette and has become a fast riser in the Rangers' system.  He made 26 appearances (31 IP) for Spokane in 2007 after being drafted.  He had a 2.03 ERA, struck out 32, walked only 4, and didn't get taken deep at all.  The Rangers decided to let him skip Clinton ad he debuted at Bakersfield in 2008.

He quickly proved that Bakersfield was not the place for him.  He appeared in 10 games spanning 16.1 innings.  His ERA??  0.00!  He struck out 9 and walked just 2, and kept everything in the yard yet again.  The Rangers quickly promoted him to Frisco to attempt to challenge the 23 year old right hander.

Laughter has appeared in 17 games for Frisco, working 26 innings.  He is currently sporting a 3.46 ERA with a K/BB ratio of 22/11.  He was finally taken deep, and has yielded 2 long balls since his promotion.  He has improved his K rate over his time in Bakersfield, but has allowed more free passes than in his previous two stops.  And then, there is the date June 13. 

On that day, Laughter worked two-thirds of an inning in a game the Riders eventually won 8-7.  That day, Laughter allowed 5 earned runs.  That is exactly half of the earned runs he has allowed for all of 2008.  If you take the liberty (which I did) of removing this abnormal day from Laughter's Frisco stat line, you come up with this:

25.1 IP, 5 ER, 1.78 ERA

That (still not counting his June 13 outing) gives him a combined (Bakersfield and Frisco) season line of:

41.2 IP, 5 ER, 1.10 ERA

For what it's worth, he still sports a season ERA of 2.13 even with the awful June 13 outing.  The simple fact is the guy is making it awfully hard to score when he is on the mound.  That is exactly what the Rangers will need out of their pen should they ever hope to truly contend.  They need guys who can come into a game and make it difficult to score.  Laughter is probably too young to pigeon hole him as a setup guy, short relief arm, or middle innings guy.  He has, however, shown the ability to work multiple innings and be successful doing so.

Laughter was the subject of one of Jamey's "In Their Footsteps" pieces.  Jamey compared Laughter to former Ranger great (and current DFW Airport Officer, I believe) Tim Crabtree.  He noted that Andrew works with a nice sinker/slider combo with solid control and great groundball rates.  Jamey also said Laughter is a guy who could see Arlington as early as 2009.

The 2007 draft class was headlined by three high ceiling high school arms.  Blake Beavan, Michael Main, and Neil Ramirez could one day form a formidable top three in the Rangers' rotation.  They are the young pups, though.  Laughter joins Jared Hyatt and Tommy Hunter (both at AAA) as fellow 2007 draftees who have already left class A ball in the rear view mirror.  If Laughter can continue his success out of the pen, he could be a key piece of a contending Rangers team in the near future.  The Rangers are dealing with the problems that a struggling bullpen present for a team.  With any luck, Andrew Laughter will be part of the solution.

Andrew Laughter's MILB Page

Andrew Laughter's First Inning Page

Jamey's "In Their Footsteps" Piece on Andrew Laughter

Last July, the Rangers netted quite a package from the Braves in exchange for Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay.  By some accounts, they swiped 4 of the Braves top 5 prospects.

Today, Neftali Feliz and Elvis Andrus are doing well for themselves at AA Frisco at the ages of 20 and 19, respectively.  Feliz has catapulted up prospect rankings all over the place and is consistently being mentioned among the top pitching prospects in all of baseball.  Andrus is still regarded as a major league ready SS defensively.  He has started hitting the ball a little more and is still displaying his tremendous speed and base running ability with his 34 steals.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Matt Harrison are currently playing for the Texas Rangers.  Salty has definitely struggled this year, but is still considered a young player with a bright future whether that is as a Texas Ranger or somewhere else via a trade.  Regardless, Salty still has plenty of value for the Rangers as a catcher of the future or big time trade chip.  Matt Harrison has progressed through AA and AAA and made two major league starts, with mixed results.  At 22, he is a key piece to the Rangers future.

Those four guys were the talk of the town following that trade.  They were the pieces the Rangers went after hard.  Then, there is that 5th guy the Rangers got from the Braves.  The guy who was the brief holdup in the final hours of the proposed deal.  The Rangers insisted on getting a 5th player, and worked hard to get a 21 year old lefty pitching in A-ball for the Braves.  The Rangers worked hard to get Beau Jones.

Jones pitched in 7 games for the Clinton Lumberkings following the deal.  In 26.2 IP, he posted a 2.70 ERA and a 29/12 K/BB ratio.  The Rangers spent the next few months tinkering with whether Jones was a starter or a reliever.  In the end, they assigned him to High-A Bakersfield and ticketed him for the rotation.  Jones responded with some rough numbers.

As a starting pitcher in 2008, Jones went 1-3 in 4 starts.  He posted a 5.30 ERA over 18.2 IP.  He posted a 16/9 K/BB ratio and allowed opposing batters to hit .286.

Then, the Rangers decided Jones may be a relief pitcher after all.  And apparently, Jones may agree.  Since being moved to the pen, Jones has pitched very well.  In 11 games, he has worked 21.1 innings.  Over that span, he has posted a 1.27 ERA, a 26/7 K/BB ratio and has given up just 15 hits.  For the entire month of June, Jones pitched 14.1 innings and had staggering numbers.  He threw up a 0.63 ERA and a 15/2 K/BB ratio.

He started July by giving up a run in each of his first two appearances, spanning 2.1 innings.  However, he has responded by going 4.1 innings over his other 2 July outings without giving up a run and striking out 7.

Jones is said to work in the low to mid 90s with his fastball and has a fast improving changeup as evidenced by his numbers against right handed hitters this year.  Jones could very well see Frisco in short order, which would put 3 of the prospects from the Teixeira trade at Frisco with the other two suiting up in Arlington.  And suiting up in Arlington has suddenly become a much more likely proposition for "the other guy" from the Mark Teixeira trade.

When MJH was counting down the prospects before the season began, he said the following about Beau Jones:

As often as not, some relatively anonymous name from the low minors gets tagged on to a bigger trade.   At the time, they don't seem to be terribly significant.  Years later, however, the once anonymous name might turn into Aaron Harang or Edwin Encarnacion (both of whom previous Rangers regimes tacked on to the back end of bigger deals).   

A few years from now, any mention of the name Beau Jones, who was a last-minute addition to the Mark Teixeira deal, might very well  haunt Braves fans the way that any mention of  the name Aaron Harang contines to make me verklempt.

Well, Beau is looking more and more like a guy who could make a lot of Braves fans "verklempt" down the road.  Not to mention a potential big time lefty out of the Rangers' pen for a long time.  Not bad for a throw-in.

Beau's Minor League Baseball Page

Beau's First Inning Page

MJH's Prospect Preview on Beau Jones

There has been some good conversation about possible young starting pitchers to target.  With the well documented struggles of the Rangers' bullpen, relief pitching is something to look at as well.  Daniel Bard was the only real relief prospect from the previous post, with Sean Marshall possibly falling into that category down the road as well.  Most people feel like signing free agent bullpen arms to high dollar and/or long term contracts is a very dicey proposition and I would agree with that.  Most contending teams are always looking to improve their pens at the deadline, which can inflate the reliever market, but there are some guys the Rangers could/should inquire on.

Recently DFA'd: Kiko Calero 33-yr old RHP A's, Denny Bautista 27-yr old RHP Tigers

Calero has been struggling with a shoulder injury and logged only 4.2 innings for the A's this year.  He has sported decent walk rates throughout his career and logged 174 innings from 2005-2007. 

Bautista is a hard thrower, but his K rate is down, his walk rate is up, and his GB rate is down.  He probably isn't a more viable option than anything the Rangers already have in house.

Update: Bautista has been traded to the Pirates   Hat tip to Firebat

Shawn Chacon 30-yr old RHP, Houston Astros

Chacon had a nice start in the rotation for the Astros this year, but has regressed over his last few starts.  He was recently bumped from the rotation to the pen, and does not appear to be happy about it.  He has had success in the pen before, as Colorado's closer, and as Pittsburgh's 8th inning guy last year.  Not sure you want to go after a guy who doesn't want to be in the pen though.

Update: Shawn Chacon choke slammed Ed Wade

Ramon Ramirez 26-yr old RHP, KC Royals

Ramirez has put together a very nice season with a nice walk rate to go with a solid K rate and GB rate.  The Royals could hang onto him or look to move him when Leo Nunez comes off the DL.  He would require a decent return, but is a young arm who has shown the willingness and ability to go after hitter.

Jon Rauch 29-yr old RHP, Washington Nationals

We saw first hand how bad the Nationals bullpen is, but Rauch has been the exception.  His walk rate is exceptional and he is an intimidating presence on the mound at 6'11".  Should the Nationals shop him (which many people think they will) he will be one of the more sought after arms on the market.  That may keep the Rangers from getting too involved, given the propensity to overpay for relievers at the deadline.  But, he is definitely someone who would fit the bill as a solid reliever who doesn't walk people.

Aaron Heilman 29-yr old RHP, NY Mets

There have been some indications that Heilman will hit the market.  Some teams may see him as a guy who could be switched back to starting while some would keep him in the pen.  He is struggling this year, but has been solid over the course of his career.  The Mets have other bullpen arms they could shop (Feliciano, Sanchez, Schoeneweis) but Heilman is the guy most people expect to be moved.  The Mets outfield is a joke right now outside of Beltran and they are getting very little from Delgado at 1B.  Heilman could be in fairly high demand, but is a guy the Rangers supposedly asked for as part of a package for Padilla this past winter.

Matt Capps 24-yr old RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Capps is in the middle of his 3rd straight very nice season for the Pirates.  Of course, the Pirates have no real need to shop him and they could ask for a significant return.  But, the guy has posted exceptional walk rates his entire professional career and could be a highly sought after arm as he approaches arbitration and then free agency given the Pirates MO of moving those type of guys.  Capps would be a phenomenal addition to the pen, but a difficult guy to get, and a guy the Pirates may not be ready to talk about just yet.

Heath Bell 30-yr old RHP, San Diego Padres

Bell's name has come up in conversations around here a few times over the past year.  He has turned into a nice bullpen arm for the Padres and they may decide they would like to hang on to him to take over for Hoffman.  If he does hit the market, he could garner some interest from some contending teams looking to improve their pen and be pushed right out of the market the Rangers are willing to operate in.

Cla Meredith 25-yr old RHP, San Diego Padres

Meredith has seen most of his numbers go in the wrong direction since bursting onto the scene as a 23 year old in 2006.  He is still young and his walk rate is still nice, though it has jumped each of the last 2 years.  If Bell is priced out of the Rangers' market, Meredith could be a very nice fall back option if the Padres go into firesale mode as some expect them to do.

Manny Corpas 25-yr old RHP, Colorado Rockies

Corpas came up in 2006 as a well thought of relief prospect and posted a solid 2006 and a very good 2007.  2008 has not bee kind to Corpas and he is currently sporting a 6.25 ERA.  His K rate is down and his walk rate is up.  He is getting hit a higher clip as well.  The Rockies are having a bad year, but are in an awful division and have last year's run fresh in their minds which may keep them from selling off a guy like Corpas.  But, rumors are flying about Brian Fuentes, Matt Holliday, Garret Atkins, and others, so they are at least a team willing to listen.

James Brent Cox 24-yr old RHP, Scranton Yankees (NYY AAA affiliate)

The former Longhorn pitcher has recovered after missing 2007 and been through High-A, AA, and is now pitching very well at AAA.  Now that Joba has moved to the rotation, the Yankees may just be waiting to promote Cox.  But, the Yankees have a lot of young arms behind him, Mariano pitching brilliantly ahead of him, and may view him as a guy who could help bring back a piece that could push them past TB and Boston.  If the Yankees make a run at Millwood, Padilla, or anyone else the Rangers have, Cox should be a part of the deal.

Some Hot Names on the Market: Brian Fuentes 32-yr old LHP, Damaso Marte 33-yr old LHP

These 2 guys will probably be traded (if they are in fact dealt) for more than they would be worth to the Rangers.

Key Free Agents after this Season: Damaso Marte, Brandon Lyon, Al Reyes, Francisco Rodriguez, Kerry Wood

This was a little more obscure as compared to the Starting Pitching Targets, but I gave it a shot.  Same drill; Any interesting names? What is a fair deal for them?  Who did I leave out?

Suggested Targets:

Chad Bradford 33-yr old RHP Baltimore Orioles

Bradford is a familiar face from his days with the A's.  He has put up good numbers most everywhere he has been.  He is a key part of the O's pen and they are still kind of hanging around.  I couldn't find the article (didn't look that hard) from Ken Rosenthal saying he would be available but it makes sense.  If you are looking for consistency:

Bradford's GB rate in 2006- 65%  GB rate in 2007-65%  GB rate in 2008-65%

His walk rate in 2006- 5.2%  BB rate in 2007- 5.5%  BB rate in 2008- 5.6%

Juan Cruz 29-yr old RHP Arizona Diamondbacks

The D'backs may have to do something to get the offense going and Cruz could be a chip they use to try and do that.  They have a nice collection of bullpen arms and have an OF that has been awful offensively.  However, Cruz's walk rate has been awful.  He is getting by because of a 35.3% K rate and a .255 BABIP against.  He has good stuff, strikeout stuff, but his walk rates could mean more of the same as far as the Rangers' bullpen goes.

Vinnie Chulk 29-yr old RHP DFA'd by SF Giants

Clark just pointed this out in the Tejeda thread, but the Giants just DFA'd Chulk.  Chulk has had an ok season but has been scored on of late.  He is by no means a strikeout pitcher and relies on not walking people and allowing his defense to make plays behind him.  His flyball tendencies may be a bit of a red flag at RBPIA, especially given the fact that he doesn't K many people.  He would also require a roster move if he is acquired via trade or a waiver claim.  The fact that he exhibits good control is a plus, but he may not represent enough of an upgrade over any in house options to justify a place on the 40 man.

This off season, the Rangers could target guys like Sabathia, Sheets, Penny, Burnett, and a handful of others.  But, in today's market, the young controllable arm is perhaps the most valuable commodity.  So, these are some pitchers that fall into that category along with why they could hit the market, the needs of their current teams, and whether the Rangers could match up with them.  Some of these pitcher's names have already popped up in the rumor mills, and some have not.

Zack Greinke 24-yr old RHP, Kansas City Royals

Greinke could hit the market if Kansas City determines they can't lock him up like they did with Joakim Soria.  Greinke's name has popped up in a few reports with speculation the Royals may shop him.  Greinke would command a significant return as a guy who has already proven his skill at the major league level. 

The Royals could use help across the board, with 3B being the only position filled long term (Alex Gordon).  They would still have some promising young pitching (Soria, Hochevar, Davies, Rosa, Ramirez, Nunez, Bannister) at the major league level along with having Gil Meche still under contract.  They could definitely target some of the Rangers hard hitting position prospects and there is a match here as Texas needs advanced arms and KC could use some advanced positional guys while they wait on Moustakas and Hosmer.

Homer Bailey 22-yr old RHP, CIncinnati Reds

Bailey has been passed by Volquez and Cueto already.  Daryl Thompson looked good in his ML debut while Bailey sits in AAA following a dismal 3 game stretch at the major league level.  This would be a sell low move on the Reds part, but they could still get a nice return for him if they opted to deal him.

Walt Jocketty recently declared Edwin Encarnacion, Joey Votto, and Jay Bruce untouchable (along with Volquez and Cueto).  So, that means the Reds are set at 1B, 3B, and one of the OF spots.  They also have Brandon Phillips locked up at 2B.  Dunn and Griffey could both be gone in 2009, so the Reds could use an outfielder.  They could also use a young SS and definitely a nice catcher.  The Rangers could match up here with their surplus of catchers, some nice fringe OF pieces, and a guy in Joaquin Arias who has been passed by Andrus as the SS of the future for Texas.

The Tampa Bay Kids: Jeff Niemann 25-yr old RHP, Wade Davis 22-yr old RHP, Jacob McGee 21-yr old LHP, Jeremy Hellickson 21-yr old RHP

These 4 guys are all part of an organization that seemingly has 4 spots in the rotation locked down for the forseeable future with Scott Kazmir, David Price, James Shields, and Matt Garza.  The Rays don't have to move any of these guys, but they could use any one of them to improve their lineup.

If the Rays decide to make a push this year, they could use a RF/DH to insert into the middle of their lineup.  They could also use an extra arm in the pen.  The Rangers could match up here with Milton Bradley and have some veteran bullpen arms and young arms they could throw in to get a deal done.

The Boston Kids: Clay Bucholz 23-yr old RHP, Michael Bowden 21-yr old RHP, Justin Masterson 23-yr old RHP, Daniel Bard 23-yr old (in 3 days) RHP

The Red Sox have 3 real concerns right now; Colon and Schilling are on the DL, David Ortiz is on the DL, they could use a young catcher.  If they determine they need a bat to replace Ortiz while he is hurt, a veteran arm for the rotation, or a young catcher they could get it done with some of their young arms.  Masterson is performing nicely in the rotation so he may not be available, and Bucholz has such a high ceiling that he may not be available.

The Rangers could match up with the Sox on all 3 of their needs.  They have the solid bat for the DH spot in Bradley, they have the veteran pitching in Padilla and Millwood, and they have the catching with Laird, Salty, Teagarden, and Max.  Bard is a relief prospect, and the other three are likely ML-starting pitchers.

The Cubs Lefties: Rich Hill 28-yr old LHP, Sean Marshall 25-yr old LHP, Donald Veal 23-yr old LHP

The Cubs are in a sticky situation.  They have the best record in baseball but just lost their ace (Carlos Zambrano).  Hill has had a disappointing year after being penciled in as the Cubs #2 starter to start the season.  His value his way down right now.  Marshall has always performed ok, but never really gotten the time which says a lot in itself.  Veal is at AA and performing well.  All three could be used to improve the team, with Marshall likely being the easiest target for another team.

While Zambrano may return, the Cubs could be forced to go after a veteran arm if he can't get back.  They could also use another outfielder with Soriano out for a while.  The Rangers could match up here with Padilla and Millwood and also in the outfield with Boggs, Byrd, and even Cat.  Any deal for Millwood or Padilla would have to include more on the Cubs end for sure.

The Pirates (not AJ Murray): Zach Duke 25-yr old LHP, Tom Gorzelanny 25-yr old LHP, Paul Maholm 25-yr old LHP, Ian Snell 26-yr old RHP

The Pirates are always candidates to deal anyone on their roster.  All 4 of these guys have been up and down in their careers.  Duke is the only one putting up a decent season this year and has been on the Rangers' radar before. 

The Pirates could use anything you can give them.  As long as it is young and affordable.  The Rangers could match up in any number of positions with the Pirates and deal from one of their surpluses to get one of these arms.

So, any interesting names there?  What kind of deals seem fair?  Any other names worth looking into?

Someone Suggested a breakdown of the possible All Star roster to see how many Rangers could conceivably make it.  I'm going off the number of players at each position in 2007 to try and determine the roster and taking into account each team needing a rep.

Starters: (as of June 2)

C- Jason Varitek, 1B- Kevin Youkilis, 2B-  Dustin Pedroia, 3B- Alex Rodriguez, SS- Derek Jeter, OF- Manny Ramirez, OF- Josh Hamilton, OF- Ichiro, DH- David Ortiz

-In 2007 there were 2 backup Catchers.  2008 outlook:

Varitek has about an 80,000 vote lead on Joe Mauer.  Mauer will make the team no matter what as he is head and shoulders above the rest statistically.   The Rays deserve All Stars, and Dioner Navarro has been hitting.  He gets in over some weak competition.

-In 2007 there was one backup 1B.  2008 outlook:

Youkilis has a death grip on the starting 1B spot.  Right now, the battle for the backup spot is between Casey Kotchman and Justin Morneau.  Morneau's power numbers are sexier than Kotchman's BA which is 16 points higher, so I will give Morneau the nod.

-In 2007 there was one backup 2B.  2008 outlook:

Pedroia looks like he will be the starter with a 200,000+ vote cushion.  Jose Lopez is the only guy not named Ian Kinsler with a shot at the backup spot.  Kinsler is statistically better across the board offensively and the M's look like a one rep team.  With Ichiro likely to be voted in, Kinsler gets the backup spot.

-In 2007 there was one backup 3B.  2008 outlook:

A Rod will start if he is healthy.  The backup spot should come down to Joe Crede and Mike Lowell.  If it were today, Crede should get the nod based on better stats across the board.

-In 2007 there were two backup SS.  2008 outlook:

Derek Jeter has a gajillion vote lead and will start the game.  Michael Young is the only guy with a resume worthy of the All Star game at the SS position.  Managers tend to look for an extra MIFer and the next best thing is one of Yuniesky Betancourt who has a decent BA but horrbible OBP, Jhonny Peralta who has nice power numbers but a horrible BA, and Bobby Crosby who doesn't impress with a .265/.326/.387 line but leads all AL SS in RBI.  The M's can't get more than one rep and Peralta is hitting in the .230s.  It's ugly, but the A's need a rep and Crosby's RBI get him in.

-In 2007 there 5 backup OFers (8 total).  2008 outlook:

This could get dicey.  Manny Ramirez will start the game and deserves to be there.  Josh Hamilton will make it, whether he starts or not remains to be seen.  There are 2 guys who could steal spots based on votes; Ichiro and Vlad.  Gut instinct says there is no way Ichiro doesn't start based solely on the Japanese vote.  However, there are only 48,000 votes separating Vlad, Ichiro, and Hamilton.  I will say Manny, Ichiro and Josh do in fact start the game, leaving Vlad out.  Carlos Quentin and Magglio Ordonez are locks.  BJ Upton gets in on his strong all around numbers and on TBs success story.  Hideki Matsui gets in on his strong numbers.  Finally, you can't ignore the guy who lead the AL in BA, OBP, and SLG% and Milton Bradley gets in.

-In 2007 there were 11 pitchers (7 SP, 4 RP).  2008 outlook:

Cliff Lee, Matsuzaka, Joe Saunders, Roy Halladay are in as SP.  Francisco Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Joe Nathan are in as RP.  Kansas City needs a rep, so Joakim Soria gets in with a great ERA and 12 saves so far.  George Sherrill will make it on his strong save numbers and as Baltimore's only rep.  Ervin Santana gets in with strong win and strikeout totals and an ERA around 3.00.  Scott Kazmir gets in as the last pitcher with a strong stretch even though he missed some time early b.c. he has unreal numbers and TB deserves another representative.

-In 2007 Hideki Okajima won the final player vote.  2008 outlook:

Jonathan Papelbon, Johnny Damon, Casey Kotchman, Jose Contreras, Mike Mussina, Josh Beckett, JD Drew

Baltimore: George Sherrill

Boston: Varitek, Youkilis, Pedroia, Manny, Matsuzaka

Chicago: Crede, Quentin

Cleveland: Cliff Lee

Detroit: Magglio Ordonez

KC: Joakim Soria

LA: Joe Saunders, Francisco Rodriguez, Ervin Santana

Minnesota: Joe Nathan, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau

NY: A Rod, Jeter, RIvera, Hideki Matsui

Oakland: Bobby Crosby

Seattle: Ichiro

TB: BJ Upton, Kazmir, Dioner Navarro

Toronto: Roy Halladay

Texas: Kinsler, Young, Hamilton, Milton Bradley

So, where am I way off base?  Anybody I just flat out missed on?  What do you think?

On May 13, Michael Young went 0-3 with a walk against Seattle.  After that game, this was his line for the season:
.286/.358/.409 which equates to an OPS of .767

Since then, he has gone on a 13 game hit streak which he continued last night with a 1-5 performance.  After last night's game, this is his line for the season:
.279/.340/.406 which equates to an OPS of .746

So in his 13 game hit streak, his BA has dropped 7 points, his OBP has dropped 18 points, his slugging has dropped 3 points which for all you math majors out there means his OPS has dropped 21 points.

During the streak he has had 4 two hit games and 9 one hit games.  For the 13 games, he is 17 out of 65 which equates to a BA of .262

He has drawn 3 walks which gives him an OBP of .294 for the streak.

He has 3 doubles, 2 Home Runs and 12 singles.  That gives him 26 TB during the streak.  That gives him a SLG% of .400 for the streak.

So he has a .262/.294/.400 line during his current 13 game hit streak.


Not ground breaking stuff...just interesting that some may look at a 13 game hit streak and say Michael Young is hot right now.  But clearly, he is one of the coldest hot hitters going right now.  It's also a great example of how crazy baseball stats can be.