The Rangers Report – Offseason Edition

Now, after my rant for the day, let's take a look at the Rangers report, shall we...

Dinner At Hicks' House - Not A Good Sign

The past few winters, having dinner with Tom Hicks has always been the symbol of something happening on the horizon.

In 2005, it resulted in John Hart getting fired, eventually clearing the way for Jon Daniels.

In 2006, it resulted in Buck Showalter getting fired, leading to Ron Washington.

In 2007, it could mean Torii Hunter is coming to Texas.

I'm not pleased, as I've made it well known that I think Hunter will eventually be a disaster for the Rangers.  I think he's lost a step defensively, that he's not going to hold up over the course of a full season and will likely be a poor player after the age of 35.

Yet there is talk of a 5 year deal with him.

I'm just hoping that the talk of him going to the White Sox is true.

Centerfield And The 2005 Draft

Speakng of centerfield, watching the Boston Red Sox during the World Series only served to remind several Rangers fans of one of the biggest mistakes in the Rangers’ drafting history.

Namely, that Jacoby Ellsbury should have been a Ranger.

Let’s go back to 2005, when gas was cheaper, the Rangers were coming off of a winning season, when I was dating Sandra Lawson, and when the Rangers were picking #19, and the prospects for a good player were good, especially with all the screwy draft activity going on.  The Blue Jays famously took Ricky Romero at 7, leaving Troy Tulowitzki for the Rockies at 8 (and giving ESPN’s Keith Law a story to tell), while several other teams went in other directions, resulting in Oregon State’s centerfielder dropping to the Rangers.  At the time, Texas was in need of a centerfielder, as Lanyce Nix was beginning to show the signs that he may not be able to last over the course of a full season and the farm system being a lot shallower than it is now.  Taking Ellsbury was a no-brainer and, from many sources within the Ranger organization, that was exactly what they were going to do.

Except for the one guy that had the power to screw it all up.

Tom Hicks, the Rangers’ owner, had apparently taken to John Mayberry Jr., liked his power potential, and when conversing with GM John Hart, told him to draft Mayberry over Ellsbury.  As a result, the selection was made, and Ellsbury fell all the way to the Red Sox at 23.

And the results, well, are what they are.

Ellsbury went through the system quickly and is now going to be player for Boston for the next six years.

Mayberry is struggling in Double A and despite hitting for power, still has a lot of holes in his swing and will likely wind up being a bust.

I know the draft is a crapshoot and hindsight is 20/20.

But damn, this was a mistake back then that is only being magnified now.

Thanks a lot Tom and John.

Gerald Laird To The Mets?  What Would It Take?

Read a note on Newsday saying that the Mets are interested in Gerald Laird to fill their hole at catcher, adding at least a second team to the mix for a potential Laird trade (with the Red Sox being the other.)

Both teams would have to give up talent in order to acquire the young backstop, who had an off year but is still promising and if partnered with a mentor like Jason Varitek in Boston, could be a good catcher for several years. 

But both would require talent to be exchanged back (as draft picks can’t be swapped, which I believe if they could Texas already would have had a deal done). 

But anyways, we already know what the Boston offer would be (Coco Crisp straight up.)  What would it take for the Mets to do an offer?

At the moment, one of the rumors I’ve checked up on over the Internet (Lonestarball.com) has the Mets are apparently dangling Lastings Milledge as a return for Laird.  However, there is a catch. They want the Rangers to include Joaquin Benoit in the deal while they would enclose Ruben Gotay in exchange.

That’s a bit too rich for my blood, but I would be willing to use that deal as a starting point.  Benoit I want to keep.  However, if relief help is what the Mets also want, I wouldn’t be opposed to adding Frank Francisco and Scott Feldman in the deal, which would result in the Mets getting a pair of relievers with a good amount of service time while also filling their catching vacancy.  The Rangers would lose a valuable piece in Francisco, but will be able to fill the vacancy from within, as Luis Mendoza and Armando Galarraga may be near ready, with other mix and match pieces able to be worked out.  And, it would give them a good young player that can man center while allowing David Murphy to be the right fielder and allow the Rangers to use Marlon Byrd as the fourth outfielder.

All in all, should the Rangers go that route, here’s what the lineup would look like:

• Kinsler (2B)
• Cat (1B)
• Young (SS)
• Blalock (3B)
• Botts (DH)
• Milledge (CF)
• Salty (C)
• Murphy (RF)
• Byrd or PTBNL (LF)

Not bad, and it’s a much stronger lineup, though it’s also a very young and cheap lineup.  At this point, Texas does need to see what they’ve got on the team and if several of the players blossom as expected, well, then all is good.

Rangers Steal Pitcher From The Angels

Thanks to a rare screw-up by the Angels, the Rangers have netted themselves a prospect.

Apparently, the Angels were in the process of adding RHP Warner Madrigal to the 40 Man Roster and even made a announcement stating that he was added.

One problem.

They got the date wrong.  And Madrigal was no longer their property, thanks to his 6 Year Free Agent Status.

So, what do the Rangers have here?

They get a poor hitting outfielder that was converted to the mound last year and is looking like a promising relief prospect.  He can throws a mid 90's fastball that reache sin the upper 90's while working on a slider and a changeup.  All in all, he could become an effective setup man or a closer.

Nice job J.D.

Additions To The 40 Man Roster

Well, the 40 Man Roster has been set and for the most part, I was right.

Here are the additions:

• Matt Harrison (LHP) – A solid number four starter, has better stuff than Gabbard and has proven to be more durable.
• Thomas Diamond (RHP) – I wasn’t aware that Diamond wasn’t on the 40 Man Roster.  Well, he’s back…
• Max Ramirez (C) – The booty acquired for Kenny Lofton, giving the Rangers more catching depth.
• Brandon Boggs (CF) – A potential dark horse centerfielder candidate for the Rangers in the next year or so.

Here are the casualties:

• Victor Diaz (RF) – Diaz has legitimate 30 home run power, but the fact that he can’t walk means his fate was sealed.

And, in the event a player needs to be added, here’s who is going to be victimized:

• Bill White (LHP) – White will likely be the first DFA candidate if the Rangers add any more players via trade or free agency.
• Freddy Guzman (CF) – Guzman is an excellent defender, but quite frankly, the Rangers have enough speedy centerfielders already that can’t hit.

And, here who may be taken in the Rule 5 Draft:

• Jesse Ingram (RHP) - The Former Cal Closer notched up 70 Punchouts this year and is likely Rule 5 Bait.  He never really seemed to establish himself as a dominant closer and has average stuff.  Hopefully, the Rangers will be able to keep him, or that he won't stick.
• Tug Hulett Jr. (INF) - The son of a former Major Leaguer, many feel that he'll be able to eake out a career as a utility guy.  The Rangers didn't add him because they likely felt that he won't be taken.

That's all for now. 

The Rangers Report - The State Of The System

The Rangers’ farm system is ranked in the bottom half of many scouting services.  There is a reason for this.  Blame Alex Rodriguez.

Just kidding.  It was a cheap shot.  But the Alex Rodriguez deal did hurt the Rangers in more ways than one, most notably in the farm system.

When Rodriguez was signed, there came the expectation that the Rangers would surround him with a team that could compete , which was expected when you sign a “superstar” player to a “superstar” contract.  Anyhow, the result was that the Rangers lost their second- and third-round picks in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft because of  Rodriguez and other free agent signings.  They drafted Mark Teixeira, then drafted Josh Baker four rounds later.  And they failed to sign Baker.  Of the 2001 draft, many players who are now in the majors, only C.J. Wilson has reached the majors and contributed anything of value.  The Rangers lost their 2nd, third, fourth and fifth rounders in 2002, thanks to the free agent signings of Chan #### Park, Juan Gonzalez, Todd Van Poppel and Jay Powell.   And, to add insult to injury, their first rounder, Drew Meyer, a shortstop who later moved to second base in the minors, is one of the biggest draft busts in Rangers history.  Of the 2002 draft, only Nate Gold, Jesse Chavez and Kameron Loe have made any sort of contribution.  2003 saw the Rangers take John Danks, but also saw wasted picks on Vincent Sinisi at 2 and John Hudgins at 3, both of whom are now in San Diego.

The end result has been that most of the high school players that would have been taken in those drafts would now be at the upper levels of the farm system.  Add in some instability at the top of the system as far as scouting and player development and you’ll see why the Rangers are where they’re at. 

Another reason is that the entire system took a step back last season, resulting in a good many of the arms and prospects taking a step back.  An excellent example of that is Michael Schlact, a promising young right-hander that hit a wall last season, along with a good many other pitchers. 

Strength Of The System – Catchers / Pitchers

Yes, the Rangers have some good pitching strength.  Eric Hurley is the best pitcher in the system with Edinson Volquez and Thomas Diamond a bit behind him.  Other notable pitchers are Daniel Haigwood, a nifty lefty pitching prospect, Michael Schlact, who was mentioned in the conversation with Eric Hurley until the California took it’s whoop-#### stricks to the 20 year old right hander.  Omar Poveda had great numbers, but a lousy win loss record and ERA thanks to a young and inexperienced team behind him, and Kasey ####r, 2006’s first rounder and others are making a name for themselves as well.  Kei Kometani, my breakout candidate for this year (Wes Littleton was last year’s) could prove himself to be a late round gem if he continues to improve.  All in all, the Rangers have talent and should even a few of their prospects take a step forward, the team all of a suidden becomes deep in pitching.  However, the Rangers need to make sure the kids stay healthy.  Hurley was shut down late last year with a muscle strain and Thomas Diamond has had to undergo Tommy John.  They also need to make sure Schlact gets along great, although his sudden size increase (he's grown an inch and now stands at an imposing 6'8").

As far as catchers, the Rangers have some young guys that are starting to impress.  Taylor Teagarden is a catcher in the mold of Yadir Molina in that he’s a gifted catcher but needs to improve his offense some more and Manny Pina, who is coming off of Tommy John surgery, has many comparing him to Pudge Rodriguez.  Add in Cristian Santana and Emerson Frostad, who are also high regarded, and Ben Harrison and Chad Tracy and the odds are good that at least a pair of these prospects will be an excellent catcher.

Weakness Of The System – First Base / Centerfielders

The system is lacking very much at first base and center field, alarming prospects when you consider the fact that Mark Teixeira is likely gone in two years and Kenny Lofton is only a one-year patch.  There is Jason Botts and Nate Gold, but many are wondering if Gold is simply a one year wonder and if Botts is simply a player that can hit in the minor league level but not in the bigs.  Help does seem to be on the way in Chris Davis and possibly Craig Gentry, a first baseman and centerfielder respectively, so if either one can really establish themselves, this will work out nicely. 

Club To Watch – The Clifton Lumberkings (Low A)

The team that will be something to watch will be the Clifton Lumberkings, who were the youngest team of their level, with an average age of 20.  It was revealed that this was on purpose, as it was designed to get the youngsters more experience as well as allowing them to grow a little.  The pitching will be fronted by ####r and Poveda, who could be the aces that Clinton has been lacking since Hurley and Schlact graduated to the bigs.  Whittleman still has the tooks there to succeed and with another year under his belt, he could surprise some with a breakout season.

Plus, it’s likely that many of the standout players from Spokane, such as Chad Tracy and Chris Davis, will make some contributions.

All in all, this season in Clinton will be a big one in the Rangers minors.  If the club does well, then the Rangers have their future in order.  If not, then there needs to be a closer look at what the hell the Rangers are doing wrong.

The Rangers Report - Breaking News

Tommy John Claims Thomas Diamond

Tommy John has claimed a Rangers propsect, with Thomas Diamond scheduled to undergo the procedure and he will miss the entire 2007 season.   Diamond has had elbow discomfort off and on since the Rangers' mini-camp in January and the condition flared up again after his one appearance in an exhibition game against the Seattle Mariners on March 6.  He allowed two runs in an inning of work and then underwent an MRI afterward. The MRI showed a torn ligiment.  The procedure will be done by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.  The Rangers are expecting him to be at full strength in Spring Training next year. 

"It's a setback," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "But this injury has a high success rate. I expect him back but he's going to miss the season. You feel for Thomas. He worked hard this off-season.

I'm sure he did.  But this latest setback pretty much signals the end of Diamond's career as a starter.

To recap the story for those who don't know, Diamond was the Rangers' first round pick in 2004, drafted out of the University of New Orleans.  Diamond rose quickly, but hsi stats are a bit off when you look at them:

Thomas Diamond (University Of New Orleans Career)

Year      W     L     ERA    Games   Starts     Innings  SV   BB     K          K9        BB9     WHIP

2002     2       2     5.84       14         8              37.0         0      25    44      10.70     6.08     1.95

2003     3       5     3.39       21         3              69.0         5      42    96      12.52     5.48     1.33

2004     6       4     2.38       17         17            113.2      0       45    138   10.93     3.56     1.16

It's a nice little career, but I find it hard to place stock in a player thanks to one good year.  But some draftnicks really went nuts over Diamond because of his comparisons, similar and tempermental wise, to Roger Clemens.  The Rangers, in particular Tom Hicks, who tried and failed to sign Clemens when he left the Red Sox, found this to be rather attractive.

It's also partially believed that the Rangers passed on higher ceiling talents Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver because of their agent (Scott Boras), who has no problem with his clients playing in winter and indy ball in order to force teams to sign for higher than average bonuses. 

All those factors taken into consideration, it's makes an almost perverse type of sense that the Rangers wound up drafting Diamond at Number 10 overall.  He signed for a bonus of $2,025,000. 

But there were doubts about diamond.  In spite of his excellent fastball, people felt that Diamond lacked a third pitch beyound his changeup.  His curveball, which was thought to be a plus pitch, was scrapped in favor of a slider.   Even worse, Diamond has begun loosing his grip on his command and control since he signed. 

Thus, Diamond's stock was been falling steadily sinc ehe was named the Rangers' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2005.  And, despite a impressive 12-5 record with an ERA of  4.24 ERA in Double-A Frisco this year, there were times when Diamond looked wild or just awful on the mound, even though he did lead the Texas League in strikeouts. 

Assuming Diamond comes back at 100% at the end of this year and enters next season ready to go, I wonder how his career can still stay as a starter.  He'll be 25 during Spring Training next year and the BUST label will be firmly on him by then.  It may be time to start possibly looking at him as a reliever, which would allow him a chance to advance and would allow him to work with just the fastball and the changeup.  He would be a part of the closer's mix in Spring Training, a role that I think he would excell in, though he would have to fight with Akinori Otsuka, C.J. Wilson and Wes Littleton for dibs on the role.

In the mean time, in the irony of all ironies, the prospect selected in the later round, the less heralded Eric Hurley, has risen above Diamond and is now the prospect that is held in higher regard.