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.
The Rangers have dealt him and Danny Ray Herrera right now to the Cincinatti Reds for Josh Hamilton, who I assume will likely be the starting centerfielder and likely is going to make Nelson Cruz expendable.
I'm kinda wishy washy on the deal.
One, Volquez battled back to prove to be a viable starting pitcher. I would have loved to have seen him get the chance here. After all, what else is there left to lose? Player development? A high draft pick? And what is the point of busting a nut trying to salvage Volquez only to deal him away? I don't get it.
Two, I'm not sure on Hamilton, even though he's a physical freak of nature and could be a star. But the injury issues (thanks to drug abuse, his immune system is kinda ####ked) as well as his drug issues. If he has a mentor, likely C.J. Wilson or Michael Young, he could be kept on the straight and narrow, but it's a concern.
If Volquez does well, the Rangers will look like fools unless Hamilton really does well, which isn't outside of the realm of possibility. However, this doesn't help much for the present, with the Rangers' best starting pitching options years away and Eric Hurley not ready.
We'll see what happens. Hopefully, A.J. the Pirate is ready to step in.
On a side note, this means that out of the once vaunted DVD trio (John Danks, Edinson Volquez, Thomas Diamond) only Diamond remains in the organization, with Danks in the White Sox system and Volquez now a Red.
Incredible. Anyhow, I'll miss Volquezo and his little Geri-Curl.
I need a drink...
Eddie Guardado Nearly A Ranger
Apparently, the Rangers are close to getting Eddie Guardado to come, though whether or not it's a major league deal or a minor league deal with a spring training invite has yet to be determined.
I'm okay with it, but only if he's not a closer option. C.J. Wilson should be the closer next year, as he's more than earned the job with his performance this year. Joaquin Benoit also deserves a shot if the Rangers determine Wilson is more valuable in relief than as a closer. Guardado should merely be seen as a potential lefty middle reliever that could help bridge the gap to Wilson, not be the end of the Bridge itself.
Pouring out some scotch right now...
Someone On The 40 Is Going Bu-Bye!!!
Hamilton's recent trade doesn't solve the problem of the Rangers' 40 Man Roster, which is actually at 41, due to Kazuo Fukumori's deal not being official yet.
Which means someone is getting dropped.
I alluded earlier to Nelson Cruz likely being DFA'd to make room for Hamilton, as that's too many outfielders in the mix, and should he pass through waivers, he'll likely be offered a minor league deal with a Spring Training Invite.
But could other people be going elsewhere?
As of right now, I've identified three people that could be at risk.
Bill White (LHP) - White doesn't have great stuff and probably wouldn't be at risk at being claimed. He's not anyone I would have protected anyway. If he is claimed, the odd's on favorite would be the Astros.
Jason Botts (LF/DH) - Botts has gotten his chance to prove he can hit and hasn't really run with it. This season is really his last shot to prove that he can be a major leaguer, otherwise he's done for.
Nelson Cruz (RF) - See above.
Of the three, Cruz is likely history and White is next in line. But Botts has very little leverage left and is running out of chances. I hope he's able to succeed because this time, there is no minor league safety net to bail him out.
Rangers Top 40 will be posted next week after Christmas.
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.
