The Rangers Report - Off-Season Edition

Rotation Set

Barring any other moves, the Rotation appears as follows:

• Kevin Millwood (RHP)
• Vicente Padilla (RHP)
• Jason Jennings (RHP)
• Brandon McCarthy (RHP)
• Kason Gabbard (LHP)

That makes for a solid, but unspecacular rotation.  However, if Millwood, Padilla and Jennings improve to their 2006 seasons, rather than their 2007's, that's a potential playoff rotation, especially if McCarthy continues to improve and Gabbard doesn't implode.  However, that's a lot to ask.  If anything, at the very least, Jennings could bring back a draft pick, or pitch well enough that when Texas is out of it by May, they could begin entertaining trade talks and get back a good player or two.

Coco Crisp Deals Are Dead

There's been a lot of rumors tossed around, and a lot of talk from Red Sox fans that the Red Sox should send Coco Crisp over to the Rangers for one of their highly regarded catching prospects.  Peter Gammons, in a recent chat, even had the Rangers (and Oakland) being the likely favorites for Crisp, seeing both teams as needing players.

They are delusional.  It ain't happening.

Back when the off-season first started, there was talk that the Rangers and Red Sox had agreed on a potential Crisp for Gerald Laird swap.  It was understandable, as it was two players who had no future in their respective organizations, had three cheap years of control left each and filled holes for each organization.  The Rangers have no centerfielder and Varitek isn't going to last forever.  It was a classic apples and oranges trade that should have worked.

However, the Red Sox instead decided A) to enter into the Johan Santana sweepstakes and B) change the offer for the Rangers, hoping to net more prospects and get a lot more value for Crisp than he was probably worth.

Texas backed out and instead got Josh Hamilton, who has some risk, but also a lot more of a ceiling than Crisp had and has more service time.

So, as you can see, there isn't room for Texas and Boston is now backed into a corner, as they have a brewing problem on their hand and the number of places they can send Crisp to is drying up fast.

So no, there will be no Coco for Texas.

Sorry.

Bottsy At First...Not A Good Idea

Jason Botts apparently is going to see time at first base and will make the team as the platoon partner for Frank Catalonotto and Ben Broussard in left and at first.

I'm not so sure that first base is a good idea.  Botts was converted to left field after back issues forced him there.  I don't have much experience as far as diamond experience  (I was a catcher in high school), but as far as first base goes, it does involve a lot of bending and leaning.  And if Botts' back is as balky as it sounds, this might not go well.

On the other hand, Texas has a fantastic medical team, so the Rangers might be able to keep him healthy.  Who knows? 

Where To Send Shelton To

With Shelton still passing through waivers, I think it's a fair possibility that he's going to get claimed.  WIth that in mind, the Rangers should look into seeing what they could get for him.

Though streaky, Shelton is a decent player that can play the four corners and he's a young alternative to some of the usual suspects (Sean Casey anyone?)  And, taking a look around the league, there are some places where he'd fit in nicely.

The most immediate fit is San Francisco, unless they want to use Rich Aurillia there.  However, in terms of prospects, I don't see much that San Fran would have to offer, as all their best prospects were either just drafted or are named Angel Villalona.  Sergio Romo, a live arm that is destined for the bullpen, would be the best fit.

Is there anything else I could do?  I don't think so.  I would say Florida, but Shelton might be too expensive for them (and I'm being serious.  Florida and Oakland seem to be racing each other to see who can get the lower payroll.)  The Yankees would be another alternative, but not only do they have too many roster spots taken up by the dead (Giambi), the rude (Duncan) and the Betemiet, but they also seem to be waiting for Mark Teixeira to inevitably hit the market so they can spend the Giambi savings on him.

So, I'd call up Brian Sabean and ask if he's willing to do a Romo for Shelton swap.  Not only would it net the Rangers something, think of the newspaper headlines in Dallas when it's announced that the Rangers have just brought in their own Romo.  It would be classic.

Rangers May Have Waited Too Long To Sell High On Luis Mendoza

I like Luis Mendoza more than most.  However, I think the Rangers may have waited too long to sell on him, as I think his value has peaked.

There's been a lot of talk about Mendoza being a potential back of the rotation starter for the Rangers, and that he could even push one of the vets out of the rotation.

Please.

Mendoza has done nothing to really merit the love he has gotten.  He's been rather inconsistent, has been released by an organization at least once (Boston) and despite a nice run here in Texas, that was only after a late surge.

Honestly, I would have let people know that Mendoza was available, and maybe have made a trade (possibly with Laird.)

Tomorrow, The First (And Last) Astros Report

Explaining The Rangers' Moves, Playing Russian Roulette For A Fifth Starter, And What To Do With Gerald Laird.

The Rangers Report – Offseason Edition

Rangers’ Moves Make Some Sense When You Look At It

Despite it being a rather quiet off-season for the Rangers, without the signings of some of the sexier names that were available on the free agent market, many of the moves that the Rangers did do are designed to allow for some of the youngsters in the minors some additional time to develop.

Many of the moves correlate to several of the Rangers’ rookies in the minors, designed to delay them for at least another half a season.  Let’s check it out:

• Alex Rodriguez Opts Out Of 10, Year, $252 Million Deal – A+.  This was possible the best deal that the Rangers had happen to them this off-season, as the Rangers now have $21.3 Million to spend on THEIR OWN players.  If this deal had been it, the Rangers may have had arguably the best off-seasons based on this alone.  What this deal also does for the Rangers is to allow them to toss in a bit more coin on the draft, allowing them to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox for more lower round gems, as well as allowing them to attack the International Signing Period more vigously.
• Sign RHP Joaquin Benoit To 2 Years, $6 million – A.  To add another cherry on top, the Rangers also extended the ace of their bullpen to an extension, buying out his final year of arbitration and his first year of free agency.  Benoit will now be competing for the role of closer next season.  Suffice to say, this is good news, as Benoit could have gotten a lot more coin out on the open market.
• Sign RHP Warner Madrigal To A Major League Contract – A.  This makes the list simply because of the fact that the Rangers in essence get a prospect for free, without giving up anything.  This was more thanks to the Angels’ screwing up than Texas monitoring the situation, but nonetheless, they get a relief prospect that throws hard and could be a potential closer.  All in all, it’s a great way to add to the farm without giving anything other than a 40 Man spot.  As for how he rates, think of a younger K-Rod.
• Re-Signed UTIL Ramon Vasquez For 1 Year, $810,000 – D.  Okay, Vasquez is a decent little utility man, but I think there were better options internally that could have been used, such as Tug Hulett, until German Duran is ready.  Not loving this, really, but considering the salary and that he could be DFA’d with no trouble, ehh, whatever.
• Trade CF Freddy Guzman To The Detroit Tigers For 1B Chris Shelton – B.  Guzman wasn’t going to be with the Rangers for much longer anyway.  While he is fast, his bat is rather anemic, making it hard to project him on the Rangers' as more of a fourth outfielder, pinch runner.  As for Shelton, he's a valuable bench player that will see playing time as part of a platoon with Big Ben Broussard.  More on how this helps in a minute...
• Trade INF Tug Hulett to The Seattle Mariners For 1B Ben Broussard - A.  Here's where the Shelton move comes in.  For the price of a prospect that had no future here anyway, the Rangers get themselves a stopgap first baseman in the Bris Broulton combo that will now play at first.  Broussard will take the majority of the at bats while Shleton spells him against lefties.  This gives Texas roughly the equivalent of a major league first baseman.  It also allows the Rangers to keep Chris Davis in the minors for another year, allowing him to benefit from coaching, at bats, and the opportunity to fine tune his skills until he gets the job next season.
• Sign RF Milton Bradley For 1 year, $5 million - B.  This one could blow up either way for the Rangers.  Bradley could be a model citizen like Jurassic Carl was during his tenure with the Rangers or he could be a disaster and DFA'd soon after.  However, Bradley is an elite bat that is now instantly the second best outfielder on the squad and will give the lineup a temporary boost.
• Trade RHP Edinson Volquez and LHP Danny Ray Herrera To The Cincinnati Reds For CF Josh Hamilton - A-.  For all the outcry of the Rangers trading pitching, this deal does make a lot of sense.  Texas has no outfielders.  On my top 40 Rangers prospects, only two prospects in the top 20 were outfielders, both of whom were acquired this year and both of whom are not anywhere near ready.  Volquez, while he has talent, I'm beginning to think that he wasn't going to make it, long term, as his control was just too inconsistent.  The Rangers jumped at the chance of adding a impact centerfielder and Hamilton also gives the Rangers a legitimate power presence that was lost when Mark Teixeira was traded.  Plus, when Borbon is ready, the Rangers could then slide Hamilton to right field, where he'd be a solid fit.

All in all, that's my take on the Rangers' off-season activity.  This Rangers' team is vastly improved from what the Rangers ended the year with, so with some luck, the Rangers will keep things respectable, but won't contend for the most part.  However, with the kids arriving soon, the future does look like it will swing for the better.

However, Volquez's trade does leave the rotation short an arm.  What to do about that?

Playing The Free Agent Russian Roulette For Starters…

Despite the Rangers publicly saying that they will likely fill in the hole in the rotation created by the Josh Hamilton trade, I do expect the Rangers to make a play for one of the free agent starters looking for a bounce back year due to injury.  This is a good way to either waste money (which usually happens) or to cash in on a suddenly viable asset if a pitcher were to suddenly return to form (see Paul Byrd’s last stint with the Royals).   This is also meant to give two prospects, Eric Hurley and Matt Harrison, more time to develop in the minors to ensure that they won’t get torched immediately once they get promoted.  For the most part, the Rangers are doing their homework on the options available.  Mark Prior was recently shot down by the Rangers after deeming his medicals a mess along with his refusal to take a club option with his deal.  Kyle Lohse is also not going to be an option, especially when you consider just how inconsistent he was in the American League when he was in Minnesota and that his agent, Scott Boras, is going to hold out until teams get desperate and start to jump all over themselves for a pitcher.  Lohse is a option I would not take if I was Tom Hicks, nor is it a contract I would want, when you consider, again, Harrison and Hurley’s near readiness for the majors.  That means that the Rangers will be looking for a pitcher willing to take a one-year deal, likely with a club option if they can get it.  This would also rule out starters like Livan Hernandez and Josh Fogg.  With that in mind, here’s who is available:

• Jason Jennings (RHP) – Pass.  Jennings is going to get the most run because of his Baylor roots and because of his ability to pitch at hitters parks, as well as his age.  However, Jennings really is a guy without any real out pitch who can eat innings and keep you in games.  Basically, he’s the embodiment of a Number Three starter, not an ace.  With that said, he’s probably better off staying in the National League and recently, his agent has made noise that Jennings will be at full strength by opening day and isn’t going to be willing to take a one-year deal, with lots of incentives. 
• Bartolo Colon (RHP) - Already Ruled Out.  The Rangers have already ruled out Colon, who despite looking strong in winter ball so far, but apparently, not only are his medical reports a nightmare, he also wants a long term deal. 
• Freddy Garcia (RHP) – Strongly Consider, But Won’t Come To Texas.  Garcia would be an option I would consider strongly.  He has success pitching in the American League, as well as in a pitchers park, and is still reasonably in his prime as far as a starting pitcher could be considered.  However, he likely wouldn’t be an option for the Rangers for two reasons:  first off, he’s considering holding himself out of the market until June, allowing him to sell himself to the highest bidder, and second, there’s been a lot of smoke signals that he will likely end up with the Mets.
• Kris Benson (RHP) – Strongly Consider.  My crush on the wife with the big ta-ta’s aside, Benson would be what the Rangers would consider as far as a guy hoping to be brought in as a 4th/5th starter.  He’s able to keep you in games, can flash a little more at times and may be willing to take a one-year deal in an attempt to build up his value.  I’d be fine with him as a one year option in the back of the rotation.
• Roger Clemens (RHP) – Pass.  In spite of the Mitchell Allegations, Clemens may be willing to return for one more year, just to try and prove the doubters wrong in an attempt to prove that he’s clean.  Hicks may choose to consider Clemens due to his Texas roots and because Clemens was still able to dominate in games last season.  However, the negatives outside of the Mitchell investigation outweigh any benefits from Clemens.  First off, he will undoubtedly want to come back on a shortened season, which does Texas no good whatsoever, and he broke down late last year, as his body began to break down.  Finally, in spite of some dominating performances, Clemens for the most part looked average against American League lineups.  While the Rangers wouldn’t be looking for an ace, Clemens’ agents would demand a paycheck worthy of the Clemens of old, not the Clemens of the present.
• Jon Lieber (RHP) - Pass.  Lieber should stick to the NL.
• Josh Towers (RHP) - Strongley Consider.  Towers' stats, on the surface, do match up a lot to Carlos Silva, who the Mariners paid a lot for.  He's a groundball pitcher that won't walk a lot, nor strike out a lot, but he'd be a reasonable option as a fourth or fifth starter, provided that the defense keeps runs off the board.  He'd be a smart signing.
• Jamey Wright (RHP) – Last Choice.  There is always the return of the Jamey Wright experience.  Wright was tolerable as a starter for the most part and was excellent in relief.  He’s still got good stuff and may be amendable to taking another one year deal from the Rangers.  But at this point, you have to wonder if maybe it wouldn’t be better just leaving Kameron Loe back in the rotation and hoping it goes well.
• Jeff Weaver (RHP) – Oh Hell No!  This is really only here as a comparison to where the market is at.  Weaver will get consideration because he’s a live body. 
• Mike Maroth (RHP) – Are You #### Kidding Me?  Yes, the Rangers have looked at him for a possible minor league deal with a spring training invite.  No, I don’t think it’s a good idea.  The last thing the Rangers need is for a washed up vet like Maroth to take up space in the minors. 

Gerald Laird’s Situation Getting A Little Ugly

Gerald Laird’s situation is starting to get a little…annoying actually.

Two months into the off-season, Laird is still a Ranger and the situation has the potential to get ugly.  Laird has already made several comments about how he feels that the Rangers have never given him the opportunity to play full time and that it seems he has always had to fight for what he’s been able to get in the majors.

Laird could start for about ten teams and backup for another five if he were shopped, but the Rangers aren't able to find a buyer yet.  There was a mention of Laird being traded for Coco Crisp, which made sense at the time, but Boston killed the deal by changing course and demanding Eric Hurley and Luis Mendoza in the deal as well.

Texas could flip him to the Yankees, but New York would demand the Rangers accept a lesser prospect in return, or worse, demand more in return for one of them lesser prospects, which would be a good way to just #### me off.

The Mets were rumored to be interested, but rejected a trade of Laird and Benoit for Lastings Milledge.  They then traded Milledge for Brian Schneider's carcass and Ryan Church.

The Pirates would be an option, seeing as how they want Paulino out of the starting role, but what would the Pirates send back in return?  Would it be an Xavier Nady deal, with the Pirates possibly accepting Robinson Tejeda in return? 

I'll work out a more detailed list next week, as the Rangers not only need to move Laird, but need to make some decisions on other 40 Man Roster spots soon.

Draft Nugget I Missed

The Rangers have apparently scored well in Baseball America’s Draft Scores, with them receiving the second best grade of all,

The Rangers Report – Offseason Edition

Rangers Acquire Chris Shelton

First base seems to have been filled, for now.

The Rangers have acquired Chris Shelton from the Tigers, in exchange for Fast Freddy Guzman.

Shelton likely will figure into the first base/dh equation, though I think he'll more than likely be the Opening Day first baseman.  It makes no sense to sign Sean Casey for $3 million when you can instead pay Shelton more or less the major league minimum for better production.

All in all, it's a solid pickup, and Shelton will be much more useful than whatever Guzman would have provided.

Rule 5 Shennanigans

I'm a little disappointed that Texas didn't participate in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 draft, especially considering that Brian Barton was there to be had.  On the bright side, the Rangers didn't lose anyone, so there's some good news.  Texas was active in the minor league phases of the draft, nabbing several pitchers  

Overall, here's who Texas acquired:

• Levi Romero (RHP) - Not a damn thing can be found right now.
• Dustin Majewski (OF) - A former Longhorn and I believe one of Oakland's moneyball draft guys, Majewski likely is just organizational filler at this point.
• Clayton Hamilton (RHP) - Hamilton has good size and could be a solid bullpen arm in the future.  A lot of his stats from this past year must be taken with a grain of salt, as he was pitching for most of the year with a broken rib, thanks to a misdiagnosis from the Pirates.
• Jaime Trejo (3B) - Potential backup.
• Francisco Cordova.(RHP) - Ick.  Next...

Quick Hits

• Kevin Mench is likely going to be non-tendered by the Brewers.  If the Rangers are interested, they could try and bring back him back.  Mench still has fans here and for the most part would be happy to come back, but salary concerns may get in the way.  Another thing, who would he replace on the 40?

• Texas actually was in on the Andruw Jones deal, but was thwarted when Scott Boras gave Texas the runaround.  Specifically, he told Texas that it would take a longer term deal, seeing as how Jones would be switching leagues and all.  You remember, that kind of ####

• Texas has a one year contract offer with a club option out to LaTroy Hawkins, who is still looking for a two year deal from the Rockies.  Hopefully, something can get resolved soon, though I would prefer to go itnernal on the pen.  Usually, that ends up being a lot more cost effective and allows you to protect yourself in terms of being screwed over in terms of long term deals.

• Eric Gagné is still out there and apparently wouldn't mind coming back to Texas.  I'd do it, as he was a lot of fun to watch and he has his fans here.  He would also be flipped again at the deadline for more prospects, which is always nice.  Knowing the Rangers' luck, Boras will push for a full no-trade clause this time. 

• The acqustion of Andruw Jones means that Andre Ethier and potentially Juan Pierre are available.  Ethier I'm all about, as I think he'd be an above average option in left field.  Pierre is interesting, but the Dodgers would have to eat a lot of the salary for me to consider it.  Pierre isn't a great outfielder and is one of the most overrated players in the sport. 

• Apparently, the Rangers are hot and heavy after...Mark Prior?  Okay, I know that when Prior is healthy, he can easily be one of the best pitchers in baseball.  The problem is, when was the last time we could say that?

• There are some other trade options I'd be looking at, with the Astros being one of the teams I'd look at.  The Rangers need a legitiamate utilityman and Chris Burke is there for the taking.  He's a better option that Ramon Vasquez and can play any position except for catcher.  I'd ask if they'd be interested in a straight up swap for Scott Feldman.

• And, on a side note, the Rangers are debating about moving Chris Davis to right field, where his bat would not only be a good fit, but he has a strong enough arm to handle the change.  My only question about that is whether or not Davis is athletic enough to handle right field.

Top 15 Mariners Prospects up tomorrow!!!

Pirates of the Cuban-ian

It's no secret that the Pirates suck.

It's also no secret that Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a Pittsburgh native, wants to buy them.

Cuban has made inquiries, officially starting last fall, unofficially for years now, into buying the Pirates from owner Kevin McClatchy.  So far, he's been told that the team isn't for sale.

However, McClatchy should really reconsider his stance.

The Pirates have sucked for 13 (going on 14 from the looks of it) years now, since they allowed homegrown superstars Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla to leave via free agency.  And since then, the team has further slid into the #### from mismanagement, reluctance to spend on the free agent market, and terrible signings when the team does.

While there is nothing wrong with building around lower priced prospects, particularly if you're in a small market, the Pirates have let a lot of their promising talent either walk (Bonds), traded in terrible deals (Aramis Ramirez), or failed to make a space for them (Chris Shelton anyone?)  Plus, if you're receiving vast amounts of money from the revenue sharing system, there should be no reason why you shouldn't be able to offer some of those stars extensions or even making a bid for a modest free agent. 

But no, the Pirates have had one of the lowest payrolls in baseball for the years now and have largely shied away from pursuing free agents.  And as a result, the team is largely a loser, despite having some nice young talent in Zack Duke and company and in playing in one of the most beautiful ballparks in all of baseball.

Mark Cuban wouldn't allow the Pirates to continue in their current state of mediocrity.

First of all, Cuban would be a refreshing change around Pittsburgh, bringing energy, enthusiasm, and character to the largely boring Pirates.  Can you imagine seeing Cuban charge the mound in bench clearing brawls, or arguing with umpires over a bad call and getting himself tossed in the process.  That would be hilarious and would bring the fans back into the game just to see what Cuban would do. 

Plus, Cuban would bring a new drive to win with the Pirates, pouring not only the revenue sharing and profits that the owners have largely been placing back into their pockets, but millions out of his own pocket just to see the Pirates compete with the Cubs and the Astros and the Cardinals in that division.  Free agents wouldn’t shy away from Cuban, who has made pushes to sign free agents and top players for the Dallas Mavericks, turning them into one of the NBA's top franchises.

The Pirates would also lock up their developing talent long term and would play it smart in terms of trades of finances.  With a few exceptions, Cuban has done a good job as a whole of not only keeping the Mavericks competitive, but payroll flexible as well.

Fans would trickle back to the ballpark, re-engerized by their teams new ability to stay competitve in a difficult division and the Pirates would also gain new fans outside of the area as their exposure rises with more wins, new stars, and new success.

Will it happen?

Who knows?

It depends largely on McClatchy, who makes at least $15 million off of the Pirates each year and is not likely to give up that revenue stream.  And though Cuban would give a pretty penny for the team, McClatchy would lose that status that comes from being an owner of a professional team.

In which case, it likely means more losses, more depressing seasons at the bottom of the standings, and more and more lamenting about the Pirates becoming the National League version of the Kansas City Royals.

My message to fans?

Bombard the Pirates front office with letters, emails, rocks, threats of physical violence, and most importantly, threats of cancelling your season tickets.

Let the management know you want a change and will not continue to subsidize a loser.

Tell them you want a new sheriff in town.

I'm sure they have Mark on speed dial.