I was spot on as far as the rotation is concerned and thus far it looks more or less solid, provided that Spring Training stats are taken with a grain of salt. I'm still not sure about Wright as the fifth starter, as Kameron Loe and Bruce Chen had better performances and should have gotten some looks, but all in all, it's not a bad rotation. I do think that Wright will wind up being traded or released at some point this season.
Bullpen
Eric Gagne [Currently On Disabled List]
Akinori Otsuka
Joaquin Benoit
Bruce Chen
Scott Feldman
Kameron Loe
Ron Mahay
C.J. Wilson
Mike Wood
I was totally off on the pen. Chen wound up making the team as a reliever, but I expect him to get traded soon. Benoit was dominant and wound up making the roster after all. Wes Littleton and Frank Fransisco, two locks seemingly destined for the bullpen, pitched themselves out of jobs. Wood earned his job this season and Feldman isn't a bad choice, especially since he is a groundball demon. Gagne is on the DL, but thankfully, it's not due to injury (I hope), but because he needs more time. Otsuka, therefore, is the closer at the moment. Two of these pitchers will not be on the roster in the next week, as space must be made for Gagne and Wright.
Lineup
Kenny Lofton (CF)
Frank Catalanotto (LF)
Michael Young (SS)
Mark Teixeira (1B)
Sammy Sosa (DH)
Hank Blalock (3B)
Ian Kinsler (2B)
Gerald Laird (C)
Nelson Cruz (RF)
I was more or less right on the lineup, just shift the left field.
Bench
Chris Stewart (C)
Matt Kata (UTIL)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (UTIL)
Brad Wilkerson (OF)
I whiffed on the backup, as I expected Quiroz to make the team. As for Kata, I hade Jason Botts making the squad, but apparently the Rangers felt that it would be best to give Kata the shot.
Bunts About The Rangers Around The League
If Bruce Chen is dropped, it will be relatively expensive. Chen's deal called for a $1.1 million salary if he made the club, and if he is released even just a week into the season, the Rangers would owe him 45 days' worth of his salary, or about $275,000. Interestingly, Chen has reportedly agreed to accept an outright assignment to Oklahoma if he is exposed to waivers and clears.
With Zeke Astacio now in the fold, here’s an interesting nugget to share with you all. Astacio and current Astros centerfielder Chris Burke was apparently a packaged offered to Texas by Houston for former Rangers second baseman Alfonso Soriano. The Astros tried several times over the years to try and obtain Soriano, one package reportedly involved Brandon Backe. Unfortunately, the two teams were never able to swing a deal. Pity. Hurt or not, I would have loved to have had Backe.
Former Rangers pitcher Ugueth Urbina was sentenced to 14 years in prison last week for the attempted murder of five workers on his family's ranch. Urbina, who spent part of the 2003 season in Texas, was also found guilty of illegal deprivation of liberty and violating a prohibition against taking justice into his own hands during a dispute over a gun on Oct. 16, 2005. It’s a tragic tale and to be honest, it kind of stinks of a setup.
The Rangers released RHP Rick Bauer on Wednesday, and paid $180,000 of his $730,000 base salary. Bauer seemed to have pitched himself into the bullpen after his strong showing last season, but he also pitched himself out of a job as well.
Adam Fox, who was added to the 40 man roster in order to designate Bauer for assignment, was designated for assignment himself and ceared waivers. However, Fox still gets all the benefits of being a major leaguer and has all the benefits that go along with it) as a reward for his service to the organization.
Texas acquired 23-year-old righthander Bear Bay from Cleveland for a player to be named later. Originally a draft-and-follow signed by the Cubs out of Angelina Junior College in Lufkin, Bay had two strong seasons in the Chicago system before being shipped to the Indians at the end of camp two years ago in exchange for journeyman righthander Cliff Bartosh. Bay’s got some upside, as he’s got a nifty fastball-slider combo and has displayed excellent control at all of his stops as well. Should be interesting to see if he can evolve into a nifty setup man, though god knows the system has enough of those already.
The White Sox decided Sunday afternoon that there will be no more contract talks, meaning that Jermaine Dye, who has expressed interest in playing for Ron Washington, will be available for the Rangers to try and obtain. Dye is going to be 34 heading into the season, any deal would be for three years. I think any bid for Dye from the Rangers would be dependant on the progress of Nelson Cruz and John Mayberry Jr., two power hitting prospects that project much like Dye.
The Mets optioned former Ranger Chan #### Park to AAA, but want to trade him. Texas is reportedly not interested.
Well, we'll see how the season shakes out. Until then, I'm out to enjoy the game tonight, provided Fox Sports Net doesn't decide to show the Astros game instead. Have a good day all.
Last season’s club very much underachieved, as the White Sox collapsed in the second half of the season and went from Wild Card leaders to left out of the playoffs. The White Sox did little to improve the team and seemed to be entering a rebuilding mode, as Kenny Williams has traded Freddy Garcia and Brandon McCarthy in exchange for prospects, hoping to protect against the rising market of starting pitching. This decision will make or break his career in Chicago, as if the prospects all bust or are nothing less than solid starters, Williams will be blamed to dismantling a contending team that could have won another World Series.
Starting Rotation
Jose Contreras (RHP) – Contreras was lights out at the beginning of the season, but after the All-Star break, he seemed to have settled back into the form of a solid, but not elite pitcher. Contreras is on the books for another couple of years and now appears to have shaken off all of the hell and inconsistency that plagued him when he was in New York.
Jon Garland (RHP) – Garland was the White Sox’s second half ace and was nothing but dominant. Garland will likely be the second man in the rotation, where he and Contreras should be a solid one-two punch in the lineup. Garland’s ability to induce groundballs is also a plus.
Mark Buehrle (LHP) – Buehrle has fallen hard in the past years, with the ERA skyrocketing and his win totals and effectiveness beginning to drop as well. With Buehrle also entering his walk year, it’s also becoming more and more apparent that Williams no longer wants the lefty around, which came out during a snipe-fest during a press conference. No matter what happens, the White Sox need Buehrle to return to his old self if they want to win.
Javier Vasquez (RHP) – So much talent, so little to show for it. For all of Vasquez talents, he’s below .500 for his career and has been far less than what the White Sox hoped he would be when they acquired him for prospect Chris Young, who would now look great in White Sox pinstripes. Vasquez is entering the last year of a four year contract signed with the Yankees, so he had better step up if he’s to get another team to give him a shot.
Gavin Floyd (RHP) – Obtained in the Freddy Garcia trade, Floyd was a first round pick in 2001 by the Phillies and thrived in the minors. But upon hitting the majors, Floyd was hit hard and had become persona non grata to the Phillies after a poor 2006 engagement. Floyd does have quality stuff, as his fastball is good and his breaking balls are fine, but he seems to have no confidence when he struggles. It’s likely that he could become a serviceable middle of the rotation guy if the White Sox are able to get his confidence back. With the lack of any solid options in Chicago, Floyd will likely start in the fifth starters role.
Bullpen
Bobby Jenks (RHP) – Jenks is electric, with his fastball and he’s got one of the better breaking balls in the majors. His biggest problem is his size, but Jenks has been rumored to have dropped weight in order to improve his durability. Even if he doesn’t drop pounds, Jenks should be a solid closer again t his year.
Mike MacDougal (Setup Man) – The foerm Royals closer proved to be a solid bridge to Jenks after the White Sox acquired him. MacDougal still has that great fastball/slider combination, and as long as he stay’s healthy, the Sox will have a solid eighth-nineth inning combination for another year. MacDougal can also spot close, in the event Jenk’s gets hurt.
Matt Thornton (LHP) – Thornton has great velocity for a lefty and should make for a solid 7th inning relief option.
Nick Masset (RHP) – A possible closer, Masset has a great fastball that hits in the upper 90’s and a hard curveball that hits the mid 80’s at times. The downside to Masset is his command comes and goes, though I think the White Sox will be able to get him right.
David Aardsma (RHP) – Obtained from the Cubs for Neil Cotts, Aardsma also fits in with the new White Sox bullpen plan, as he too is capable of dialing it up in the high 90’s with good movement. Aardsma, however, may be a one trick pony, as his changeup and slider aren’t great pitches. If he can refine one of them, he’ll be a steal.
Andy Sisco (LHP) – Obtained from the Royals, Sisco struggled with his command and despite his occasions of success, his occasions of failure promoted the Royals to get rid of him. Sisco is more of a reclamation prospect, as he projects to be a reliever, but it’s a good gamble considering that the White Sox got him for a bench player.
Starting Lineup
Tadahito Iguchi (2B) – With Scott Podsednik out for the near future, Iguchi is the best option to lead off, where his speed and plate discipline work well.
Rob Mackowiak (LF) –Mackowiak will be the starting left fielder and will be hitting in the second spot until Pods returns from the DL. Mackowiak is solid enough where he won’t kill you for a short period of time and should provide roughly what Podsednik gave the Sox last season, minus the steals, until Pods returns.
Paul Konerko (1B) – Konerko had a solid season, hitting for power, average and playing first base well. Even better, Konerko now began to get some pitches to see, courtesy of the big bat behind him.
Jim Thome (DH) – Thome proved that the White Sox were wise to gamble on him, as he took to being a DH like a duck to water. Not only did Thome hit for power and production, but he was able to draw his share of the walks and take the pressure off of Paul Konerko, who was under protected in the lineup last year. Thome should continue to raise hell in the lineup and should easily get to number 500 before the end of the season, adding to a potential Hall of Fame resume.
Jermaine Dye (RF) – Dye is entering free agency this season and it doesn’t look like Williams will try to extend him, as Dye is 33 and will likely cash in after a MVP caliber season, with 44 homers and 120 RBI in 146 games. There's no reason to think he can't have another great year, and already there have been several teams, Texas included, that have expressed interest in Dye if he hits the market. I think that Williams will give a good faith offer, but Dye is likely history after this year, leaving a huge hole in the lineup that’s not going to be easy to fill.
Joe Crede (3B) – Crede is one of the best third baseman in the league, but it’s clear that the White Sox are not really enamored with him, partially because of his agent, Sox Nemesis Scott Boras. Crede is a solid hitter with power, plus is capable on defense, as he’s got great range, soft hands and an accurate arm. While many would say it’s a no brainer to lock him up, the Sox also have Josh Fields lurking in the minors and have made it clear that they would rather play him sooner than later. Hence, Crede’s name is bound to come up at the trade deadline again, unless Fields proves that he’s not ready for the big club yet.
A.J. Pierzynski (C) – Pierzynski has always been a fiery competitor, but one thing that’s often overlooked is how well he manages his pitchers. That’s valuable, no matter how bad he hits. As for the bat, Pierzynski doesn’t hit for power, but he’s solid enough to be hit around .290 with some power.
Juan Uribe (SS) – Still solid defensively, Uribe’s bat is slowly starting to die and it’s unknown if he’ll be able to contribute anything defensively, thanks to all the issues he’s having off the field. Williams had actually tried to trade Uribe for Texas shortstop Michael Young this past off-season. Still no word if the Rangers have stopped laughing.
Brian Anderson (CF) – Time is running out for Anderson to prove himself, as the White Sox are starting to wonder if he’ll be anything more than a fourth outfielder. A slow start to the year could banish him to the bench.
Bench
Darin Erstad (INF/OF) – Jim Rome’s Man Crush, Erstad could be a productive player off the bench, but to be honest, he’s been in decline to years and at this point might not be able to contribute much. He should have accepted a minor league deal with the Angels to retire with the team.
Toby Hall (C) – Solid defensively, but he’s got a rotten bat to match his attitude. Can you believe this happy #### wanted the Dodgers to bench Russell Martin in favor of himself?
Alex Cintron (INF) – Cintron is a capable backup that could take the starting job if Uribe isn’t able to hack it.
Luis Terreo (OF) – Fourth outfielder will be on the roster until Podsednik is back.
Pablo Ozuma (INF) – Capable utilityman finishes the bench.
Disabled List
Scott Podsednik (LF) – Despite the fact that Pods will be back before the end of Spring Training, he will likely be out the first couple of weeks to allow him time to prepare for the season. Pods was exposed last season, showing that he was merely a average player, not a great one. He’s got speed and can slap the ball as well as bunt, but he’s far from a sure thing at the top of the lineup. Unfortunately, there’s a lack of leadoff guys on this team, with Iguchi being a better fit at the two spot, so this team needs him to come back quickly.
Down On The Farm…
John Danks (LHP) – The White Sox had to import their top prospect from Texas, who acquired the talented young right hander Brandon McCarthy. The more and more I think about that trade, the more and more I think it was Garland that Williams wanted to move, but Texas was unwilling to give up Danks for a two year pitcher. Williams then must have then thought about how much he wanted Danks before deciding he had to have him and offering up his youngest pitcher. Danks has got solid stuff, with a good fastball that clocks in the low 90’s and a filthy curve and a great changeup that give him three great pitches to work with. The only problem is that Danks is very prone to give up the long ball, but he’s still going to be a very good major league lefty. Danks’ presence also means that Mark Buehrle is a goner.
Ryan Sweeney (OF) – Sweeney has good size and good swing, some power potential and a strong arm in the outfield. He’s got great range and enough speed to which he can play center. The problem is that he hasn’t shown any of his power potential and is overaggressive at the plate. Still, Brian Anderson is in the big club at the moment and it looks like the White Sox in the short term will keep him to allow Sweeney more time to develop.
Charlie Haeger (RHP) – This knuckleballer still has a good shot to become the next Tim Wakefield if only the White Sox would give him a shot. Unfortunately, he’s on Williams’ #### list and was mentioned in some trade opportunities. He could get a start here and there, but he’s more than likely going to rot in Triple A.
Josh Fields (3B) – Fields is a slightly younger and much cheaper version of Joe Crede. Both are offensive monsters with great power and the ability to hit for average. However, Fields has a long swing that will result in a lot of strikeouts in the majors, and despite a strong arm, he’s a poor defender. Still, Fields will be a very good pro and depending on what happens with Joe Crede, he’ll be in the majors sooner or later, whether it’s with the White Sox or not.
Gio Gonzalez (LHP) – Gonzalez is making his second run with the White Sox, for whom he was a first rounder in 2004. Gonzalez has good velocity, hitting the mid 90’s and has a hard curveball and a developing changeup as well. He is a strikeout machine that gets results, but at 5”11”, he’s small for a starter. That hasn’t stopped some pitchers, but the stigma remains. It’s likely that Gonzalez will stay at Triple A, where he and Danks should be one of the more talented lefty tandems in the minors, unless Chicago chooses to use him in the bullpen, of which he can do so now.
In Conclusion
Kenny Williams did what he set out to do when he said he wanted to add depth to the system to prepare for the departure of the staff in the future. Most of the arms have great upside and Danks and Gonzalez should be future stars in the rotation. The only problem is that none of this helps the White Sox in the short term and with the rotation now thin, and the flaws in the lineup starting to be exposed, plus the rise of the Tigers and Indians, Chicago is going to take a hard fall this year and miss the playoffs again, which may result in many White Sox fans questioning Williams’ judgment and criticizing his lack of action in improving the team.
"Eleven to nothing. The one-oh pitch...fly ball, Motley going back to the track...no outs to go! The Royals have won the 1985 World Series. And they converge on the mound in celebration!" - Denny Matthews
It’s been twenty years since that call last sounded over the airwaves, signifying the victory of the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 World Series.
In the 1970’s, the Royals were one of the most highly respected franchises in baseball, winning three straight division championships from 1976 to 1978 under manager Whitey Herzog. They won, were profitable, and were able to win in a era of baseball equality. In 1977, they posted a team-best 100-62 record, but lost the ALCS to the New York Yankees.They reached the World Series in 1980, losing to the Phillies, but would return to win it in 1985, beating the St. Louis Cardinals in six games. After that the team remained competitive for many years in the 1990’s until 1995 or so, when the Royals would promptly go into the toilet.The reason being cited was that because of the rising cost of player salaries and the payroll disparity between major league teams, the Royals were unable to compete. They could not afford the top talent thanks to the buying binges of the Yankees and Red Sox.
Hence the advent of what General Manager Allard Baird has referred to as "the plan."Though the subject of much sarcasm (particularly by many of the Kansas City press), the plan is essentially simple:Rebuild using the products of the farm system, similar to what Oakland did when they rebuilt. This sort of plan had often worked well for the Royals in the past, most notably in 1984, when the Royals suddenly had a glut of young pitching stars in Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza, David Cone and Danny Jackson.Another promising farm crop would mature in the 1990’s with Bo Jackson and Kevin Seitzer.The new plan for rebuilding the Royals was to be similar to that of the Oakland A’s rebuilding program in the late 1990’s, when Billy Beane became the General Manager.Draft well, sign the players to long-term contracts, buying out their arbitration years, and perhaps trading them to other contenders for more younger, cheaper talent.That was the plan.
And the pieces to the puzzle were there.The Royals had a flourishing farm system at the time, with several good players already in the system.Players who would become All-Stars, whose names we all know.Johnny Damon.Jermaine Dye.Carlos Beltran.Mike Sweeney.Joe Randa.Mark Quinn.The only thing that they needed was pitching, something that they could solve in the draft, thanks to high draft picks.
However, the following drafts for the Royals would be terrible.Some of their first-round picks between 1993 and 2000 included Jeff Granger, Matt Smith, Juan LeBron, Jeff Austin, Dermal Brown, Matt Burch, Kyle Snyder and Mike Stodolka.Don’t know who these guys are?They’re all busts.Some of the players the Royals could have drafted?Tim Hudson, Zach Duke, Jonathan Papelbon, Kameron Loe, Felix Hernandez, and Brian Anderson, just to name a few.
A bigger problem was that Glass or none of the other minority owners have given the team money to keep their players, as was the trend with larger market teams come calling for free agent talent. Most of their promising talent that the Royals expected to build around was either allowed to leave via free agency or in terrible trades.The most recent example was Carlos Beltran, who was dealt for John Buck and a prospect.Beltran could have been a rock in the Royals lineup, allowing David DeJesus to move to left or right field.
Baird was adamant on keeping Johnny Damon, seeing him as someone whom the Royals could build the franchise around. However, he wasn’t given the money to sign him.Rather than lose him, he traded Damon to Oakland for a pair of middling prospects.In 2001, when Baird didn’t get the money to sign Jermaine Dye long term, traded him for Neifi Perez, who was a utilityman at best.
And when the Royals do get money, it is spent so poorly.Recall the 2003 season, when it appeared that the Royals were beginning to make a turnaround.The Royals had only a $40 million payroll, the second lowest in baseball, but the team began the season 16-3, and would be in first place for much of the year, losing the division only in the last weeks of the season.Manager Tony Peña was named the American League Manager of the Year.Many even went so far as to pick the Royals to win their division in 2004 after they added some name players in the free agent market such as Brian Anderson, Juan Gonzalez, Benito Santiago, and others.All were disappointments and would be gone within the year.Then there was this off-season, when the Royals opened the purse again and outbid other teams for free agents scuh as Reggie Sanders, Mark Grudzielanek, Doug Mientkiewicz and Scott Elarton.Of this, only Sanders and Grudzielanek were seen as solid signings.Now, with rumors that the Royals are shopping around their modest free agents, there are few takers because the Royals have vastly overpaid for them.
Combine this with rushing prospects before they are ready or having them waste away on the bench and it’s no wonder the Royals are terrible.
And as for the rebuilding process?
Only Sweeney remains, with his huge contract and injury troubles have made it virtually impossible for the Royals to be able to trade him.All of the other promising prospects are gone, to fame and fortune with other teams.Damon and Dye won World Series rings, although with Boston and Chicago.Beltran landed a huge money contract in New York.Randa and Quinn’s careers have been destroyed by injuries and are now in on their last tour of the leagues with the different teams.The team now averages 31 years old.Not many of the prospects are playing now, as the talent in the Royals is far down in the system, in the Single A and Double A divisions.
And the most tragic part is that the Royals have such great fans.They are devoted, passionate, but not annoying and confrontational like Red Sox fans can be.They’re great to watch a game with and can talk baseball with the best of them.
But, the fact is that the Royals are terrible.And it won’t improve any time soon.
And all the while, the echoes from that 1985 World Series win get quieter and quieter.
NOTE: This was written before the recent surge of Royals themed articles. I hate you Ken Rosenthal.
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.
