According to Evan Grant, Jason Jennings may be a Ranger in the relatively near future.
My take on that?
I figured that the Rangers would be signing a pitcher soon, as Texas has never been one to rely on a lot of youth in the rotation as far as unproven pitchers are concerned (and, despite their service time, McCarthy and Gabbard are still relatively unproven). With Edinson Volquez now a Red, Texas was almost certain to look for a high upside vet to take over the three or four spot, depending on who it was.
The question is, is Jennings that?
Jennings was the youngest of the broken pitchers category, having undergone surgery to fix a torn flexor tendon and was said to be ready for Spring Training. However, Jennings doesn’t have the greatest control, seeing his K to Walk Ratio over the past few years and he doesn’t have a legitimate out pitch. He was remarkably durable, however, and does do a good job of inducing groundballs. Provided that Young and Kinsler are on their toes when he pitches, he could be effective. He also has experience pitching in a worse pitcher’s park than Texas in Colorado.
And, if the Rangers are out of it and Jennings is effective, he could be flipped for a young player ready to help the Rangers, perhaps an outfielder or a third baseman (as Chris Davis is inevitably going to move to first, in spite of the Rangers possibly looking to move him to right field.)
The only real question is whether or not Jennings can make it in the AL. The lineups are deeper and he doesn’t have the benefit of cruising through the lower third of the lineup, which is always a problem for NL Pitchers. Nonetheless, it’s a low risk move that could pay dividends.
Catching Situation Sorting Itself Out...In A Way
It looks like the Rangers are planning on keeping Gerald Laird, at least until midseason or until the end Spring Training should someone need a starter for the simple reason that they feel his value is at a low. It also looks like, with the recent signing of Adam Melhuse to a minor league deal with a spring training invite, that the Rangers are planning on sending Jarrod Saltalamacchia down to Oklahoma to start the season, with the intent of flipping Laird at the deadline and calling Salty back then.
In a way, it might be for the best, considering that Atlanta may have rushed Salty up to the minors and Texas kept him up here to fill in the hole left at first by Teixiera leaving town. However, I thought that Laird would have had a lot more value around the league. The two spots I thought might have worked out were:
Boston – Laird could have backed up Jason Varitek before being asked to take on starting catching duties. And Texas could have netted Coco Crisp. That was the idea that was going on until Boston reversed course and demanded Eric Hurley, Luis Mendoza and C.J. Wilson back in return.
Mets – Here was another spot that I felt would work, as Laird would have been a cheap option for Minaya, and return could have netted Texas Lastings Milledge. Instead, Milledge was sent to Washington for Brian Schneider. Weirdness.
Other Transactions
Jamey Wright is close to signing a Minor League deal with a spring training invite with Texas, bringing him back to the team. Wright was mediocre as a starter, but was solid as a reliever, though his amount of walks worries me. Still, Wright is a good guy to have in the swingman role, though a cheaper option would be to use Kameron Loe in that role, which would be a cheaper decision to use.
Another thing, the signing of Eddie Guardado (and have been for the last month, apparently), but here’s the problem. Guardado is likely going to sign a major league deal, meaning another move must be made on the 40 Man roster, which recently saw the departure of Bill White to make room for Kazuo Fukumori. My guess is that the next to go is Nelson Cruz, followed then by either Jason Botts or Travis Metcalf.
Normally I love the guys from Baseball Prospectus and their various takes on the world of Baseball, but there are times when I do take issue with some of the opinions they write.
Like this recent piece that Joe Sheehan, writing for SI.com, indicating five trades that need to happen raised my ire. Sheehan's words are in italics, mine are normal.
Red Sox trade CF Coco Crisp to the White Sox for 1B Chris Carter. Boston must unload Crisp, who was supplanted as the team's centerfielder by Jacoby Ellsbury during the ALCS. The Red Sox' every-day lineup is set for 2008, but they could use some depth among their hitting prospects as they move toward the end of the Manny Ramirez -- David Ortiz era. The White Sox are focused on the short term, as shown by their extending the contracts of veterans Jermaine Dye and Mark Buehrle. So 20-year-old first baseman Carter, who was third in the Class A Sally League with 25 homers, is expendable. Getting Crisp, 28, who is owed a very reasonable $11 million over the next two years, at a down moment would be smart shopping.
I would almost agree with this if the Red Sox on record hadn't already said they would target high talent in the lower minors. With that in mind, the Red Sox would be more likely to target Faustino De Los Santos, a impact righthander in the White Sox's Low A affiliate. That would probably kill the trade.
A more plausible trade would likely be with Texas, who could offer a young arm in Jake Brigham, a highly projectable right hander who is similar to Sox prospect Michael Bowden, or the Dodgers, who have a load of ammunition they could offer in return.
Rockies trade 3B Garrett Atkins to the Twins for RHPs Anthony Swarzak and Eduardo Morlan. Ian Stewart (.304/.379/.478 at Triple A Colorado Springs) is ready to take over at third base for Colorado, which should be looking to add strikeout pitchers to a staff heavy on contact guys. Minnesota has a glut of young pitchers and desperately needs to add a bat to help Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. Swarzak, 22, a starter who projects as a mid-rotation guy, is buried in the Twins' system. Morlan, 21, struck out 12.6 men per nine innings as a reliever in high A ball and could be a 2008 version of closer Manny Corpas.
Actually, I'm all about that trade. Sheehan nails this one. It will never happen, however, as Minnesota stockpiles arms and never uses them, which has possibly killed several trades that could have helped the team. Another thing is that Atkins is untradable thanks to the recent success and the fan backlash may not be desirable to the Rox. Stewart is more likely to be traded and he could fetch a solid young arm in a trade. One trade likely to be bandied about: Stewart to New York for Ian Kennedy.
Orioles trade SS Miguel Tejada to the Blue Jays for OF Adam Lind, RHP Brandon League and LHP David Purcey. The Blue Jays' window is fast closing since they'll lose the services of Troy Glaus, A.J. Burnett and Frank Thomas after 2008. With the Yankees going through a transition, it may be '08 or never for the J.P. Ricciardi regime. Tejada would give Toronto a big offensive boost over the current shortstop, glove man John McDonald. The rebuilding Orioles won't get the Jays' best prospect (outfielder Travis Snider), but they would get three major-league-ready guys, at low cost.
Not Happening. The Orioles could probably get a lot more for Tejada than Lind, a solid outfielder, Purcey, a okay, but not great lefty, and League, a setup man. If they really wanted to shop Tejada, they could probably get something better from the Angels, likely 3B Brandon Wood, a Troy Glaus-esque third baseman and RHP Ervin Santana, who could be an ace if he gets out of LA. A third prospect, possible Reggie WIllits, could go back in return and could be passable in center if they so chose.
Another option would be the Dodgers, who could sent back a package of CF Juan Pierre, 3B Andy LaRoche, and LF Andre Etheir. EIther option would be a lot better than what Sheehan offers in his column.
Brewers trade SS Alcides Escobar to the Rangers for 3B Hank Blalock. Milwaukee could then move Ryan Braun, the first third baseman in 14 years with a sub-.900 fielding percentage, to rightfield, rightfielder Corey Hart to center and centerfielder Bill Hall to third base, where he'd platoon with Blalock, another high-split guy. That would put two players, Braun and Hall, in positions where they're better suited, while stretching Hart slightly. Blalock would provide a key lefty bat for a team that lists to the right. Meanwhile, with Escobar, 20, Texas G.M. Jon Daniels would add to his collection of prospects a glove-first shortstop who could eventually move Michael Young to third base.
Won't happen. The Rangers already have a highly projectable shortstop in Elvis Andrus and a similar version of Escobar in Joaquin "The Machine" Arias. They'd be more likely to add someone else that could play centerfield, or a highly projectable athlete. If the Rangers were to trade Blalock, which likely won't happen because Blalock's value is low, they'd target someone like Crisp, actually, though a more realistic option would likely be Luke Scott of the Astros, who reporteldy have been thinking about using Wigginton at second.
Indians trade SS Jhonny Peralta to the Cubs for OF Matt Murton and RHP Sean Gallagher. Rather than move Peralta to second or third base to make room for Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland should trade him near the peak of his value for a much-needed corner-outfielder bat. The Cubs made do with fan fave Ryan Theriot at short this year, but Peralta, 25, is a clear upgrade. His below-average defense with the Tribe wouldn't be as much of a liability with the Cubs' high-strikeout, fly ball staff.
First of all, I don't think that Gallagher would be a good fit for the Jake, or the AL for that matter, so he's out. Murton is a solid outfielder, but the Indians have David Dellucci on the team and rather than admit they made a mistake and move on, they'll likely stick him in left field next season as the starter. Nice try, but this deal would be a disaster for the Indians, who would get a player with the same upside as Cliff Lee. I really don't see why this would work out.
Tomorrow night, I'll post my own trades that should be done.
Bah, work blocked Foxsports.com. Fortunately, my laptop came in and it is sweet. Windows Vista does take some getting used to, however.
Anyhow, here's what I was going to post on Friday. The Rangers Report will be up later.
So, to borrow from Will Carrol, powered by Dell, onto the show...
On The Block – Jon Garland
I decided to bring back On The Block, partially because I missed doing it, partially because the trade market has become a bigger factory nowadays, especially since free agency is starting to suck in terms of sexy names. It just won't appear as often. So, let's check it out.
The Why: Garland has actually been heavily shopped as far as last off-season, and was mentioned in a trade to Texas (for John Danks and Nick Masset, which ultimately was done for Brandon McCarthy) and was nearly traded to the Astros for Jason Hirsh, Wily Taveras, and Taylor Buchholz (until Kenny Williams blew the deal by asking for Hunter Pence at the last minute, when the deal was done.) Now, however, there is more of a movement to move Garland, who is entering his walk year and has been displaced in the rotation by Javier Vazquez and Mark Buehrle, the Sox’s two co-aces. Garland himself has already announced that he doesn't expect to be in Pale Hose next season.
The Rumored Asking Price: Apparently, all that Williams is asking for is two relievers, though one of them has to be a proven commodity and needs to have closer potential. Evidently, Williams feels that he was burned when he acquired Masset, Andy Sisco, and David Aardsma.
Can A Trade Be Done: Yes. With the coming winter being bare in starting pitching, Garland, despite a bit of a collapse after the All Star break, will be very attractive, especially with that asking price, which is likely going to be improved upon as the market develops.
The Good: Garland has proven to be a major league innings eater, something that is becoming quite valueable with pitchers spending more and more time on the DL due to various ailments. However, one other thing that makes Garland attractive is that he is a groundball pitcher and keeps the ball in the park, a benefit for many teams, especially those that have homer friendly parks. Overall, he’d be a quality middle of the rotation guy for most of the teams around the league.
Potential Hang-ups:
Money –Garland is due $12 million dollars in his final year.
Health – The only other one I can think of is that the two White Sox pitchers moved last off-season, McCarthy and Freddy Garcia, have both spent time on the DL, making one wonder if Garland may be headed to the DL at some point in the season.
Kenny Williams – Williams is ambitious to a fault. No, that's not quite right. I feel he tries to screw you as royally as possible (which is why the Astro deal imploded). He's not a stupid man by any means, I just think that he tries to go for the big splash far too often.
Potential Suitors – In Alphabetical Order
Arizona Diamondbacks –The Dbacks have a surplus of talent in the farm system and lack any sort of reliable starting pitching coming into next year, with both Doug Davis and Livan Hernandez heading into free agency. Plus, as a sinkerballer, Garland will thrive with a Gold Glove caliber middle infield behind him.
Colorado Rockies – Rumor has it that the Rockies could offer Brian Fuentes in exchange for Garland, in an attempt to make the salaries balance out. It’s going to take a lot more than that in my opinion, as Williams won't take a one year rental of Fuentes. He'll probably insist on 3B Ian Stewart in the deal as well (who would fill a hole, allowing Williams to trade current 3B Joe Crede for the actual relief help) or 23 year-old reliever Juan Morillo, who has closer potential and, according to Baseball America, was reportedly clocked at 104 mph a few years back, to complete the deal. There could be something here.
Houston Astros – Ah yes, the Astros. While I don't think the Stros need another starter (They could have a decent rotation of Oswalt, Backe, Williams, Wandy, and Sampson next year, which isn't bad), ownership may decide that they don't trust the young kids enough to compete, which would be a shame. However, a deal involving Chad Qualls and RHP Paul Estrada, who many feel is a closer in the making, would work, though the Astros would likely insist on a window to negotiate a contract extension.
Los Angeles Dodgers – The Dodgers may need some pitching depth, depending on how Derek Lowe and Jason Schmidt are doing, along with the troubles that have come with Esteban Loaiza. Garland not only could be a horse in that lineup, he would also allow them to acquire a pair of picks by letting Garland leave. While Kenny Williams would likely demand Jonathan Broxton in any deal, the Dodgers could instead offer him Rafael Furcal and Takashi Saito, filling two needs at once, along with allowing the Dodgers to allow their top shortstop prospect, Chin-lung Hu, to move into Furcal’s place at short.
New York Mets – El Duque is likely done, leaving a potential rotation of Glavine, Martinez, Maine, and Perez, with some semblance of Mike Pelfrey or Philip Humber attempting to be the fifth starter. Minaya likes to go for the big splash and, to be fair, Garland isn't a bad fit here. However, New York doesn't have anything that fits with what Williams was asking for, unless a deal can be done for Aaron Heilman and Humber/Pelfrey.
Seattle Mariners – Oddly enough, I do like the fit here with the Mariners. Garland would move to a nice, spacious ballpark, would have an excellent infield defense behind him with Gold Glove candidates everywhere but first and he'd be an improvement over Horacio Ramirez, likely to be a non-tender candidate this winter. One problem - The Mariners won't trade Brandon Morrow, who would likely have to be a part of any deal to work, though the Mariners could intrigue Williams by offering him Wladimir Valentin, a young outfield prospect that could handle centerfield, but would be a supurb outfield corner thanks to his huge power potential.
If I Had To Make A Deal - I would do the following:
Seattle Gets - RHP Jon Garland
Chicago Gets - OF Wladimir Valentin (he's blocked anyway PF), LHP Eric O'Flaherty, RHP Sean Green
It's not a sexy trade, but it gives Chicago some decent relief help in the bullpen while giving them a potential centerfielder of the future, since it's looking like Ryan Sweeney's power won't ever come and that he might now be able to handle center.
Having to scrap the additions to the 40 man for now, but I’ve instead need to work on something else.
September Call Ups.
Here’s who we could see up for the Rangers after September 1st.
Armando Galarraga (RHP) – The big fish of the group, Galarraga was the third prospect traded in the Alfonso Soriano trade, Galarraga had a poor 2006 season, mostly after trying to recover from heavy workloads as well as being fresh of Tommy John. He’s since become beastly for both the Frisco Roughriders and the Oklahoma Redhawks and was even considered to be named the starter on Saturday until it was decided Jamey Wright would play. He’ll likely be a part of the odd six man rotation idea that the Rangers have going.
A.J. Murray (RHP) – The Bullpen can use another lefty and Murray is showing signs of improvement. There’s also the possibility that he could begin to get work as a starter, as that’s how the organization views him long term.
Edinson Volquez (RHP) – Simply put, Volquez has had a excellent season and deserves a shot to prove that he’s ready to finally be a viable rotation option and not simply just a intriguing arm that can’t get it done.
Chris Stewart (C) – Stewart will be the third catcher and will be auditioning for the backup role next year.
Victor Diaz (RF) – Diaz is also on the hot seat and needs to prove that he’s ready to mash at the big league level. He could make life difficult to Nelson Cruz in the coming days, especially if he really tears it up.
Freddy Guzman (CF) – Another guy fighting for his job, Guzman needs to prove he’s worth his 40 Man spot, otherwise he’ll be DFA’d and tried to pass through waivers.
Centerfield In Texas
Though the Rangers have had some good work in centerfield from Marlon Byrd, the Rangers could use an upgrade in centerfield. I’m not sure Byrd can sustain this rate and he’s a much worse player outside of Rangers Ballpark.
So, is there any available options out there to help improve?
One route is externally. The Rangers could try to acquire one of the free agent centerfielders in the market this off-season, with Andruw Jones, Mike Cameron, Aaron Rowand, and Corey Patterson, with Japanese import Kosuke Fukudome behind them all. Signing any of them except for Fukudome would result in the loss of a second round pick (as the Rangers’ 1st rounder is all but assured to be a Top 5.)
A better option would be to pursue a trade option, with three options available in the East in Boston’s Coco Crisp, New York’s Johnny Damon and Tampa’s Rocco Baldelli.
Crisp is one year away from free agency and he has prospect Jacoby Ellsbury breathing down his neck for the job. Boston could look at unloading Crisp to make room for Ellsbury and use the savings to improve other parts of the offense or bullpen if they so desire. I’m not sure why type of trade could be reached, but maybe the Rangers could make a deal if the parts are unable to match. The price shouldn’t be exorbant because Crisp only has one more year left on his deal. Then again, this deal could backfire, considering that the Rangers would be in the same boat next year.
Damon is also an option, as he can play center to a certain extent and could be rested by Byrd or Murphy if need be. He’s locked in for two more years and by the time he’s ready, centerfield prospect Julio Borbon could be ready to take over. The problem here is that New York would seek to cash in on Damon similar to how they cashed in on Sheffield last year. I’m not sure that Texas is willing to give up some of their lower level prospects, and certainly not Chris Davis, a slugging third baseman that may be moved to first that is near ready, and would be someone New York would covet. Plus, Damon could veto the deal and he’s beginning to decline.
Baldelli is another option, as he has an affordable contract and can hit in the middle of the order. He’s a strong defender as well. The problem with the Baldelli hasn’t played much over the last five years and has more injury issues than Damon. And while he might not cost as much as Damon (thanks to the Devil Rays now having a set outfield of Young, Upton and Crawford), there isn’t any proof that the Baldelli can stay healthy.
The Rangers could try to work some type of four man outfield, depending on who stays. The Rangers currently need to figure out what to do with the mass amount of outfielders they have on the roster right now. Frank Catalonotto, Victor Diaz, Byrd, Murphy, and Nelson Cruz all need playing time and if the Rangers are to acquire Baldelli or another centerfielder, they need to move one or both of Diaz or Cruz to allow regular time for Catalonotto, Byrd and Murphy along with the assumed acquisition of Baldelli.
Washington Wants A “Natural” First Baseman
Texas needs a regular first baseman. Right now, Texas has a #### combination of Frank Catalanotto, Brad Wilkerson and Saltalamacchia sharing time, but the Rangers want a regular first baseman, one that has experience as the position. And of those three, Cat can’t play the infield anymore, Salty’s catching full time next year and Wiffy is likely history. Washington has made it clear however, that he wants a natural first baseman for next season.
Which leaves the trade market?
Anyone available that the Rangers could pursue?
Some. Here are the best options right now:
Nomar Garciaparra (Trade – Dodgers). The Dodgers appear to have bitten off more than they could chew by bringing Garciaparra back this season instead of simply allowing him to leave this off-season. While the financial commitment to Nomar isn’t big, he’s blocking James Loney, who should be playing first from now on, and is blocking Andy LaRoche, who should be playing third. Nomar could put up big numbers in Arlington and may accept a trade to Texas (his wife, Mia, is from here) and could be guaranteed a place to play. It would be a worthwhile gamble for one year, after which the Rangers could promote Chris Davis to play first for one more year.
Adam LaRoche (Trade – Pirates). The Pirates could be interested to trade LaRoche to the Rangers after the improvement of prospect Steven Pearce, who could provide roughly what LaRoche has given them this season at a fraction of the price. Honestly, this deal does make some sense, as not only would it allow the Pirates to get less expensive, it would also allow them to acquire a package of players in exchange. I would likely start a package built around Laird, a young catcher that could benefit in the NL, plus would allow him to split time with Robby Paulino. A package of Luis Mednoza, Laird, and maybe Joaquin Arias or Elvis Andrus might do it. Then again, it’s the Pirates, and for all I know, they would do it for Laird straight up or as a way to get rid of the carcass of Matt Morris.
Todd Helton (Trade – Rockies). This deal could be done, since the Rockies are just looking to get Helton’s contract off the books and were willing to do it for relief help last year. The Rangers again might be able to do it for a package revolving around Laird, who would love his new home, along with a package of Mendoza, Scott Feldman, and change. Maybe. The big issue would be getting Helton to waive his no trade.
Chad Tracy (Trade – Diamondbacks). Tracy was reportedly offered to the Rangers in a potential Mark Teixeira deal, but the deal didn’t progress enough beyond the “WTF? That’s It?” stage. Tracy’s stock is down enough that the Rangers would consider a deal and he wouldn’t be expensive. The only issue is whether or not the rumors are true that Tracy’s body is deteriorating and that he might not be able to play for much longer. Interestingly enough, the Rangers have a prospect of the same name. Imagine the hillarity if both players made the active roster in the same year.
Hank Blalock (Positional Move). There are some worries that Hank Blalock may not be able to throw to first anymore and may not be able to recover from his recent surgery and be able to play third base. So, there has been talk about using Travis Metcalf, a smooth defender with some offensive promise, and moving Hank to First. Hey, at least it wouldn’t be expensive…
Nick Johnson (Trade – Nationals). Nick Johnson is done for the year and doubtful for Spring Training, but with the Nationals making a commitment to Dmitri Young, the Nats’ former first baseman is now likely to be shopped in a trade. Johnson is attractive in that he’s a solid defender, makes hard contact and hits with some power and is generally regarded to be a good clubhouse guy. But how healthy is he and is he ready to play? And will Jim Bowden be crazy enough to demand two top prospects like he did for Young at the deadline and Chad Cordero?
Dan Johnson (Trade – Athletics). It’s not that farfetched that the Rangers could do a trade with their interdivision rivals. Laird came from the Athletics, as did John Rheinnecker, so obviously Beane has no problem trading in the division. Johnson is a candidate to be non-tendered, as he’s out of options and has cooled off since his hot start after returning to the big league club. I would think a deal would be done where it wouldn’t be too expensive and the deal wouldn’t bite the Rangers in the future. Then again, they could always try to get him after he’s nontendered and not have to send Oakland ####, so we’ll see.
Sean Casey (FA – Tigers). Casey isn’t coming back after this season, as the Tigers are looking for a shortstop to allow them to move to Carlos Guillen to first base in order to reduce the wear on his body. Casey is a capable defender, but offensively, he doesn’t offer much, which is a shame, as he seems to be a genuinely nice guy.
Before You Ask, No Pitching!!!
Before you go into the usual “The Rangers Need Pitching” mantra, no they don’t. Here’s the rotation coming into next year.
Kevin Millwood (RHP)
Brandon McCarthy (RHP)
Kason Gabbard (LHP)
Vicente Padilla (RHP)
Fifth Starter
That’s actually not a bad rotation. Millwood has improved greatly after a rough start to the season and McCarthy and Gabbard look like they will have bright futures. Padilla is having a rough season, but with some rest and work, he should be okay as the 4th man in the rotation. There are also a lot of potential fifth starters that could potentially knock Padilla to the 5th spot if he’s not careful. The Rangers will have Kameron Loe John Rheinecker and Edinson Volquez that can capably fill the spot, plus potentially Eric Hurley, Armando Galarraga, Luis Mendoza, Doug Mathis, and Josh Rupe waiting in Triple A for a shot.
There are enough internally options here, enough potential starting pitchers that can be 3rd or 4th guys (with Hurley capable of being a 1) that the Rangers have the luxery of building a staff from within. Hell, after the years they have had, Galarraga and Mendoza could become coveted trade chips this season after doing well in Double and Triple A.
And with the off-season’s best starters looking like a Livan Hernandez and Julian Tavarez, I’m not sold on building externally, especially if it will cost a draft pick.
Potential Trade With Detroit On The Way
The Rangers are discussing trading an outfielder to the Detroit Tigers, who are looking for bench help. The two trade targets are believed to be Brad Wilkerson or Frank Catalonotto, both of whom have cleared waivers and can be traded to anyone. Of the two, Wiffy is the one most likely to be traded, as he’s a short term commitment that wouldn’t require much of value exchanged. As for Cat, he’s next year’s starting left fielder and he’s on a tear, but the money involved would be prohibitive.
Rangers Notes (Majors)
Part of why Willie Eyre has been destroyed as of late is apparently due to injury. Eyre will be undergoing Tommy John Surgery and will be out of commission till 2009 at the earliest. The Rangers won’t be picking up the tab for him to remain on the roster and he’ll likely be non-tendered.
One of the best things John Daniels did was not to Sign Gary Matthews Jr. For 5 years, $50 million and instead sign Lofton to his one year, $6 million deal. The Matthews’ deal was stupid back then and is stupider now, as Matthews has regressed to his old form, that of a fourth outfielder that isn’t good enough to play center, but can’t hit enough to be an outfield corner. Matthews also ranks last in Zone Rating among all AL centerfielders. Meanwhile, Lofton was a excellent defender here and was flipped for a solid young catching prospect, Max Ramirez, who is regarded to be a franchise catcher. Add in the two draft picks gained for Matthews that brought in Michael Main and Evan Reed and the Rangers made out like bandits.
Next Week On The Rangers Report - Breaking Down The AFL Candidates, As Well As Naming My Minor League Players Of The Year.
Jason Jennings is done for the year, according to the Astros' offical website. Jennings has sustained damange to his pitching elbow and will undergo surgery in order to repair the damage. He hopes to return sometime next year.
This was a bad trade from the get go and one that the Astros surely regret now.
It's also exposed two things about the Astros, which should have been taken in mind:
The Misguided Concept Of Being In Contention. The Astros fogired that they would be able to contend again this year, after seeing the losses sustained by St. Louis. They did, however, ignore the improvements of both Milwaukee and Chicago and maybe were counting on one last little bit of magic to make the run at the end of the year. They also felt a bit too much faith in their current club, which had holes as of last semester and many of them went untouched in the Astros' attempt to rebuild themselves.
The Misakes In Evaluating Talent And Improvements. The Astros also failed to properly assess their own in house supply of talent. The Astros didn't have the confidence in Andy Pettitte's elbow to hold up and they also didn't value Hirsh highly enough to actually give him a shot in the rotation. They also pinned a great deal of hopes and dreams on Jason Lane and Morgan Ensberg regaining their All-Star forms of 2005, which is rapidly looking to be an anomoly instead of a breakout.
This only adds the icing to the cake of the disaster that is the 2007 Astros season.
The team has virtually self destructed. The bullpen, once a strength, is now visably weakened, despite the re-emergence of Brad Lidge. The lineup, despite the additions of Lee and Pence, hasn't produced much, with Chris Burke's, Brad Ausmus', Adam Everett's and Craig Biggio's amenic bats contributing to a low of the problem.
Hirsh was developed into what Jennings once was, Taveras has established himself as the Rockies' everyday centerfielder and is having a breakout year. Buchholz has been serviceable as a swingman and will likely succeed in that role.
In exchange, the Astros have not only lost a set of valuable players in exchange for a bill of false goods, they've also lost their draft picks thanks to the Lee and Williams signings and weren't even able to sign their top two draft picks. This doesn't supply any talent to an already taxed farm system that is devoid of almost any impact talent whatsoever.
I though that Tim Purpura was a smart man and was willing to give him a shot. Maybe the GM of the team knew more about his own players than I did and he was selling high on a set of questioanble group.
Nearly six months later, this trade stacks up against time.
Okay, I've now begun to lose my patience with the "World Wide Leader."
I have an ESPN membership, mostly because I greatly enjoy Keith Law's work on ESPN and his chats are usually informative and filled with humor.
But the rest of the analysts on ESPN's baseball coverage, notably Peter Gammons and Buster Olney, have begun to draw my ire as of late, mostly because of Gammons' bias toward the Northeast Corridor and Olney's constant Ranger bashing and his constant citing of his "time in New York." (Note To Buster: You last covered the Yankees as a beat report in 2000. It's been almost seven years. Get over it.)
But Jayson Stark has really pissed me off today, mostly because of this following column. Starks are in Bold, mine are standard.:
More Rumblings: The Texas two-step
What team has the biggest names to sell off this month? Everyone agrees it's the Rangers. But the Rangers' asking price for Teixeira, Eric Gagne, Akinori Otsuka and everyone else has been so off the charts, an official of one team predicts: "The way they're going right now, I don't think they'll make a trade -- any trade."
Okay, usually the first thing you do in any negotiation is state your terms. Once you've stated the terms, you try and negotiate into a happy medium that both sides are happy with.
In this case, J.D. approached the negotaition like normal, and was lowballed enough that things haven't progressed at all towards the desired happy medium. Daniels has stated live during Newberg Night at the Ballpark that a lot of the offers he's gotten have absolutely sucked. If I were him, I'm not going to do a trade, just to do a trade. I don't want your ####. I want value. If you're not willing to give up something of value, then we have nothing to discuss and I'll take the draft pick compensation for Gagne in 2007 and Teixeira in 2008. It makes no difference to me.
An official of another team that has been talking to Texas says: "Here's how they're thinking: Take a guy like Otsuka. They basically traded Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez for Otsuka, right?
Uhhh, No. The Rangers traded Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez for Otsuka and half a season of Adam Eaton.
Well, how does that look now? So you think they could take back, like, one B-level prospect for Otsuka and sell that to their fans when they traded two All-Stars for him?
Depends who the B level prospect is and how he's valued. Who is this mysterious GM? I want to know who the prospect is that they're offering. If it's ####, I'll #### crucify your ####.
We might look at him as a set-up man. But that's how they look at him. So it's going to be tough."
What was the offer? Come on Stark, you're holding out. If this mystery GM has disclosed the offer, publish it, let the public decide if it was a #### offer or not? Is this Doug Melvin? Is this that #### deal for Tony Gywnn Jr. that failed to go down? Tony Gywnn Jr. is a joke.
Then there's Eric Gagne.
A deal that has been hammered by ESPN but has actually worked out rather well.
A team trading for him could owe him close to $6 million for the rest of the year, between his salary and games-finished incentives. The only big-market contenders his contract allows him to get traded to are the Red Sox, Angels and Yankees. And he won't waive his no-trade to go anywhere else unless he becomes the closer, because it could cost him millions of dollars in incentives.
He shouldn't. It's just business. And besides, Gagne is a solid closer and is better than several of the following options that Stark is about to name.
So what contenders could even consider making him their closer? Maybe The Phillies or the Cubs.
And those teams have other reasons not to deal for him. So the Rangers are facing a very limited market.
And he's right. Here's why:
Philies: Nothing to offer.
Braves: Don't want to give up anything of value.
Cubs: Also have nothing to offer and don't want to give up anything particularly useful. No, I don't want Cesar Iztruis types.
"If it were me running their team, I'd already have gone out and made the best deal for that guy I could have made," says an official of one team that inquired and gave up.
Thank god you aren't because god knows what this happy #### would have done.
"And that's just because of the injury factor. Would it surprise you if you woke up tomorrow and found out Eric Gagne's hip was sore, or his back, or his knee, and he was going on the DL? It wouldn't surprise me. So I'd move him while he's healthy if I were them."
As I've said before, you make the best deal necessary and sell while his value his high. It's not there yet. Give it another week.
One team to watch if Gagne softens that I-have-to-close stance: Detroit.
And here's where the column about the Rangers ends. And why should he soften his stance with Detroit. Do you mean to tell me that Gagne is a lesser closer than Todd Jones?
Why Coco Crisp is not long in Boston, why J.P. Riccardi is a horrible GM that should have been fired a long time ago, 2007 Free Agent Pitchers (Part 1 of 3) and the Royals' Rookie Closer.
Coco Not Long In Beantown
Tired of Coco Crisp yet Boston?
Don't worry. He won't be there for long.
Simply put, for two reasons:
Andruw Jones is a free agent after this season
Jacoby Ellsbury has reached Triple A
Crisp has long been seen as a stopgap for Ellsbury, who is an OBP machine in the minors and looks to be the second coming of Johnny Damon in the Red Sox system. He's a excellent centerfielder with speed, plate discipline, and insticts in the outfield. And at this point in time, there's going to be a desire to see him sooner rather than later in Crisp continues to struggle.
As for Jones, Jones was pursued by Boston last season and was almost dealt for until the Red Sox balked at the Braves' demand for Jon Lester to be included in the deal. With Jones nearing Free Agency and the Braves not likely to bring him back, he would be a excellent addition in the short term for the Red Sox, who could play him in center for one year while Ellsbury remains in Triple A for one more year. Afterward, the Red Sox would allow Manny Ramirez to leave, then promote Ellsbury to center while allowing Jones to slide over to left field, where the overall Boston Defense would improve. Jones would also serve as protection for Ortiz in the lineup, as his bat is just as potent as Ramirez'
Crisp in the meantime, would be quite attractive as a trade chip to teams needing a centerfielder and would net another prospect for the Red Sox, who need a third baseman who can succeed Mike Lowell.
It's not a trade rumor, it's simply an obersvation that bears watching.
J.P. Ricciardi - A Disaster That Walks Like A Man
Apologies to the Daily Show for the tagline, but it fits Toronto's hapless GM. For some reason or another, ownership is steadfastly standing by their GM, even though he's probably done far more harm to the organization than good, in terms of his wheeling and dealing.
Let's rewind a bit. The Blue Jays dominated the American League in the early 90's, winning the World Series in 1992 and 1993, but had to jetison most of the team because of the strike and a decline in fan base. The team worked itself back to try and rebuild itself from within, but the process cost then GM Gord Ash his job. Ricciardi, then one of Billy Beane's lieutenants in Oakland, had made a name for himself as Oakland's director of personnel and was given the job.
Since then, Ricciardi has made some severely questionable decisions, in terms of the talent brought in and given away. Here are the players Toronto has brought in that have made any sort of impact that are still on the roster:
B.J. Ryan (LHP) - The O's former closer had an All Star caliber season before his Tommy John procedure cost him his season and Ricciardi's credability.
Troy Glaus (3B) - Obtained in a trade with Arizona and probably one of the few trades where Toronto may have gotten the better deal.
Lyle Overbay (1B) - Brought in to counterbalance Glaus. A minor deal, really.
A.J. Burnett (RHP) -
And here's who's gone, by trade or by free agency:
Michael Young (SS) - Traded for Esteban Loaiza. Loaiza was average in Toronto and left via free agency. Despite his slump, he's done far better than any of the Toronto Shortstops they've fielded.
Ted Lilly (LHP) - This capable lefty wasn't shown enough love to stay with the Jays. Now he's knocking them down in Chicago.
Felipe Lopez (SS/2B) - Traded to Cincinatti, I wonder how Toronto would be fared with a infield combination of Young and Lopez instead of what they're running out right now.
Orlando Hudson (2B) - A smooth second baseman, Hudson has a decent bat that provides depth to the lineup. The DBacks send their thank yous.
Miguel Batista (RHP) - Oooh, another starting pitcher that's far better than what Toronto has right now.
Dave Bush (RHP) - Milwaukee says Thanks Again.
Carlos Delgado (1B) - A face of the franchise, Delgado was simply allowed to walk. Terrible.
Justin Speier (RHP) - A solid relief pitcher that helped cement the bullpen. He was also allowed to walk and all the Jays got was the Angels' second round draft pick.
Chris Carpenter (RHP) - Drafted by the organization and was let go. Found stardom in St. Louis.
Kelvim Escobar (RHP) - Another player allowed to leave, became a solid starter for the Angels.
Cory Lidle (RHP) - The late Corey Lidle had success in the Blue Jays and then was also allowed to leave.
Mark Hendrickson (RHP) - Traded to Tampa Bay, Hendrickson is actually a decent starter, who Toronto could use right now.
Ouch, that a lot of talent to let go, especially when you consider that many of these players would have helped Toronto compete in the short and long term and may have severely affected the race of the AL East and the American League as a whole.
But, the counterarguement is that in Oakland, the team has found ways of competeing in spite of losses of talent, for the draft pick compensation would result in high quality players that would help the big league club contribute immediately. Such a strategy would work for Toronto, right?
Not exactly.
Here's the rundown of Ricciardi's drafts, which have been focused mostly on college players, and the players that have Toronto has passed on that have become productive major leaguers. It should be noted that the two franchise cornerstone players, Vernon Wells and Roy Halladay, were not drafted by Ricciardi, but rather by the previous regime.
2002 - Russ Adams. Passed On: Scott Kazmir (Mets), Nick Swisher (Oakland), Cole Hamels (Philly), Jeff Francouer (Atlanta), Joe Blanton (Oakland), Matt Cain (Giants).
2003 - Aaron Hill. Passed On: Chad Cordero (Nationals), Brandon Wood (Angels), Chad Billingsley (Dodgers)
2004 - David Purcey, Zach Johnson. Passed On: Josh Fields (White Sox), Philip Hughes (Yankees), Eric Hurley (Rangers), Huston Street (Oakland)
2005 - Ricky Romero. Passed On: Troy Tulowitzki, Mike Pelfrey, Cameron Maybin, Andrew McCutcheon, Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Garza,
2006 - Travis Snyder.
Of all of these drafts, the Jays have let better players fall past them in order to draft college talent that they figured would have less of a change of a bust potential. Of all of Ricciardi's drafts, only Snyder looks like he'll become anything special and allow Hamels and Cain to slip past them, along with Street, Garza and others, make Ricciardi's draft decisions look questionable at best.
Typically, it takes 5 years for it to see i####eneral Manager is working out or not for a franchise, as that is how long it takes for the talent development department for the team in order to bring up the fruits of the draft to the big league club. Toronto hasn't done that and has hemmoraged more talent away from the club than it has to brought into it. Toronto has misjudged their own free agent decisions, either by time, evaluation or money and the result has been a loss of players that the Jays had to keep around if they wanted to remain competitive. I know Toronto isn't made of money like their other AL Rivals, but there is a point in time where you need to hold onto your own homegrown players, otherwise the drain on your club can become overpowering.
2007 Free Agency - Starting Pitchers (Fours And Fives)
Continuing the look at free agency after this season, here is a look at starting pitching, namely back of the rotation starters. This market looks rather pathetic, but there are a few attractive options that could work for a team in need of a fourth starter.
Kenny Rogers (Tigers) – There’s going to be the usual health questions with Rogers, considering he’s now in his early 40’s and nearing retirement. His stuff is very much diminished and he gets by more on deception than by pure raw stuff. However, he’d be a suitable fourth starter for any team willing to pay for his services. Unless he’s totally soured on management, I can see him taking a one year deal to finish his career in Texas, where it all started.
Joe Kennedy (Athletics) – Kennedy will be hitting the free agent market at the right time. He's a left hander with decent stuff that has seen his career turn around since he left Colorado. Kennedy is off to a solid starter and a good season will net him a 3 year, $33 million deal from somebody.
Kris Benson (Orioles) – [If $7.5MM club option is declined.] I don’t expect Benson to return to the Orioles, as his tenure with Baltimore has pretty much been a disappointment all around, though to be fair, he was a relatively cheap date as far as what was given up (Jorge Julio and a John Maine that would have floundered in Baltimore). Realistically, I expect Benson to take a incentive laden one year deal in order to boost his value once again. Realistically, Benson is still young enough where he could afford to go that route and still obtain a multiple year deal afterwards, but you get the feeling that his stock has fallen so far that people regard him as one of the biggest over hyped talents in the past decade. I think he’d be a decent three in the National League, but don’t hold me to that.
Jon Lieber (Phillies) – Lieber is nearing the end of his career and is not going to be in line for a huge payday. However, a one year deal isn’t out of the question, as teams are always willing to pay for talent. Hey, Chan #### Park got an offer and he has worse stuff that Lieber does. Lieber outmaneuvers hitters rather than blowing them away and may be able to put up roughly league average numbers in the right situation. It’s not with the Phillies, so a team with a big ballpark may be the best thing for him.
Tomo Ohka (Blue Jays) – Millhouse’s favorite player will re-enter the free agent market after this year. Ohka’s not a bad pitcher, as he’s reasonably durable and gets by with a lot of deception. However, he’s a fighter and is willing to give you six innings of work unless he absolutely can’t go. He’d be a valuable fourth or fifth starter on a National League team.
Kyle Lohse (Reds) – The talking heads and pundits always talk about how Kyle Lohse has underachieved and should be a number two starter with his stuff. The fact of the matter is that he’s strictly a number four with maybe ambitions of being a three. However, he’s done fairly well since moving to the NL, so it’s possible that he may have just been a poor fit for the AL style of play. Anyhow, if he continues to do fairly well, he’ll get well compensated for it by a team seeking pitching depth, possibly with a 3 year, $30 million deal. Lohse features a fastball that clocks in the low 90’s and couples this with a slider that reaches the mid 80’s. He’s also got a serviceable changeup that he has some command over, but not enough to make it a plus pitch. The one thing Lohse does have going for him is that he’s fairly durable.
Josh Fogg (Rockies) – About the only thing that Fogg offers is that he’s able to log in innings. While there is some value to that, I’m not sure how great that serves a team when the offense is sputtering and they need a dominant pitching performance to win.
Joakim Soria – Another Rule V Pick Done Good (So Far…)
The Royals have made a move that is paying off big dividends so far.
And that is using a Rule V pick instead of just letting him gather dust, they took a chance on Soria when Octavio Dotel went down and he has delievered, posting a record of 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA and 6 saves in 7 opportunities. Soria was a former San Diego Padres prospect that went unprotected and was picked by Kansas City, who saw the need for a solid pitching prospect. So far, the result has been spectacular and it doesn't look like Soria will be headed by to the San Diego system anytime soon, if ever.
I know I may be overreacting to the loss of B.J. Ryan to Tommy John Surgery, but you have to admit that the loss of the Jays closer kills Toronto's chances to compete in the always competitive AL East.
Ryan was the best closer in the league last year and showed dominance against the Red Sox and Yankees, two teams with a lot of left handed hitters and was all but unbeatable for much of the year. And with the Blue Jays rotation and bullpen thin already, Toronto needed Ryan healthy in order to keep the pen together.
Now it's all gone to hell.
Jason Frasor is the temporary closer, though Jeremy Accardo may soon challenge him for the job. The Jays have little in the farm system to deal and what was once their most valuable trade commodity, Vernon Wells, is locked up for the long haul.
So what do the Jays do?
They have Alex Rios, a excellent young outfielder that can play centerfield that could net prospects as well as free up a place for Adam Lind full time once Reed Johnson comes back, but such a move would leave the Jays shorthanded in the short term. The rotation is a mess, largely because the Jays were outbid for their few free agent targets and have tried to rebuild a rotation mainly out of retreads and has beens.
The reality is that this team may have to blow itself up and compete for next year, as the pitching trade market is shallow and expensive.
Aside from Rios, would could net a decent young pitcher and a average position player, the Jays could also move Troy Glaus, who is drawing interest around the league from teams needing another bat in the lineup. Glaus can still capably handle third base and still has plenty of power, despite his nagging injuries. The main sticking point is that Glaus has three years left on his deal AND a full no trade clause. Hence, the Jays would have to hammer out a compromise with Glaus just to get him to waive the no trade.
If they really want a Kings Ransom's worth of prospects, they could consider listening to offers for Roy Halladay, much as the Astros did when they were listening for offers for Roy Oswalt last year. Offering up Halladay would generate a lot of buzz around baseball and would prompt many clubs to dip into their systems for the necessary pieces to make a offer.
Or, if the Jays are really willing to continue to compete, they could simply announce that they are willing to be partners in a salary dump, much as the Yankees did when they traded for Bobby Abreu and Corey Lidle last season and the result was that they got impact players in exchange for some average prospects. Some teams willing to shed large contracts, such as the Giants with Armando Benitez, the Mariners with Jeff Weaver, the Rockies for some combination of Josh Fogg and Byung Hyun Kim, or the Nationals with Chad Cordero (a stretch, but not a large one) could make a deal for meager prospects in exchange for having the salary relief. However, the result would be damaging in the long run as the Jays payroll would skyrocket and the impact on the bottom line might not be much. Plus, team's may not be eager to deal with GM J.P. Riccardi, in light of the recent story that he deliberately lied about Ryan's injury in Spring Training to keep the injury a secret.
Whatever the result, the Blue Jays are a lesser team now that their closer has gone down. And instead of competing for the division with the Red Sox or the Yankees, the Jays may instead find themselves competing to stay out of the gutter with the Orioles and Devil Rays.
For the past three seasons, the Houston Astros have ruled the National League Central and have represented the National League in the World Series in each of those past three years.
And now, well, both teams are currently occupying the cellar in the National League Central.
Such a collapse was inevitable, perhaps even predictable, when you see how both teams have fallen flat on their faces for much of the year.
What was the root cause of the collapses?
The reasons are many, but here are the three root causes,,,
The Improvement Of The National League Central. Many of the analysts will state that the NL Central is the weakest of the six divisions. However, consider the fact that the Brewers, the Pirates, and the Reds have all improved while the Cubs, who have also been down as of late, have begun to rebound after their down period. Both teams found themsleves unable to dominate their compition as they once could and soon
The Loss Of Talent In The Farm System. Both teams have sacrificed a lot of talent to sustain their winning streaks. The Cardinals have traded away the likes of Dan Haren, Daric Barton, Kiki Calero, and other valuable prospects to acquire Mark Mulder, Jeff Weaver, and others to bolster the main club. The Astros have been even worse, surrendering John Buck, Octavio Dotel, Jason Hirsh, Wily Taveras, Taylor Buchholz, Mitch Talbot and Ben Zobrist for expensive one year rentals of Carlos Beltran, Jason Jennings, and Aubrey Huff, respectively. The result has been the depletion of their respective systems and no impact talent left in the upper minors to draw upon when veterens are struggling or are ineffective, or even to make more trades. Neither team's situation is going to get better when you consider the draft pick compensation that has been lost due to the next reason..
Questionable Free Agent Signings. Both teams have also let players go because of various reasons that are looking more and more terrible as time passes. The Astros have allowed Andy Pettitte, a horse in their rotation, to leave to the Yankees. They brought in Woody Williams and Preston Wilson, both of whom were or currently are performing badly for H-Town. As for the Cardinals, they allowed most of their rotation to depart via free agency, such as Jeff Suppan, Jason Marquis, and others, for fear of paying too much to retain them. That arguement looks even worse when you consider the fact that not only are Suppan and Marquis, but that both are doing it for division rivals.
Can both franchises pull themsevles out of a rut? It's possible, considering that both teams are littered with players that are underachieving. But the more time that's passing, the more and more it looks unlikely that it's going to happen.
I was flipping through Newsday, finding material for Friday Morning Closer, when I noticed this little tidbit when they were talking about the Yankee rotation.
How about a trade? Later in the season, the Indians may decide lefty ace C.C. Sabathia will be too expensive to sign to a long-term deal and look to move him. The Yankees would have to be interested. But at what cost?
Right.
First of all, I believe that Sabathia remains under the Indians control till the end of the 2008 season, where it's likely he'll test free agency, as no progress has been made in contract extension talks between Sabathia and the club.
He's also the staff ace and an important part of the Indians' possible playoff hopes.
Why would you give that up, especially when it looks like this year's Indians have a "win or bust" look to them.
And lastly, why would you want to help the Yankees, a team that you have a significant advantage over, with anything?
Look, it's time for the gossip writers to realize that the days of the old "Want A Prospect, Call Cashman" are pretty much over. Cashman did not invest tens of millions in the draft and international scouting to tear apart his work thanks to a weeks worth of flukey injuries.
Plus, who is out there to that's worth trading for?
Jon Lieber (Phillies) - Lieber is currently in the Phillies pen and has gotten knocked around, possibly due to the fact that he's simply not accustomed to pen outings and has a hard time getting going in short outings. Lieber could be had for a semi-decent reliever, but I doubt that the Yankees are willing to go around with Lieber again, especially when you consider that they could get the same production from Darrel Rasner.
Mark Prior (Cubs) - Cubs fans may say that Prior is untouchable, but I think the Cubs are willing to be rid of Prior and his inconsistencies once and for all. Prior still has gifts that tantilize people, and he was a former Yankees Number One pick, and he could be hand for something semi-useful, but obtaining Prior leaves the Yankees where they are now, as he's currently injured.
Brian Lawrence (Rockies) - Lawrence is currently being passed through waivers and can be claimed by anyone, but again, is Lawrence ready to be pitching for anyone?
Byung Hyung Kim (Rockies) - Again, could be decent for a couple of starts and would be cheap if the Yankees are willing to pick up the tab, but he's also currently injured.
Jonathan Sanchez (Giants) - Sanchez is capable of starting and is a much better option than Russ Ortiz, who is taking up space in the rotation. And the Giants have shown that they really don't value their kids much, so it's possible that you could obtain Sanchez for a spare part (possibly Kyle Farnsworth, who never should have lett the NL), as well as taking the awful Armando Beneitez off their hands, who could be flipped to the Marlins, provided he's paid for, for a semi-useful part in return. But, in spite of how stupid the Giants have been, I don't think they'd be that stupid.
Bruce Chen (Rangers) - Chen has actually been really decent in the last few weeks and could be obtained for a B- prospect or so, and Chen has shown the experience to win in the AL East. However, the Yankees, again, could obtain roughly Chen's performance from someone else.
Matt Clement (Red Sox) - Would be nice if he was healthy and able to pitch. The Red Sox would love to offload his salary for something in return, even if it is for a bag of balls, a hot pocket, and a couple of lapdances at Scores the next time they go to New York.
The bottom line is, all of these starters can be had for something that is less than what you would get for Sabathia, who would likely begin to be offered for something line Phil Hughes at the very least. But, realistically, many of these same guys are similar to the guys the Yankees are tossing out there, and really, giving the kids some experience, like the Yankees are doing with Chase Wright, Ranser, and Jeff Karstens, is not only more cost effective, but in the long run benefits everyone.
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.
