Here's some of the names that the Rangers have been connected with so far:
Carlos Quentin (OF) - The Rangers did make a inquiry to see what it would take to acquire the potential hard hitting right fielder from the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was Eric Hurley. I'm not opposed to trading Hurley, but only if it's for a pitcher, such as Santana or Haren. I would even trade him if maybe Texas had other pitching prospects close to ready. Since they don't, onto the new stop.
Scott Rolen (3B) and Chris Duncan (1B/LF) - This was strictly a salary dump in exchange for Hank Blalock. Duncan I'm not sure about, as he's a big hacking slugger that would be a fit as a platoon DH or FIrst Baseman. Rolen is pretty much done. Sorry. I just can't.
Andy LaRoche (3B) - There are also talks that Texas is looking to trade Hank Blalock to the Dodgers for Andy LaRoche and change. However, it looks like the reports are that this was strictly smoke with no substance. That's a pity. I would have loved to have had LaRoche.
Coco Crisp (CF) - And back to Mr. Crisp. Word is that Boston asked for C.J. Wilson in return and are not interested in Gerald Laird. Ummmm, no. Wilson is the closer next year and is one of the few lefties available for the pen, with Murray heading to the rotation in Oklahoma next year, leaving only Rheinecker as the lone lefty aside for Wilson. Still, this offer is a lot better than what the Red Sox originally asked for, which was Hurley, Luis Mendoza, who actually was a Red Sox, and another player. TIme to find the next Ron Mahay...
Josh Hamilton (CF) – Hamilton is attractive in that he’s young and is a physical freak of nature. He’s got loads of talent and could be a fixture long term in Texas. The only real question, aside from the past substance abuse issues (not fair, but unfortunately, still valid) are what potential trade matches could be done, as judging from the two teams and their respective farm systems, it doesn’t look like a match can be made.
David DeJesus (CF) – This is still a valid rumor, especially if you consider the fact that the Royals are going hard after the batshit crazy outfielder we all know as Jose Guillen. If they sign him, they’ll have a outfield of Mark Teahen, Joey Gathright, whom the Royals love, and Guillen, leaving DeJesus out in the cold. The Rangers could make an offer of Joaquin Arias, Luis Mendoza, and either Doug Mathis or Michael Schlact in return for DeJesus and change.
Chris Shelton (1B) - Shelton was designated for assignment by the Tigers to make room for Kenny Rogers. Were I the Rangers, I actually would make a play for Shelton, who could at least be a platoon partner for Cat at first next year.
Raid The Pirates
Actually, there is a way for the Rangers to be able to fill several holes at once to help fill their needs.
The Pirates are looking to move RF Xavier Nady and LF Jason Bay in order to stock on prospects, as they seem to have realized that this current core of the team just isn’t working and are looking to make some deals.
Nady is a virtual lock to be traded, as the Pirates have shown no desire to pay him in arbitration and will look to either trade him or non-tender him. Jon Daniels discussed Bay with the Pirates earlier today and is in the mix to try and get him.
I’d try to make a deal for both, which would take care of left and right field and allowing them to use some sort of Marlon Byrd/David Murphy combo in center. It would also allow Texas to leave Frank Catalanotto at first base and would add a pair of decent bats in the middle. The best part is, neither of them blocks any of the Rangers’ prospects long term and potentially could allow the Rangers to reap some draft picks if they do well in Texas.
What would I hit the Pirates with for both guys? Well, it looks like the Pirates are looking for a catcher and a pitching prospect in exchange for Bay and are just looking to get something for Nady. So, here’s what I’d do:
First off, I’d offer them Laird, who is still three years away from free agency. That would be for Nady, as it is a trade of pieces that just don’t fit with their current clubs.
For Bay, since I have already offered a catcher, I would ask them if a trade for Joaquin The Dream would work, with another pitcher, possibly Michael Schlact or Armando Galarraga would work. If they elect for it, cool. If not, I’d offer some potential Rule 5 picks that may get selected from the Rangers, likely Tug Hulett a utility man, and Jesse Ingram, who had a bounceback season last year, but was blocked from getting onto the Rangers’ 40 this year.
So, if all things considered fall into place, I’d offer the following:
The Texas Rangers offer C Gerald Laird, RHP Armando Galaragga, SS Joaquin Arias and RHP Jesse Ingram for RF Xavier Nady and LF Jason Bay
I know it’s more quantity than quality right now, but it would kill some holes on the team and would allow them to try and trade Jack Wilson while trying to eat some of his salary. All in all, it’s a pretty fair deal.
Tomorrow, the San Diego Padres Farm System goes up, with the Seattle Mariners going up on Friday. Look for a Rangers Report GM Meetings Wrap Up On Thursday.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of The Week That Was
The Good
Michael Young - The Franchise is hitting .325 with 2 home runs and 8 RBI's in the last 10 games.
C.J. Wilson - The Blue Gloved Lefty has been almost unhittable this season and is sitting with a 2.87 ERA in 14 appearances and is making his case to be the closer after this season, as I don't think either Otsuka or Gagne will be returning at the end of the season.
Gerald "Wheels" Laird - The Rangers' catcher has hit .294 in the last 10 games and has raised his average from a pitiful .169 to a slightly more respectable .216. Plus he beat A-Rod at home in New York.
Mark Teixeira - Big Tex is heating up and is hitting over .400 in the past 10 games, while hitting 3 home runs and riving in 12.
Hank Blalock - Hammering Hank is heating up again. We've seen this from Hank before, but it's always good to see Blalock contributing.
Eric Hurley and John Whittleman - The Rangers' April players of the month are tearing up the minors and could be in line for promotions to Triple A and High A respectively come July.
The Bad
Brad Wilkerson - Windmill Wilk is now down to hitting .229 on the season and is 7th on the Rangers in K's.
The Ugly
Ian Kinsler - The Rangers' second baseman has hit .091 with 1 homer and 3 RBI's in the past 10 games and has made some terrible errors.
Victor Diaz and Nelson Cruz - The Rangers' Right Field Options are rapidly playing themselves toward demotion.
Francisco Cruceta - Shortly after giving him props in the Rangers' Report, Cruceta has been suspended for 50 games for performance enhancing drug.
Gyro-Mania In Arlington
Though Daisuke Matsuzaka has stated that he doesn’t throw the gyroball, the pitch has been doing wonders for Rangers reliever C.J. Wilson. Wilson said he used the gyro to strike out Bobby Abreu during his 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief in the Rangers' 6-2 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday. Wilson also used the pitch against Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis. For those that have forgotten, Wilson learned the pitch in Spring Training. Apparently, when the pitch is thrown by a lefty, it moves up and away from a right-handed hitter, and Wilson has incorporated it into his repertoire.
Top 30 Rangers Prospects – 26 Through 30
Continuing our look at the Rangers' top prospects, here are prospects 26 through 30.
26 –Danny Ray Herrera (LHP)
DOB: 10/21/84
Drafted: 45th Round, 2006, University Of New Mexico
2007 Club: Bakersfield Blaze (High A)
Height/Weight: 5-7/145
Bats/Throws: L/L
The Skinny: Danny Ray Herrera is one of those players that didn’t wow people with his stuff, but he’s a very successful pitcher in his own right. Herrera didn't pitch much like a 45th-rounder, as the former University of New Mexico star appeared in 17 games, 14 of which came in the California League, and finished with a 4-3 record with a 1.45 ERA in 62 innings. He racked up 72 K’s and didn't allow a home run while in the homer happy California League. For those that argue that he’s not a high quality talent, consider the fact that he was a very successful pitcher at a park that played very much like an early Coors Field.
Aresenal: Herrera doesn’t have overpowering stuff, as I believe his fastball tops off at 90, but his off-speed pitches are excellent and Herrerra does such a great job of changing speeds and using pinpoint control to induce groundballs, mostly off on a filthy curveball-changeup hybrid that is near unhittable.
Negatives: Herrera’s options are limited, which means he’s a surefire bet to be a bullpen guy.
Projection: Low. Herrera’s pretty much a finished product.
In A Perfect World, He Is: A dynamite setup man.
2007 Course Of Action: Herrera was retained in Extended Spring Training, but has reported to the Blaze, where he is a member of the pen.
27 – Doug Mathis (RHP)
DOB: 06/07/83
Drafted: 13th Round, 2005, University Of Missouri
2007 Club: Frisco Roughriders (Double A)
Height/Weight: 6-3/220
Bats/Throws: R/R
The Skinny: Mathis had been previously drafted by the Dodgers in the 34th round in 2002 and the Mariners 31st round pick in 2003 while at Central Arizona Junior College. Mathis had strong numbers at Central Arizona Junior College, maintaining a 1.35 ERA in 18 games for Central Arizona, before transferring to Missouri for the 2005 season and posting a 5-4 record with a 3.27 ERA in 21 games, including 11 starts. Since then, he’s been aggressively promoted, beginning with a debut in Spokane in 2005, where he lead all Rangers minor leaguers in 2005 with a 2.68 ERA. He then kipped Clinton and started the 2006 season in Bakersfield (High-A), where after a rough start, he ended the year with a 4.18 ERA, good for 5th in the California League, and was then a late season call-up to the Frisco Roughriders, where he responded with a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings.
Aresenal: Mathis has developed a respectable four pitch mix with a fastball and slider, which were always solid and have been since he was drafted, but he’s added a plus curveball and a changeup and commands all of them very well. He has also apparently added 4-5 mph to his velocity.
Negatives: Mathis has been aggressively pushed since he has arrived in the organization. While that seems to be par for the course as a college pitcher, I wonder if the Rangers are risking blowing out Mathis’ arm with all the promotion.
Projection: Low. Mathis really didn’t have much room to grow.
In A Perfect World, He Is: A back of the rotation starter
2007 Course Of Action: Mathis was surprisingly promoted to Triple A in the offseason, which is a questionable decision at best, considering how hard they have promoted him. He was destroyed and demoted to Frisco, where he has been solid.
28 – Travis Metcalf (3B)
DOB: 8/17/82
Drafted: 11th Round, 2004, Kansas
2007 Club: Frisco Roughriders (Double A)
Height/Weight: 6-3/200
Bats/Throws: R/R
The Skinny: Metcalf had a solid year after he was drafted in 2005, hitting .291 with 22 homers and 94 RBI’s with the Bakersfield Blaze. It looked like Metcalf would possibly rocket through the system and maybe try to challenge for a bench spot with the big club by the end of this year. However, Metcalf had a less than satisfactory year with the Roughriders in 2006, hitting .221 with only 8 homers and 37 RBI’s. Metcalf needs a big turnaround this year to get himself back to legitimate prospect status.
Assets: Metcalf has legitmiate power in his bat, as seen from his stats going all the way back to his days with the University of Kansas. He’s also a pretty good defensive third baseman.
Negatives: Metcalf’s swing is long and he’s impatient, leading to a great deal of strikeouts. While that is somewhat negatable in the majors, he’s never going to be a guy that hits for a high average. He’s also prone to making some throwing errors at third.
Projection: Low. Metcalf is probably not going to improve on his physical gifts as he is going to improve on the mental side, such as decision making, pitch selection and the like. That will only come with playing time, so don’t expect Metcalf to sit anytime soon. He projects to be, in fact, very much like former Ranger third baseman Dean Palmer.
In A Perfect World, He Is: A slugging third baseman that strikes out a whole lot. Again, the Palmer comparisons are uncanny.
2007 Course Of Action: Metcalf returned to Double A in hopes of strengthening his resume and regaining some of his prospect status. So far, it appears to be working, as he's currently hitting .283 with 5 bombs and 22 RBI's, while showing some semblance of plate discipline. His OPS is currently a studly .821
29 – Anthony Webster (LF)
DOB: 4/10/83
Drafted: 15th Round, 2001, Tennessee High School (White Sox)
2007 Club: Frisco (Double A)
Height/Weight: 6-0/197
Bats/Throws: L/R
The Skinny: Webster, obtained from Chicago as part of the Carl Everett deal, has loads of tools. Unfortunately, only recently has he been able to put some of them together. He had a breakout of sorts this past season and hit a combined .288 with 8 home runs and 38 RBI’s.
Assets: Webster has plus speed on the bases and is a gifted athlete. He’s got some semblance of plate discipline.
Negatives: Webster was hoped to be able to take to centerfielder, where his bat would look better, but he lacks the range and instincts to play center. His arm limits him to left field, but he has little power to be a starter at the position. Unless he becomes the second coming of Ichiro Suzuki, he’s not going to be a starter.
Projection: Low. Any sort of projection that Webster could have developed should have developed by now.
In A Perfect World, He Is: A fourth outfielder
2007 Course Of Action: Webster was only recently assigned to Double A Frisco, where he needs to be able to force his way back up to Triple A for any sort of major league look at the end of the season.
30 – Armando Galarraga (RHP)
DOB:1/15/82
Signed: Venezuela, 2001 (Expos)
Likely 2007 Club: Frisco (Double A)
Height/Weight: 6-4/180
Bats/Throws: R/R
The Skinny: Galarraga was the prospect sent to Texas along with Terrmel Sledge and Brad Wilkerson for Alfonso Soriano back in 2005 and he had just gotten off of a breakout year in which he went 6-8 with a 3.80 ERA with 137 strikeouts and 44 alks in 156 innings between high Class A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg, but was destroyed in the Rangers’ system and fell all the way down to Rookie Ball. Despite that, Galarraga still has some upside. He was one of the Nationals top prospects back in 2005.
Assets: Galarraga has always had an electric arm. He throws a fastball that clocks in the low to mid 90’s and has some movement. He couples it with a sharp slider that is a solid out pitch. His delivery is pretty even and overall he looks pretty good on the mound.
Negatives: Aside from the injury issue, Galarraga’s changeup is a below average pitch and keeps him from possibly being anything more than a fifth starter slash swingman. There’s also the question as to whether or not he can handle a starters workload.
Projection: Low. Galarraga’s injuries appear to be behind him. All he’s got to do now is prove that he’s over them.
In A Perfect World, He Is: A back of the rotation starter or a capable swingman
2007 Course Of Action: The Rangers are hoping it was injury that came to bite Galarraga’s season and have returned him to Frisco, where they hope he can give starting another shot.
Loe was great on Friday while John Koronka pitched one scoreless inning and one inning in which he was destroyed. Chen and Brandon McCarthy combined for a solid outing against the Royals. Chen retired all six of the batters he faced in a two inning outing and struck out one. Josh Rupe, Eric Hurley, Jamey Wright and Edinson Volquez haven’t pitched yet. John Rheinecker appears to be out of the running after back spasms have set him back.
Designated Hitter – Jason Botts (Leader)
Sosa so far has gone 2 for six with one homer, one walk and two strikeouts. Botts hasn’t had a shot yet, but so far the Sosa experience has been a get what you pay for deal. In this case, almost nothing.
Left Field – Frank Catalonotto (Leader?)
There’s been talk about Cat possibly being the starting left fielder. If that were to happen, I would honestly wonder what would happen if Brad Wilkerson was forced out.
Fourth Outfielder – Jerry Hairston Jr (Leader)
This is a competition between Marlon Byrd, Victor Diaz, Freddie Guzman, and Jerry Hairston Jr., to a certain extent. At the moment, I’d prefer Hairston, as he has the most versatility of the four. Diaz could also force his way in, as he hit a homer in friday's game.
Backup Catcher – Guillermo Quiroz (Leader)
Quiroz has helped his cause thanks to a homer on Friday’s game. Miguel Ojeda hasn’t made an appearance yet.
C.J., Meet Gyroball. Gryo, meet C.J…
The "gyroball," a pitch made famous by Japanese star Daisuke Matsuzaka, is apparently on it’s way to Dallas, courtesy of C.J. Wilson, who has decided to give it a shot. It all happened by coincidence, as Wilson was surfing and was in fact telling a friend about the pitch being false when Will Carroll from Baseball Prospectus sent him an email, which linked to a video link of how to throw a Gyroball. Wilson checked it out and decided to give it a shot, especially since Kazu Tezuka, the Japanese baseball trainer who created the pitch, would be in camp working with setup man Akinori Otsuka. Wilson gave it a go (and humorously tried to show his efforts to Otsuka, who complimented the cutter and slider he actually was pitching.)
Wilson later talked to Tezuka about the pitch for an hour, who gave him a ball with the grip prints marked into the ball. Wilson has apparently successfully thrown ten of the pitch correctly in a row. Hopefully, this will give the Rangers another weapon in the pen, along will giving them a preview of Matsuzaka when he comes to town.
If you’ve read C.J.’s MySpace and his MLBlog, you really shouldn’t be surprised about his decision to give the pitch a shot. He’s a pretty cool dude that enjoys all things pitching related. And as far as the Gyroball is concerned, there’s several explanations on what it is exactly. To put it in simple terms, it’s a slider with fastball speed, but no slider breaking motion. It’s supposed to stay perfectly straight.
My Response To The Allegations Of Gary Matthews Jr.
I’m stunned, to say the least.
More so because, in the time that Gary spent as a Ranger, he had always come off as a stand up guy, a person of high moral character that I wouldn’t have ever believed to have pulled #### like this ever.
When Gary suddenly became a top of the line outfielder, as he did last season, I cheered him on, glad that for once, a player was able to do it the right way, with good old fashioned hard work and skill.
And, unfortunately, I was wrong.
This doesn’t change what Gary is. He’s still one of the more likeable ballplayers in the sport. However, his response to the LA Times kind of sums it up.
'I haven't read the story myself and I don't have all the information. Until I get more information, that's my position. At the appropriate time, I will address the matter,"
If he’s innocent, why don’t you just say no?
Matthews has met behind closed doors with owner Arte Moreno, General Manager Bill Stoneman, and Manager Mike Scioscia. Matthews has apologized for any distraction and said he would try to resolve the situation as soon as possible.
But you can better believe that, despite the Angels giving assurances that he’s innocent till proven guilty, they’re secretly seeing if there’s anyway they can get out of that five-year, $50-million contract they signed him to.
I won’t forget that magical season he put up for the Rangers last year.
But, my official response is, as it was when he signed with LA, is that the Rangers did good by not re-signing him.
Unofficially, I’m saddened by all this.
Jerry Hairston Jr. Was On HGH? Could have fooled me!
There’s allegations on SI.com (who seems to be publishing a new name per day on who was busted with HGH) that utilityman Jerry Hairston Jr. was one of the athletes busted with steroids. Unlike Matthews, who has left the team, Hairston is still technically with the team, though he’s on as a Non Roster Invite.
All I’ve got to say is this: if Hairston was on HGH, it sure didn’t do anything for him. In 63 games, Hairston hit .205 with no homers and 6 RBI’s.
Ozzie, Let It Go...
For some reason or another, Rangers pitcher Brandon McCarthy has drawn the wrath of White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen for comments he made in a Chicago newspaper nearly two weeks ago. Guillen wasn't happy that McCarthy told the Chicago Sun-Times that he preferred the Rangers' clubhouse to the one in Chicago. Here are some of the more interesting nuggets I got from the story:
Ozzie - "It's safe to say I don't think the comment was necessary about the clubhouse," Guillen said . "You hate me, you like me, we don't get along, you don't like the way we handle stuff, I can live with that. But when you talk about negative clubhouse attitude ... One thing about our clubhouse, I think we have one of the best attitudes. I keep everybody loose, and I make sure I can get the best out of you every day. I don't have anything against Brandon, no way. Is this thing going to continue to go on and on? No."
McCarthy - "I knew when I read it the next day that it could be misinterpreted to be negative. It wasn't in any means supposed to be. I mean, I've talked to a few guys over there and hoped that they wouldn't take it the way it sounded. The clubhouses are just completely different. One isn't better than the other. Over here with Texas, it's more like a college dorm because there are so many young guys. I don't look at Chicago as being bad at all. I love the city, loved the guys I played with. It's just different. I was asked which one is better for me, and of course I said over here."
Ozzie's Response To McCarthy about the Rangers Camp being more positive - "Whatever you can call me, I'm not a negative guy," Guillen said. "I think one of my jobs is to be positive with everyone in the ballclub. I'm the type of guy, when you're down, I try to extend my hands to try and get you out of there. I'm not the type of manager, when you're down, I turn my eyes, not even look at you and say hi."
McCarthy intended no offense by his comments. To me, this just sounds like when a guy switches jobs and happens to prefer the work environment to that of his old one. It's nothing personal. It could that the new work environment is preferable and much more comfortable than the one that the guy who left earlier.
This, to me, sounds so much like when Guillen when he went after Magglio Ordonez in 2005. Again, this was over comments that, to be honest, weren't anything sensational.
Neither player deserved that verbal lashing. It's not right and it's unprofessional.
Guillen needs to let stuff go. Otherwise, he might not be a manager for much longer.
Kenny Williams probably said it best.
"Why can't this be about business? This was good for Brandon, and it was good for us."
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.
