TR has an article up about some of the Rangers offseason plans. 

 

Says Vizquel could be resigned in the next couple weeks. I don't think you could find a better fit for the utility spot.

 

Byrd wants to test the market. Say all the right things, offer him arb, and express deep regret when he signs elsewhere.

 

Rangers looking for a RH middle of the order bat. Mentions Dye, Vlad, Sheffield, Glaus and Tatis. Note to the old school brother: you have a RH middle of the order masher on the roster, quit batting him 7th.

 

Ownership situation probably won't be resolved in time to affect the offseason plans. Of course... whenever it appears that Ranger fans have a reason for optimism, ahh shit, nevermind.

 

Servais is working with Salty and monitoring his rehab. Club is evaluating his status while considering bringing back Pudge. Have a feeling that catcher production is going to suck again next year.

Blalock and Andruw ain't coming back. The Hefty Lefty is expected to retire.

 

Apparently CJ to the rotation is at least a consideration. Hopefully just to appease him, dude doesn't have a starter's arsenal or mindset.

 

Lots of good stuff there. I'm hoping to see a big trade and some smaller ones because I don't see anything on the FA bargain bin that would improve the team enough to really be a strong contender going into the season.

 

And an OT note that I heard on the Ticket at lunch today, did anybody hear Teixeira's comments after the game? He said that he's been faithful and that God rewarded him by leading him to the Yankees. Go have a white wine spritzer with Bitch Tits and shut up, you doucheface.

Only two games slated for tonight.

 

Crawdads deadlocked at 1-1 going to extra innings. Carlos Pimental is quietly going about his business and putting together a nice season. Tonight he goes 5.1 ip allowing 6 hits, 1 run, 1 bb, and 4 k. David Paisano is hitting like he's never hit before, which is to say he's hitting a little. Tonight he goes 2-3 with an extra base hit(!) and a walk(!). BA ranks him as the best defensive OF in the system, which is pretty strong praise considering Beltre and Borbon have both been profiled as above average.

 

And the stopdown prospect in the system, Big Cheese Feliz, takes the ball against Reno. Through 2 innings so far, with 2 hits and no runs or walks allowed. 3 k. Radio feed available here.

 

As always, thanks to Shroom and his magical calendar.

I'm not real good with prose, so I'll just scattershoot the parts of the session that I remember...

JD started by remarking that the Q&A event w/ the Newberg crowd is one of his favorite days of the year. Nice touch and good way to warm the crowd.

My favorite anecdote was when JD answered my question about the reaction in the draft room when Houston made their draft pick, which sealed the fact that Smoak was going to fall to the Rangers. He remarked that within the industry it is generally pretty well known what each team is going to do going into the draft, so once the first few picks played out, it started to become obvious to them that they would be able to land Smoak. Then he told a story about how the 2006 draft unfolded in the Rangers draft HQ. He said that going into that draft, the one team that was unclear on their intentions was SF. The Rangers had eyes for Tiny Tim Lincecum, and if he had made it past SF, then the braintrust was confident that he would be a Ranger. JD said that Lincecum's five digit draft number was something like 00605, and when the Giants announced their pick, they started by saying "six" and JD admitted that he was feeling elated, not realizing that the first two zeros are commonly ommitted.

He said that the evaluation of Galaragga was flawed, but he does not think that the Rangers evaluation process is flawed. I understood his answer to mean that he believes the team had a poor evaluation of an individual pitcher, but that it was an isolated incident. This was also my question.

Hambone extension talks have been tabled for the time being.

When Grant Schiller asked what he would guess the rotation would be in 2010, using only current members of the system. JD asked him what he thought and he said Feliz, Hurley, Hunter, Harrison, and Kiker. JD responded that those sounded good to him then remarked that some young pitchers currently in the bigs could also hold their roto spots.

Remarked that he is hopeful CJ grows into the closer role, and he said he knows that fans have been getting uneasy when the Ceej enters a game and remarked, "if you are getting uneasy when he is coming into the game, just try and imagine how I am feeling". Got a roomfull of laughs there.

When asked what advice he would give to others that could be used in coaching, leadership, business, or life in general he said, "Be brutally honest".

Said that Jon Hart is around a few times a year and admitted that he solicits opinions from him at certain times. Remarked that even though Hart had a rough go in Texas with media, fans, and on-field results, but he still has a wealth of knowledge that JD like to tap into at times.

From Will Carroll...

Said that JD is one of the GMs that he most respects in the game, but said that he has "grave concern" about the hiring of Colburn as bullpen coach. Carroll has a very low opinion of that guy.

Regarding Brandon McCarthy (my question), Carroll said that he doesn't expect him to recover. Said something about a chain of injuries from fingertips to forearm to elbow to shoulder that is rarely ever recovered from. Said some guys just aren't cut out for the act of pitching in the bigs and every time one part of the body is strengthened, another weak link in the chain brakes. He sounded very discouraging about any expectations of McCarthy lasting any length of time in a major league rotation.

He also mentioned that he has serious concerns about Clayton Kershaw's mechanics. (Gasp...the cornerstone of my keeper team!)

He has known Tommy Hunter since he was 15 years old and has always been high on him. Says he thought Hunter would end up a closer, but now thinks he may have been selling him short. He says CJ is no closer, he's a LOOGY.

Believes that if Teagarden stays healthy and hits .260 that he will be the most valuable of that group of four.

Joe Sheehan said...

When asked what pitcher would be the best FA target for the Rangers in the next few years - he said King Felix.

He also said that he thinks the talent on hand could easily lead to a run of 3 divisional titles in a 5 year time frame, beginning in 2010 with Feliz heading the rotation. Also cautioned against expecting Feliz to pitch in the big leagues before then. I guess he is saying that Feliz could top a rotation from the moment he gets called up.

Anyway, the event was great - big props to Newberg for another quality program.

 

 

 

Ballard had a really nice looking line today for Frisco. 6 ip, 2er, 5 hits, 1 bb, and 6 k. I remember he had a real nice first start last year as well.

Teagarden had a blast and 2 walks (and a stolen base!), Max also went deep.

Evan Reed is currently cruising. 5 ip, 3 hits, 1 bb, and 6 ks. Zeros on the scoreboard. Cristian Santana with a couple hits and an rbi as DH.

Feliz starts the nightcap for Clinton.

OKC lineup is posted and I can't for the life of me figure out why my man Boggs is buried in the 8th spot while Ellison is hitting leadoff (and playing CF) and Arias is hitting 6th. Watch out for double B tonight.

 

 

 

Right-hander Michael Main, one of the Rangers' two first-round draft picks last summer, has a stress fracture in his rib cage. Main is not expected to pitch before late May.
                                                                                                       http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/

At least it is not the elbow or shoulder.

Cool new feature on fangraphs.com shows the pitch selection and average velocity for each ML pitcher. I haven't seen this available for free elsewhere, and it is pretty interesting.

A few examples:

Kason Gabbard
48.7% fastballs at average velocity of 86.4 mph
29% curves at 76 mph
22.3% change at 79.6 mph

Brandon McCarthy
66% fastballs at 88.9
16.5% curves at 75.6
17.6% change at 76.6

Vinny Padilla
73% fastballs at 91.9
5.6% sliders at 83.1
14.6% curves at 70.4
6.6% changes at 79.4

Joaquin Benoit
58.6% fastballs at 92.6
19.7% sliders at 86.1
20.7% changes at 83

CJ Wilson
76.7% fastballs at 92.4
11.7% sliders at 84.4
3.5% curves at 77.2
8.1% change at 82.6

http://tinyurl.com/yqseu8

This quote seems right on the money regarding the Rangers future:

The Rangers expect to continue their rebuilding process in 2008, field a competitive team by 2009 and make a serious playoff run in 2010. In addition to the foundation in the farm system, Texas has whom it regards as a few core players to build around at the big league level, including outfielder Josh Hamilton (brought over in an offseason trade with the Reds for righthander Edinson Volquez), second baseman Ian Kinsler, righthander Brandon McCarthy, Saltalamacchia and shortstop Michael Young.

Projected 2011 lineup seems a bit puzzling in several ways, including that Davis' scouting report is pretty clear that he will wind up at 1B, and Kinsler at DH while Young is at 2B seems ridiculous.

Catcher Taylor Teagarden
First Base Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Second Base Michael Young
Third Base Chris Davis
Shortstop Elvis Andrus
Left Field Engel Beltre
Center Field Julio Borbon
Right Field Josh Hamilton
Designated Hitter Ian Kinsler
No. 1 Starter Eric Hurley
No. 2 Starter Neftali Feliz
No. 3 Starter Michael Main
No. 4 Starter Blake Beavan
No. 5 Starter Brandon McCarthy
Closer Kasey Kiker

The scouting report on #5 prospect Feliz is tantalizing:

Background: Feliz could wind up as the crown jewel of the Mark Teixeira haul. Rather than blowing hitters away with his fastball after the trade, he focused on developing his secondary stuff and still struck out 27 in just 15 innings.

Strengths: With some time to refine his command, Feliz's fastball could rate as an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale. With a smooth, effortless arm action, he pumps heaters that sit at 94-97 mph and touch 99, exploding on hitters. He is athletic and a hard worker.

Weaknesses: Feliz flashes a promising three-quarters breaking ball in the high 70s, but it's inconsistent. One day he'll show a plus curve with very good depth, and the next day he'll drop his arm, causing the pitch to flatten out and spin but not bite. He tends to throw his changeup too hard, right into hitters' bat speeds, but he has some feel for the pitch and made progress with it in instructional league. He shows good control but not command.

The Future: Feliz has a chance to open 2008 as a 19-year-old at low Class A Clinton, but he's still a long way from the majors. If it all comes together for him, he has the potential to be a true No. 1 starter, though some scouts see him as a flame-throwing closer down the road.

Chat with Aaron Fitt today at 1 pm:
http://tinyurl.com/25ux5y

Getting married in May and wondering if anybody has recommendations for a good Mexican beach for a honeymoon destination. We would prefer quaint over touristy, small cantinas over happening nightclubs, local street markets over Gucci outlets, strolling cobblestone streets and dining at family owned eateries over spa treatments and buffet lines, etc. She's not really the adventurous sort, so Scuba diving, jungle treks, and sport fishing excursions won't be on the agenda. Affordability is also a key concern. I guess we would prefer to spend most of our time (4-5 days) relaxing beachside, some shopping and a jeep tour or something like that, maybe couple of nights out checking out the local scene, and plenty of time in a comfortable, but not pretentious, cabana.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

I've seen numerous projected lineups suggesting a Broussard/Shelton platoon. Also have seen several suggestions that maybe we will only keep one, and if so, it should be Broussard.

Well, I think if it were me, that I'd keep just Shelton. Why? Keeping both would seem to be the end of both Botts and Cruz, plus Shelton is younger, under control longer, and most importantly -- he is better than Broussard vs. both LH and RH pitching.

career
Shelton -- 281/348/477 -- 115 OPS+
Broussard 267/328/458 -- 107 OPS+

vs. RHP
Shelton -- 286/342/498
Broussard 275/336/470

vs. LHP
Shelton -- 269/363/420
Broussard 227/290/399

Of course, Broussard is a pretty sweet musician, so he has that going for him. Check it out, I dig it:

http://tinyurl.com/2e4vqg

Remember, catchers always have more value than what you would think! Look at what AJ Pierzynalskdjki got! Don't forget the Einar Diaz trades! Who cares about hitting statistics, he's a catcher - and catcher's have value!

I guess teams are still putting the prospect laden packages together and JD is engineering a behind the scenes bidding war.

Or perhaps there just isn't much demand for an affordable bunt-and-throw-and-stab guy and we are stuck with him as backup catcher and malcontent next year?

Vote in the poll =>

Poll

What happens to Gerald Laird?

44%

He's the Rangers backup next year and bitches all season long that he never got a fair shot here in Texas.

30 votes

10%

He starts for the Rangers and bats cleanup because Worsh doesn't know how else to replace Sosa's production.

7 votes

2%

He quits baseball and donates his smile to science.

2 votes

5%

He starts his own charitable foundation for victims of stabbings, the 07 Ranger rotation members are the first to seek assistance.

4 votes

13%

He's traded for the something significant.

9 votes

22%

He's traded for someone that even zywica has never heard of.

15 votes

67 votes | Poll has closed

http://tinyurl.com/3xekza

Interesting article.

Among the highlights:

Andrus is expected to play at Frisco next year which surprised me a little bit.

DRH is a very good bowler.

Adam's favorite Ranger makes a visit to Surprise.

Whittleman sent home with a virus.

Beavan has impressed.

Harrison is pitching again.

Bored this morning and thinking about possible destinations for Barry Bonds next year.

Wondering if none of the big market teams come calling, maybe somebody like Tampa Bay or Kansas City might offer him a fat one year deal.  Would he accept?  My wild ass guess is that he wants to play bad enough that he would go ahead and take the money to play for a year any place in the AL.

The TB scenario is sort of fascinating to me, because, in my opinion, that team could actually be a contender if Bonds were to have a solid season as a DH (not unlikely), and some of the talented youngsters have breakout seasons (again, not unlikely).

TB could field a lineup something like:

1. Crawford LF
   
2. Iwamura 2b
   
3. Upton CF
   
4. Bonds DH
   
5. Pena 1b
   
6. D. Young RF
   
7. Longoria 3b
   
8. Harris/Brignac SS
   
9. Navarro C

That's a tough lineup, assuming that Bonds is able to stay healthy and a couple of the youngsters step up. I'd guess that lineup is easily in the top 5 in runs scored, with potential to be in top 3.

And TB has more elite young pitching on the cusp of the big leagues than any team in baseball.  A probable rotation of Kazmir, Shields, Wade Davis, Jeff Niemann, and Jacob McGee is awfully young - but incredibly talented.

Kinda curious what others think about how many games that hypothetical team could hypothetically win.  I'd say there could be 85 win potential, which in Tampa Bay (the land of the perpetual first overall pick) is uncharted territory.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7148054

Evan Grant is reporting that the Rangers are leaning towards extending Gagne and dealing Benoit.

http://tinyurl.com/2ww57c

I think there is a good chance that this is posturing, because JD hasn't been one to telegraph his moves.

If this actually goes down, I will officially join the 'JD is in over his head' faction.

Obviously, Gagne has significant health risks associated with him and would require a high-dollar ($10-12+ million per?) deal.  Signing him only makes sense if the club expects to compete next year. I think this is unrealistic, and expecting him to contribute on a contending Ranger team in 2009 is a huge gamble, on many different fronts.

Benoit has finally realized his potential and has performed as an elite reliever this year, and he is under team control next year. He, along with CJ, are the only 2 relievers that I wouldn't deal. My wild guess is that he could be extended for about a quarter of what Gagne would demand.

You would also think that Gagne would also net more talent in return in a trade.  This just doesn't make sense to me on any level.

I looked back at some of the community projections from the preseason that can be found here:

http://www.lonestarball.com/story/2007/4/12/211521/759#commenttop

The average projection for Michael Young was .315 / .364 / .478.

He is currently at .288 / .340 / .388

His output thus far is 3 standard deviations below the projection in BA, 1.85 standard deviations below the projection in OBP, and 5 standard deviations below the projected SLG.

This got me to thinking and wondering if his career trends might give some indication that a second half rebound might be likely.  I also wanted to find some comforting evidence that would make me less nervous about the huge contract he just handed to Young.  I didn't find anything of the sort.

For his career Young is a better hitter before the ASB (802 OPS) than after (777 OPS).  There has not been a single instance of a higher OPS after the break than before.

Looking at his career numbers (ba/obp/slg/ops)since becoming a ML regular:

2002 (age 25) .262 .308 .382 .690
2003 (age 26) .306 .339 .446 .785
2004 (age 27) .313 .353 .483 .836
2005 (age 28) .331 .385 .513 .899
2006 (age 29) .314 .356 .459 .814
2007 (age 30) .288 .340 .388 .728

Seems to be a classic bell curve with phases of growth (age 25-27), peak (age 28), and decline (age 29 and 30).  If this clear pattern continues, that contract is going to be UGLY and not just the very back end of it.  I'm very worried about this situation, can somebody please convince me that Young's skills are still intact and his career is not entering into a rapid decline before his extension even kicks in?

Tonight the Frisco vs. Corpus game was on FSN and I got to see some of our prospects for the first time and I thought Boggs was very impressive.

He made a couple of very nice running catches coming in on balls in CF and he had a liner hit over his head that he dropped in dead center at the track.  But he would have never reached that ball without a very good jump on it, it was the sort of play that belongs on a highlight reel if it's made and one that looks kinda bad if it's not made.  Looked like he had good speed, but not a true burner.  Didn't get a chance to see his arm.

At the plate, against Troy Patton - a highly touted lefty, he looked legit. He seemed very comfortable taking walks in his first two trips and I didn't see him offer at anything out of the zone and fouled off some tough pitches, I also don't remember seeing him swing and miss more than once or twice all night. In this game at least, he looked to have excellent command of the zone. His next AB he took Patton deep with a no-doubter to left-center.  His last AB was an opposite field single hit sharply after what was probably an 8 pitch AB against a lefty reliever.  

Also he is a switch hitter, but he only had one AB from the left side.

He was at .269/.371/.524 before tonight and if he is able to play the rest of the season like he has thus far, I wouldn't mind seeing him win a spot with the Rangers next year.  Looks like we might actually have a legit OF prospect in the system.  And a switch-hitting CF to boot!

And by the way Mayberry looked pretty bad and really, really skinny.

I came up with some ideas for promotions that I would like to see for upcoming Ranger games.  Wondering if ya'll have any good ideas to add to the list?

1. Free Beer Night.
2. Topless Dancers as Ballgirls Night.  With guest appearance by Jose Lima's wife.
3. Ron Washington Pimp Slap Night. Every time a Ranger pops up on the first pitch, Wash meets them at the top step of the dugout and delivers a backhand slap to the grill that is replayed on the Jumbotron.
4. "Shock collar night" - the pitching staff wears shock collars and all the fans are given a clicker that delivers an electrical jolt whenever you push the button.
5. Charge the Mound for No Reason Night. A random Ranger will charge the mound and start a fight for no reason.
6. Padilla Pinata Night. Vinny buries a fastball in ribs to every batter that follows a base hit.
7. Waving Wakamatsu Night. Wak waves every runner that reaches third base home, regardless of the situation.
8. Real Cheese on the Nachos Night.
9. Glove night. Every time a defender makes a poor play, he has to throw his glove into the crowd and play the rest of the game without it.
10. Rosin bag grenade Night. All fans are given a rosin bag, and when Wash goes out to argue a call we can pull the pen and lob them onto the field.
11. Ceremonial First Pitch Pitcher Night.  If the person that throws out the first pitch delivers a strike, they stay in the game until their ERA is worse than the nights scheduled starter.  This promotion would have the added benefit of saving the bullpen.
12.  Broken Bat Night.  Every time a hitter breaks his bat, he has to go retrieve the biggest chunk of it and use that for the rest of his ABs.
13.  World's Strongest Dot Race Night.  Instead of wearing the Dot costumes, the contestants in the Dot Race have to pull an airplane with their teeth and finish by lifting a series of 500 lb rocks onto pedestals.

Vote for your favorite!

Poll

which is your favorite Ranger promotion?

8%

#4

5 votes

1%

#10

1 votes

12%

#5

7 votes

32%

#11

19 votes

0%

#6

0 votes

0%

#13

0 votes

8%

#2

5 votes

5%

#7

3 votes

25%

#3

15 votes

5%

#9

3 votes

58 votes | Poll has closed

This may be the most bizarre sports-related story I have ever heard.  Apparently Landis' manager called Greg LeMond and threatened to reveal the story about his sexual abuse as a teenager if LeMond took the stand at the arbitration hearing that will determine if Landis is stripped of his Tour de France championship.  LeMond had counseled Landis when the doping allegations originally broke, and shared his personal story in an attempt to get Landis to "do the right thing". LeMond takes the stand at the hearing in spite of the threats, reveals the Landis camp's attempts at blackmail, and discloses the abuse that he suffered.  

All this after Landis has repeatedly changed his story on the positive test (whiskey, dehydration, natural metabolism, corrupt anti-doping agency, incompetent lab technicians...) while touring the country asking for donations to pay for his defense.

I know that it is not wise to make character judgements based on appearance, and even more foolish to admit to it, but Landis has always looked dishonest, smug, and stupid to me.  I was convinced of his cheating the instant I saw his interview after the results of the test were revealed.  Now it appears that he is despicable in addition to dishonest.  What a jackass.  Landis next public appearance should be on the Jerry Springer show.

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/107698.html

Is it better for a rebuilding team to have the minor league pipeline produce a wave of prospects over a short time period, or is it better to rebuild by producing a steady stream of 1-2 young players per year?

The reason I ask is that it seems the Rangers need to do some major rebuilding and the bevy of picks in the upcoming draft plus some potential trades for younger players may allow the team to restock the farm system.  Would it be better to try and accumulate a bunch of similar age players and hope that they mature simultaneously and reach the show in one big pulse, or would it be better to try and add some upper level, some lower level, and some teenagers so the influx of talent would hopefully come one or two at a time spread out over several years?