Well apparently, the Rangers have signed Milton Bradley to a one year, $5 million contract, with some incentives. The deal is pending a physical, and because the Padres declined to offer him arbitration, the Rangers don’t cede a pick to the Padres.
The deal is a risk, both because Bradley is both injury prone and batshit crazy, but Bradley, to be honest, is actually now the best outfielder on the squad and will likely slide over to centerfield once the leg heals up.
Are you gambling that Wash, who Bradley wanted to reunite with, and whom is a Washington favorite, can keep him in line? Yes. Could it work? We’ll see. Bradley will likely miss time in the beginning of the season and will stay at DH until June or so.
What will this do to Jason Botts?
What we’ll likely see is a rotation of Botts, Cat, and Shelton at Left Field and Third Base until Bradley is completely healthy. It’s a workable compromise and will keep everyone healthy until things are sorted out.
Will the Rangers do any other improvements to the outfield? That remains to be seen. Bradley isn’t blocking anyone long term and his salary isn’t prohibitive. With Fukudome now a Cub, the only real free agent option available is off the table. That means that the Rangers will likely have to look at the non-tender market later today or the trade market. More on that in a bit…
Going To War With The Rotation You Have
The meme in Texas is that the Rangers need pitching.
My answer to that?
Where is it?
I’ve checked the free agent market. Unless you’re willing to roll the dice on Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia, there is no potential Number One or Two starters. When the best options are Kyle Lohse and Carlos Silva, back of the rotation dudes at best, that goes to show you that the market is just awful.
Now, if you want to do some trading on the market, you could find some pitchers that could be had for prospects, especially those on teams that may be looking to rebuild.
The Rangers have the ammunition to go after Johan Santana, and Tom Hicks has the funds to do it.
They could also go after Dan Haren, though I think they prefer not to trade within the division.
However, all of these deals come with a price. You lose valuable young players who can keep you competitive while spending little in these trades. You also lack that valuable pipeline of young talent to replace aging players. Michael Young won’t last forever and will likely be the Rangers’ third baseman by 2011, by which time either Elvis Andrus or Marcus Lemon will be taking over the position. Also, who will replace Padilla, who will book after 2009, and Kevin Millwood, who will book after 2010? Are you going to want to have to turn to the Jamey Wright’s and Carlos Silva’s to give you innings?
This season is a lost cause anyway, but it will serve as a way to give the kids innings while keeping the team cost effective FOR NOW. The Rangers are hoarding their dollars for the next superstar that may hit the market, by which time, there will be enough of a team for that future star to push the Rangers over the top.
Plus, the Rangers may have their own homegrown rotation sooner than you think.
Eric Hurley is nearly ready. So is Matt Harrison. The Rangers have a plethora of young arms in the lower minors, with some of them beginning to rise to the top.
Give things time. Frivolously throwing money away on mediocre starters is a poor way to build a ball club.
Ask the Cubs.
Off season Deals That I Thank God Didn’t Work Out
Mark Mulder (2006) – This was a buy low opportunity, but oh man was this bullet one I’m glad misfired. Mulder looks toast right now, something that no one thought back in the day, when he was arguably the best of the Big Three.
Barry Zito (2006) – This was a deal I actually campgained hard for, but am glad it didn't work out. Zito has been an out and out disaster for San Fran. He eats innings and...doesn't do much else.
Matt Morris (2005) – The Rangers actually went pretty hard after Morris, who was coming off of a very good year with the Cardinals and had long since had a reputation for being a good clubhouse guy and a outdated rep for being a great starting pitcher. Two years later and this deal is easily one of the biggest busts we’ve seen this decade.
Carlos Delgado (2004) – Yes, the Rangers did try to make a run at Delgado, with the idea of making him the starting first baseman and Mark Teixiera the everyday left fielder. Fortunately, he signed with Florida, who blew Texas’ offer away, and then would trade him after a single season.
Rangers Close To Signing Reliever
The Rangers are close to signing Japanese Reliever Kazo Fukumori to a two year deal, whcih would add another veteren reliever to the pen at a cheap price. Fukumori was injured in Japan last year, but could pay big dividends if he's ready.
More Trade Speculation
Noah Lowry (RHP – Giants) – On paper, this looks like a decent acquisition, as any time you can add a young starter is a good deal. Look closer, however, and I’d stay clear away from Lowry. His control is rather bad, he’s not much of an innings eater and he’s always been much more mortal away from A####mp;T Park. I heard one rumor stating that trading Ian Kinsler for him would get it done. I say nay.
Andre Ethier (RF – Dodgers) – Etheir is the odd man out in Los Angeles with Pierre moving to left field, Kemp likely in right and Jones in center and is reportedly being targeted by the Rangers. I’d totally do this if the Dodgers were willing, but a trade package might be hard to come up with. The Dodgers would likely ask for Eric Hurley or Edinson Volquez, with the Rangers offering Armando Galaragga and a few other prospects in return. It just remains to be seen if a deal can be reached that will be amicable to all parties.
Austin Kearns (RF – Nationals) – Kearns looks like he’s due for a bounce back season and playing in RFK probably didn’t help his numbers much. He’s signed to a very affordable long term deal and with the Nationals carrying four outfielders (five if they move Dmitri Young), Kearns is the odd man out. I’d be okay with signing him, especially since Kearns can reasonably play center, it’s just that the Nationals ask for the sun, moon, and stars for their players.
Matt Murton (OF – Cubs) – Murton hasn’t been given a fair shake by the Cubs to prove himself, as they’ve preferred to go after sexier names in the free agent market.
Mark DeRosa (2B – Cubs) – If the Cubs do acquire another player, I’d strongly ask them for Rosie if they won’t trade Murton. Rosie would have a chance to play everyday in Texas, likely in Right Field.
I was going to produce a long, drawn out effort in the pluses and minuses of the Rangers in April.
Instead, I’ll just be blunt.
We suck.
Possible Centerfielder’s For The Future
This is probably the deepest position on the free agent market, where there are a total of nine players that can legitimately play center.
Andruw Jones (Braves) – Jones is the sexy name on everyone’s list and it’s no wonder why. He’s a incredible hitter and plays a decent centerfield as well. Unfortunately, expect to see Jones priced out of the Rangers’ range, even though I would recommend that the Rangers make a strong run at him.
Ichiro Suzuki (Mariners) – Ichiro has stated that he would like to test the market for the first time in his career, as he has never had a chance to actually choose his own destiny. Should Suzuki choose to become Ronin, he would be a quality lineup presence in the Rangers, able to provide solid leadoff ability as well as provide solid defense in center. The only question is whether or not Suzuki is willing to play against his former team.
Torii Hunter (Twins) – Hunter looks more and more like a plausible option in that he lives in Arlington, has a good relationship with Rangers Manager Ron Washington and that he’s a premier defender that would benefit from moving from turf to grass. However, Hunter also is prone to injuries and of the players on this list is the largest risk to break down. Whoever acquires Hunter is going to be at a large risk of overpaying for him and I don’t think he’s going to age well after this year.
Kosuke Fukudome (Chunichi Dragns - Japan) – Fukudome is a five-tool centerfielder in Japan that plays for the Chunichi Dragons. He's going to be a free agent after 2007 and apparently has stated that he’s intends to come to the United States to finish his career. He was also a member of Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic and was the 2006 Central League MVP and batting champion, hitting .351-31-104. He's a career .306/.393/.545 hitter with 179 homers, 599 RBIs and 66 steals in 993 Japanese games. If I had to classify him as anything, he’s a more mobile Hideki Matsui lite. He’ll be 31 when he comes over and should be a lot of fun to watch. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Seattle allow Ichiro to leave in order to replace him in center with Fukudome as a short term fix until top prospect Adam “I’m Not Pacman” Jones is ready. Personally, Fukudone looks to be the best bet out of the lot, but again, there is no guarantee that he’s coming.
Eric Byrnes (Diamondbacks) – A personal favorite, Byrnes is a solid guy that can hit late in the lineup and has done pretty well for himself fin Arizona. With the Diamondbacks not likely to bring him back, he’d be a solid short term option for Texas until some of the kids begin to develop.
Corey Patterson (Orioles) – Of all the centerfielders on the market, Patterson is the youngest at 28, always a good thing for such an athletic position. The Orioles made a rare deal in which they came out the biggest winners last year when they traded for Patterson, giving up Jerry Hairston Jr. and a pack of cigarettes. Patterson is a Scott Boras client, which the Orioles have had trouble dealing with in the past. Plus, people are going to wonder if Patterson is a one-year wonder, which is why they Orioles have said they’ll address his situation after the season. With Patterson entering his last season, the Orioles are in a quirky position. If the Orioles wait and Patterson against boats a decent average with some power and some flashly defensive plays (a la Gary Matthews Jr. last year.), Boras will almost certainly price him out of their range, as I firmly believe that Patterson will get a Matthews-like contract at the end of the season.
Milton Bradley (Athletics) – Bradley is an intriguing option in that he’s still pretty young, athletic and can be productive as a centerfielder. He’s also a headcase and not a sure bet to stay healthy for much of the year.
Aaron Rowand (Phillies) – Rowand’s style of play reminds many fans of former Ranger Rusty Greer. Unfortunately, that also means he may be in for a Greer style breakdown, which doesn’t do you any good long term.
Mike Cameron (Padres) – I thought that there would be a chance that Cameron would stay with the Padres, but unfortunately, it looks as if Cameron will be moving on from San Diego after this season. Cameron wants a three year deal, which the Padres were unwilling to do, and will now hit the market at the age of 35. PETCOA has Cameron being worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $21 million from 2008 too 2010. He’s likely going to want 3 years, $30 million, which isn’t too unreasonable.
Kenny Lofton (Rangers) – Lofton still looks pretty good for the most part as far as his play, but he’s really not going to be much of a factor as far as a impact player. Texas signed him in order to give them a stopgap in center until the next year. If he’s willing to accept a backup role, there’s no reason to believe he can’t be a good one.
Ranger Notes
A surprising bit of news here. Bruce Chen cleared waivers and has accepted a assignment to Triple A Oklahoma. The Rangers had thought that Chen would be claimed and talked to a number of teams about a trade, including the New York Yankees.
Edinson Volquez is not making things easier for himself. Though he was excellent in his third start, Volquez in his fourth start had just one hit in five-plus innings and eight groundouts, but permitting three runs as he issued five walks and unleashed two wild pitches before being ejected by the home plate umpire about arguing the strike zone. The Rangers had hoped that Volquez would be able to last five starts in High A Bakersfield, where he would hopefully find his command, and then gradually work his way up, but Volquez has been very wild and may dash those plans for now.
C.J. Wilson continues to draw interest from the Tigers, who want a solid lefty reliever for their bullpen. I would trade C.J. in the right deal, but it would have to involve a pitching prospect that’s got a shot at being a starter.
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.
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