Well, there was a quote on Baseball Prospectus that said it best:
"Draft picks matter. The Rangers made one good pick and got four years of production out of Teixeira, and flipped that into five and half years of Saltalamacchia, plus whatever they get from the other guys. All that out of one pick and the smarts not to be cheap in the draft."
I agree, but the deed is done and Teixeira will be heading to the Braves.
Will he be missed? By some, yes, but most of the fan community has already reconciled themselves to the fact that he was good as gone and have moved on. The fact that the Rangers were able to get as good a hitter as Saltalamacchia just made it better.
The loss of Teixeira means the loss of a big bat, but Jason Botts has been destroying Triple A and will be called up within the next week in order to fill in the DH position, likely also signalling the departure of either Brad Wilkerson or Sammy Sosa, most likely the latter.
How do I feel about the trade?
Surprisingly Okay.
I wasn't as broken up over it when Nolan Ryan left, nor am I as angry about it after Kenny Rogers left (the first time), nor am I as broken hearted over it when Pudge Rodriguez finally left the Rangers after years of being the rock of the franchise, nor would I have been upset with it had the Rangers traded Michael Young instead.
I'm just neutral toward it.
Part of it was that I've never really gotten close to Teixeira, I've more or less been somewhat neutral, similar to how I was with Alex Rodriguez. There was always something that seemed manufactured about him, which isn't surprising considering the history of Boras clients.
But what's done is done.
Onto the new arrivals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jarrod Saltalamacchia (C) - The jewel of the deal, Saltalaphabet could potentially be replacing Gerald Laird as the Rangers' current backstop, depending on whether or not Texas feels Satly will remain at catcher or not. Either way, it's an excellent deal.
Elvis Andrus (SS) - Tools galore, Andrus could be Edgar Renteria when it's all said and done. The Rangers typically haven't had great success with this type of prospect, so it's possible he could be flipped. Also, Andrus has been rushed through the minors, so it's likely that when the deal is finalized, Andrus will be sent to Low A Clinton for development, as he should NOT be in High A.
Neftali Feliz (RHP) - A teenager with a lightening arm, Feliz already thorws in the mid 90's and touches 98. Texas usually has good success with this type of prospect, Edinson Volquez aside, and things should be promising for him, as he's got the stuff to be a dominant starter or closer.
PTBNL - Reportedly, it's Matt Harrison, a left with good velocity that could eake out a Jarrod Washburn type of career, or it could be Joey Devine, the Braves' first round pick from two years ago. Either way, this player is gravy.
So, it's a good trade for Texas, as they obtained the Braves' Top 3 prospects, plus a fourth while Atlanta gets a good bat. It adds depth to the minors and gives the Rangers yet another valuable trade chip for the future, as many of the prospects are stepping up and doing well now.
The Market On Gagne
Eric Gagne is now the top closer left on the market and interest is peaking as well.
The Red Sox, Yankees, Mets and Brewers are all supposedly after the Rangers' closer, though Gagne can block deals to all except the Yankees.
The only issue is what the Rangers can get in return.
The Yankees are reluctant to part with ANY of their pitching, and are offering #### in return. Texas has reportedly asked for Ian Kennedy, the Yankees have countered with Alan Horne. The Red Sox aren't so high on sending anyone back either, so things are going to get dicey soon. The Mets and Brewers really don't have much to offer.
But it's looking like Gagne will get traded, and it will be soon.
2007 Draft Rewind – The Rest Of The AL West
I’ve gotten quite a bit of requests for what I thought of the rest of the American League West’s draft.
Okay then, I’ll oblige.
Here are the picks I loved from each of the Rangers’ chief rivals.
Los Angeles Angels - Matt Harvey (RHP). Though the Angels lost their first and second round picks to Texas and Toronto, they made up for it by acquiring a first round talent in Harvey, a savvy right handed pitching prospect that could develop into a middle of the rotation stud, possibly even as high as a Number Two Starter. Great pick, one that I wish the Rangers had done earlier (stupid Garret Nash).
Oakland Athletics – Sean Doolittle (1B). A classic Oakland pick and a very good one. Doolittle projects to be a first baseman that hits for contact and has very good plate discipline. I guess you could compare him to Kevin Youkilis of Boston. The only problem is that Daric Barton is likely going to be the first baseman for the considerable future, but Doolittle could be a very good trade chip.
Seattle Mariners – Phillipe Aumont (RHP). I loved the Aumont pick. Great pick by Seattle. Aumont is a raw prospect, but he's got great makeup, loads of potential, and can be a top of the rotation stud in the future. He throws a mean sinker and his off-speed pitches have a lot of promise. The only issue I have is that Seattle has the annoying habit of rushing prospects, which could hurt if they rush him too quickly.
Rangers Notes (Majors)
The trade of Ron Mahay to Atlanta likely means that we could see Wes Littleton in the bullpen for good. John Rheinnecker is going to be a swingman for the time being.
Rangers Notes (Minors)
On the heels of the Max Ramirez trade, both 3B Chris Davis and C Taylor Teagarden, who is regarded to be the top catching prospect in the minors (he's not, that's Jeff Clement, but it's close) were promoted to Double A Frisco.
On the heels of that, Ramirez was assigned to Bakersfield and 3B John Whittleman, one of the Rangers' Futures Game Reps, was promoted to the Blaze.
Okay, I know I promised a posting yesterday on the deals, but I'm prepping a trade deadline special instead for later on today or for early tomorrow.
the latest i read (some fox writer...cant remember which one right now) is that gagne can and probably will block a deal to boston unless they give in to everything he wants (be the closer, guarantee the rest of his incentives, etc.), but the brewers are not on his list of teams he can void a trade to.
i'm not sure i want him unless it turns out both turnbow and coco are fried AND gagne signs a reasonable extension....not to mention we dont have to give up half the farm system or young guys on the big club to get him....basically, i dont want him looking at what it would take to get him.
finally, brewer fans have shut up about acquiring Tex, but they're p.o.'d the braves got him, as they're resigned to the idea that we're now ONLY wild card contenders (we are still in 1st place, but i guess the concession speech has been written and will be given the moment the cubs pass us).
Yes the Rangers are still rebuilding ! And it's hoped that now Hicks can get over himself and let those in the know manage the team run the organization as it should be. It's almost as if Bush were back owning and running the team. That fortunately isn't the case even though he took the state's taxpayers to the cleaners in order to get their stadium built. The Rangers are the beneficiaries of some very good players in this trade and it's hoped that in the coming years we'll see an improvement in their fortunes.
I'd be more than willing to flip Gagne now. He's done the job that we've gambled on him to do and now it's time to cash in. I don't know what we'd get in exchange for him, but hopefully a lot more than David #### Murphy, a fourth outfielder.
Well, Teix is gone, and don't blame the Braves, blame the Red Sox and Yankees for not making a decent offer. Mother####kers.
Milwaukee should make the playoffs. I don't think the Cubs can keep this up all year, as they have a lot of guys playing out of their minds right now. Ryan Theriot? Please....
Always love your rants on my blog Cuz. They're greatly entertaining.
It's great that the Rangers are finally deciding to commit to building from within. Not only is it more cost effective, but it's a sure way of identifying and being able to retain your own stars.
As for the Bush comment, yeah, he's pretty much been a disaster no matter what post he's held in life.
Morisato
For want of a better word he'll be outta' here come November '08. As Prior says in the movie 'Brewster's Millions' ..."none of the above" That'd have been my choice in '00 and '04. As they weren't worth the time of day as candidates !
How are the Texans' sessions coming along?
And do you think you'll definately see an improvement in their play overall with the addition of Schaub ? We all know that he's an improvement over Carr as he was a liability from the get go !
Morisat
I've a new post up titled When Is A Race Not A Race ? Human Race Or Otherwise !
Let me know what you think as to the merits of the piece by posting a comment.
Sorry about the delay Tophatal, I've been in training all day.
Good stuff on your blog, btw. Good reading.
As for the Texans, it should be an improvement, as I think Shaub is a stud. They just need to acquire some consistency on the front line to prevent Shaubby from turning into David Carr. And hopefully, the coaching staff won't screw with Shaub's mechanics like they did Carr's, who I think they ruined because of all the changes they did. He's not the same guy I hated when UTEP would play Fresno State. Not at all.
Morisato
That's one of the things I just don't understand with the franchise. Throughout Carr's tenureship of the position the team did very little to help him. And then to top it all they overlooked getting Bush for a player that's not even fulfilled what was expected of him.
I'm a long time Texas Rangers fan who has come to love baseball as a whole. I recently began this blog as a way for me to showcase my opinions, provide some analysis, and hopefully entertain those who happen to stumble upon my little soapbox online. I'll toss in an NFL, College, or NBA nugget every now and then. Enjoy the posts everyone, and yes, getting a little love in a Deadspin post was probably the highlight of the year, blogwise.
Do You Have Comment You Don't Want All To See? Just Want To Talk Baseball? Email Me at morisatos_blo g AT yahoo.com. Email's edited to keep away the Spam.
