October 12, 2008 at 1:35 pm · Filed under AL West, Boston Red Sox, Elvis Andrus, Hank Blalock, Jake Peavy, Michael Young, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers
I thought I would take a break from my farm system reports (start after the World Series), and do a little something different.
In this case, answer some email, most of which is from Rangers beat writer, T.R. Sullivan’s mailbag. If you have ever read Sullivan’s mailbag, you would find that a lot of the people that write come up with the most asinine questions. And that Sullivan gives some of the most off the wall answers. I can’t claim credit for this idea. Andrew Stoeten from Drunk Jays Fans did it first with Richard Griffin.
Onto the mailbag!!!
Could Thomas Diamond earn the fourth- or fifth-starter slot with a strong/overpowering spring showing?
– Bob H., Grapevine, Texas
Doubt it Bobby, because of the fact that Diamond hasn’t really pitched well in almost three years and has only been recovering from Tommy John for one year. He could put himself on the short list of emergency starters as he heads up to Oklahoma, but Harrison, Feldman and McCarthy are likely rounding out that rotation.
Manager Ron Washington has said that only Millwood and Padilla have a spot secure for next year. Why not secure one for Harrison?
– Jose R., Fort Worth, Texas
Harrison will get consideration, but I don’t think he makes it because of the option status of several players. It is possible that he could make the squad while Feldman begins the year in the bullpen, though, but as far as I’ve observed, it’s going to be a free for all in terms of who wins the last three spots in the rotation.
Do you think the Rangers could strike a deal for Justin Verlander during the offseason, considering his value may be down? The Tigers could use a third outfielder and a catcher. Maybe we could give up David Murphy and Jarrod Saltalamacchia for Verlander.
– Paul B., Dallas
Are you fucking stupid? The Tigers would laugh at that offer and then hang up.
If the Tigers were inclined to trade Verlander, I would be on the phone, as Verlander still has three years till free agency. However, the Tigers would likely ask for a package of Chris Davis, Taylor Teagarden, Neftali Feliz and Elvis Andrus in return. That’s four blue chip prospects, and something I wouldn’t want to do. I would, on the other hand, offer them Gerald Laird, Andrus, Hurley, and a pair of prospects in return. I would even be willing to take on a Magglio’s Contract, so long as I offered them Padilla in return. That would benefit the Tigers in that they would have essentially a one year commitment on Padilla, and if he rocks for them, they can exercise the option. They would gain an experienced catcher that Jim Leyland has asked for, a starter with upside, and a long term option at shortstop (though I am starting to become hesitant on moving Andrus after watching Young break down in the latter half of the season.) I’d even toss in Joaquin Arias, whom they’ve had a man crush on for so long. It would also allow the Tigers to free up payroll to go after whatever else they need.
What is going on with young Hurley? He pitched decently for a month and got hurt. Now you don’t hear anything about him whatsoever, where is he?
– Aitor U., Clermont, Fla.
Hurley was shut down with a sore shoulder and will likely compete for a spot in the rotation. It’s more than likely he’s going to be headed to Oklahoma City because of the option status on Feldman, McCarthy and Nippert. Hurley likely will get a more legitimate shot in 2010, when Millwood and Padilla’s contracts are up (though both have 2010 options on their contracts, if the Rangers are inclined to invite them back.)
With the productivity I have seen out of Taylor Teagarden, what are the chances of him being the starting catcher in 2009?
– Jake E., Kauffman, Texas
Teagarden is likely going to be at least the backup with Saltalamacchia being the starter and Gerald Laird getting traded. The only concern I have with Teagarden is his history of back problems, and his perchant for getting injured.
If Murphy is the first name brought up by the Rays for Edwin Jackson, then I say let’s start talking. Would you rather there be another reliable bat in the Texas lineup or a reliable arm in the rotation?
– Bland P., Dallas
The Rangers should stay the hell away from either of Tampa’s back of the rotation guys. Jackson is inconsistent and Sonnastine would get destroyed in Dallas. As for Muprhy, I like him, but I wouldn’t hesitate to include him as part of a deal. In my mind, there aren’t many guys you include in a deal. Those names are Hamilton, Kinsler, Davis, Feliz, Holland, and Michael Main. Andrus is starting to approach that territory, however.
What odds would you place on the Rangers landing CC Sabathia this offseason?
– David N., Dallas
Zero!
Do you think the Rangers have a shot or will attempt to sign someone with the caliber of Paul Byrd or Jon Garland for next year?
– Jimmy K., Houston
They’ll have a shot, but why would you want to? Let the Dis-Astros have their shot at those two.l
With the World Baseball Classic back next spring, how do players get on a team? Do you think Michael Young will participate knowing the injuries he has had this year?
– Neta A., Longview, Texas
Mikey has expressed interest, so I don’t see why not. He’ll likely be a bench player though. Speaking of the WBC, I need to come up with my speculative roster for Team USA.
Is there a possibility of trading Hank Blalock? To me, it doesn’t seem like he has played first base to his potential. It seems to me since returning from his injury, he is apprehensive about getting to a ball hit his way.
– Kathy S., Cleburne, Texas
Daniels said at a recent talk at the University of North Texas (Oklahoma’s favorite warm up game opponent), that the team is leaning towards picking up the option. I’m okay with that, as I argued that Hank should have been moved to DH two years ago. It would allow Davis to move back to first, though I do wonder who would play third base.
Do you think the Rangers might take the same approach with Neftali Feliz and Derek Holland as teams like the Mariners (Brandon Morrow), D-backs (Max Scherzer) and Yankees (Joba Chamberlain) have with some of their top pitching prospects by having them start out in the bullpen when they first come up?
– Brad M., Abilene, Texas
Dutch is likely staying as a starter no matter what. As for Feliz, he’s got the stuff to become one of the nastiest closers in baseball. He’s the much likelier fit for that scenario.
Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez will be a free agent next season. How interested do you think the Rangers will be in signing him?
– Ken B., Seattle
I’d be absolutely horrified if the Rangers signed K-Rod. Why spend $80 million for a guy that pitches roughly 75 innings for you each year.
Do you think Bradley for Micah Owings would’ve made sense at the Trade Deadline?
– Drew T., Plano, Texas
I’d have taken it, so long as a second prospect was tossed into the mix. Remember that Bradley has free agent compensation attached to him and any trade would have to be better than the compensation picks that are coming back.
Do you think that the Rangers could maybe trade Marlon Byrd and a young prospect for the Royals’ Alex Gordon, or maybe trade Millwood and a young prospect for Kansas City righty Zack Greinke?
– Nick S., Oklahoma City
Maybe the Royals of four years ago! What a load of shit! Seriously, why in God’s name would the Royals trade a young, ace level pitcher for Kevin Millwood’s contract and whatever is left of Kevin Millwood? I expect fucking better from Rangers fans, not the usual “Let’s Trade Hideki Matsui For TIm Lincecum” that you usually hear from Yankee fans…
(Gets Call From Friend Of The Blog, Jon Bon Astro, Astro Fan Extraordinare!!)
Oh what? That actually did come up last year? Okay, never mind.
(Hangs up)
Okay, in all seriousness, the Royals aren’t inclined to move any of their young guys. They’re going to try and go for it this year. I would be interested in Gordon, however. It would all depend on what the Royals ask for in return.
Is Chris Davis eligible for the Rookie of the Year Award, considering the injuries to Murphy and the Rays’ Evan Longoria?
– Alex E., Waxahachie, Texas
Yeah, but let’s be honest. It’s already got Longoria’s name on it.
ACTUAL MAILED QUESTIONS
Hey Mori,
Since You’re Harping So Much On Third Base, Who Would You Bring In To Man Third Base Considering That Young Is Likely Going To Slide Over For Arias Or Andrus. Love The Blog, Though You Should Tone Down The Amount Of F-Bombs.
–Nick, UTEP Email
I wonder if this is Nick from Studies Of Ancient China, who would show off his selection of blunt that he was planning on toking up during the weekend.
First of all Nick, Fuck You. Second of all, Arias has no long term future in the organization, though I don’t doubt that he’s probably going to garner some interest out there based on his impressive tool set that he has yet to cash in on. So I doubt that he’ll be a regular starter at third base unless Ron Washington begins to exercise his speed fetish again.
The third base market is shit-tastic this off-season. At last count, it’s Casey Blake, Joe Crede, and assorted loose change. Of that bunch, Blake is likely going to get the big bucks. But Crede might be worth a look on a one year deal. He plays excellent defense and hits for power. Plus, he’s only going to be a one year patch, as I think Scott Boras is going to want a one year deal in order to re-establish his value and get him a huge deal later.
Plus, it wouldn’t be a long term commitment that would prevent Michael Young from sliding over to third base in 2010 to allow Elvis Andrus to play shortstop.
MORI POVICH,
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE BOSTON TO ACQUIRE JAKE PEAVY? WOULD CRISP, LUGO, BOWDEN DO THE TRICK?
JESSE (who evidently likes to email shit from his iPhone.)
First of all, where the fuck do you get off calling me a hack talk show host who likes to give out paternity tests and trips to boot camp to teenagers?
Second, that is a shit-tastic deal. Crisp would be a decent inclusion for San Diego considering their lack of centerfield prospects, but the purpose of getting rid of Peavy would be to cash in and save on payroll, which Lugo wouldn’t do.
As for Bowden, he’s okay, but far from great. Any deal would have to begin with Clay Buchholz, and likely Lars Anderson and Jed Lowrie as well. The Red Sox would probably be willing to part with Buchholz, but Anderson and Lowrie would be too expensive, even if the Padres were willing to send back what the fuck’s his name, oh, Khalil Green back in return. That’s not much of an offensive improvement, and it’s more salary and less team control than Lowrie would bring. That mean’s it’s down to Anderson, and he’s arguably the best first base prospect in the minors. I don’t think Boston will part with him, and ultimately, that’s what would kill any deal, even if the Red Sox offered to make up more in quantity by including lesser names.
Okay, another blog post coming later tonight!
July 24, 2008 at 5:44 pm · Filed under AL West, Elvis Andrus, Gerald Laird, Hank Blalock, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, MLB, Michael Young, Texas Rangers
The subject of Michael Young’s defense is a hot topic in Ranger land. Young may potentially be one of the worst defensive shortstops in the game, as his range is beginning to decline (Jeter may still be worse) and it could be argued that moving Young to third base, of which the Rangers have no prospects of note, could benefit both him and the club in the short and long term.
Here’s the key issue that people are ignoring.
Who are you going to replace him with?
What a lot of people, Adam J. Morris of Lone Star Ball in particular, have overlooked is that there aren’t all that many quality shortstops growing on trees. And while the Rangers do have a potential franchise shortstop to move Young over to third base eventually in Elvis Andrus, Andrus is hardly a lock to make the majors next season, and looks like he’ll require at least another year of development before the experiment can be done.
In reality, there should be no rush. However, because the topic is starting to crop up on message boards, let’s delve into it, shall we?
- Joaquin Arias (Oklahoma) - Arias would seem to be the obvious choice, seeing that he’s already in the organization and would give the team and opportunity to see if he really can hack it at the major league level or not. Arias has speed and would be capable at short, but he doesn’t offer much long term upside, not enough to justify moving Young from the position at least. It’s too bad, because he could wind up being a short of Jack Wilson type shortstop, if given the chance.
- Jack Wilson (Pittsburgh) - Speaking of Wilson, I suppose Jack Wilson (who is an adequate defensive shortstop), could be had, but I’m not sure what sort of package could be put together for the Pirates to bite on. At least, not a reasonable one. Shooter and I should do a mutual post to see how we could improve both teams through wheeling and dealing.
- Adam Everett (Minnesota) -Everett is a supurb defensive shortstop, but isn’t a great hitter. How the hell would this justify moving Young? Next!
- Felipe Lopez (Nationals) - An interesting reclamation project, Lopez could rebound to his Cincinatti status in Arlington, but he hasn’t played shortstop regularly in years.
- Ramon Vasquez (Rangers) - Borat can play shortstop, but he’s isn’t this great of a hitter. Honestly, I’d be shopping him furiously now if I were Jon Daniels.
- J.J. Hardy (Brewers) - There a lot of rumor that the Brewers will shop J.J. Hardy this off-season in order to clear a spot for their own top prospect, Alcides Escobar, who is a better defensive shortstop than Hardy. Hardy is attractive in that he has several years of club control left and that he’s an exxcellent defensive shortstop. However, the problem is that the price will be very prohibative on Hardy. The Brewers will want multiple prospects in return, which could be counterproductive to the Rangers. If the Rangers could acquire Hardy for a package of, say Jose Vallejo, Manuel Pina, Omar Poveda and another prospect, I’d be for it, as Vellejo is a decent second base prospect that’s blocked by Kinsler, Pina is another catcher in a system rich with them, Poveda is looking like a solid pitching prospect, plus maybe a lesser prospect. Anything greater than that I’d be unwilling to consider. The thing that pisses me off about Hardy is just how streaky of a hitter he is. Come to think of it, wouldn’t the Brewers be best off calling up Escobar, moving Hardy to second base, and putting Rickie Weeks in center. I think Weeks could be an excellent centerfielder. Ah well, that’s not my call.
Hot Shots
Yankees Interested In Laird - The Yankees are reportedly looking at Gerald Laird to help out their catching situation, one that they’ve long overlooked. It’s safe to say that Jorge Posada has been taken for granted by the Yankees for much of his career and only now is his value finally being…well, valued. Texas would move Laird for a pitcher, of which the Yankees have long been reluctant to do. I wouldn’t target any of the Yankees’ big three pitching prospects, though in my opinion Laird for Ian Kennedy straight up is fair (Kennedy isn’t an elite prospect and has been way overvalued because of his organization.) An arm I would target would be Delin Betances, a live arm in the Yankees system who has had injury issues in the past, but is still something solid.
Something That Should Be Pursued - I’d really try and get something done with Boston in terms of a pitching prospect close to the majors. The Rangers and Red Sox match up well for a potential swap of Max Ramirez or Jarrod Saltalamacchia, as Boston needs a young catcher, and they’ve got nothing on the way.
The Hell? - Apparently, the Braves shot down the Mike Gonzalez for a Texas outfielder rumor, saying that the only way they would have traded Gonzalez was for Josh Hamilton? That’s insanity.
Hank Blalock Now Coveted By Dodgers, Giants, And Twins - Three teams are now in on Hank Blalock, who seems to be back and ready to contribute. The Dodgers are particularly interested, and could be willing to give up something nice. I’d ask them for Andy LaRoche and something else, straight up. The Twins are another potential fit, but they seem reluctant to trade any of their pitching depth, which is what the Rangers want. The Giants are interesting, in that they have several needs right now, but their only real collateral is in their young starters. If I were the Rangers, i’d make a play for Matt Cain. I’d offer them Blalock, Nelson Cruz, Joaquin Arias, Jose Vallejo, Poveda, and possibly another prospect for Cain, plus one of the Giants’ bad contracts in return. I don’t know, they may pass on that.
July 21, 2008 at 5:32 pm · Filed under AL West, Elvis Andrus, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, MLB, Matt Harrison, Michael Young, Neftali Feliz, Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers
The past two weeks, I’ve gone to Chicago, Milwaukee for Vacation, only to return and discover it’s off to San Antonio for business right after that. Chicago and Milwaukee I’m not complaining about. That was pleasure. San Antonio? Four days straight of meetings at a conference. All there really was to do was to head to downtown and get trashed…
The Rangers Report
The Teixeira Deal, One Year Later
It’s been about one year since the Rangers traded away Mark Teixeira to the Atlanta Braves for a package of five minor leaguers.
At the time, the big piece of the package was Jarrod Saltalamacchia, while everyone else was generally thought to be high upside filler.
So, with the one year anniversary of the trade nearly upon us, let’s see how the kids from the trade have fared:
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia (C) - MLB. Salty has struggled this year, but is still a young player with a bright future. He’s got plenty of value as a trade chip, which may work considering the fact that Max Ramirez and Taylor Teagarden have made some huge impressions while they were up. Despite all that, I’m still a beleiver in Salty. Future - All Star Catcher Still
- Neftali Feliz (RHP) - Double A. Seen at the time as just a raw arm with potential, Feliz has catapulted up prospect rankings and is now regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. Feliz throws in the high 90’s, but more importantly how has a solid enough curveball and changeup to compliment the heater. He’s now in Double A, having skipped the California League entirely, and is currently 2-0, with a 2.65 ERA and 17 K’s in 3 starts for the Roughriders, and is coming off of a 6 inning, 8 K gem from Friday. Future - Potential Ace.
- Elvis Andrus (SS) - Double A. Andrus was one of the more highly touted prospects coming into the season based on his speed and his impressive glovework at shortstop. Many feel he’s ready defensively for the majors defensively. The big problem for Adnrus was that he was rushed quicker than he should have been by the Braves., which stunted him a bit offensively. Texas has since slowed him down, which has helped Andrus adjust, as he is currently hitting .293 with 38 stolen bases. That’s not bad for a 20 year old in Double A. Andrus still has some warts, such as his plate discipline and lack of power, plus the fact he’s been caught stealing 11 times, but he’s young enough to improve on those. All in all, the Rangers have Michael Young’s future replacement. Future - Poor Man’s Edgar Renteria.
- Matt Harrison (LHP) - MLB. Harrison was impressive in Double A, but was still a bit raw in Triple A when he was called up to pitch for the Rangers. Harrison has been shelled, but still has a bright future as a back of the rotation starter, a la Jarrod Washburn. Future - Innings Eater Back Of The Rotation Starter.
- Beau Jones (LHP) - High A. The sleeper in the picture, Jones struggled as a starter before being moved into the bullpen for the Braves, where he’s been a revelation. Jones is currently sporting a 1.17 ERA in the pen for the Blaze and could soon rise to Double A by the end of the year. Future - Power Lefty Out Of The Pen, Potential Closer.
Meanwhile, Teixeira has been very good for the Braves, but hasn’t done much to improve their post season chances. And with Scott Boras wanting the bidding to start at $23 million a year for hsi client’s services, Atlanta is likely doomed to accept less than what they may have given up to the Rangers.
Feldman Headed To The Bullpen
In what has been an impressive rebound season for Scott Feldman, it looks like tonight will be Scott Feldman’s final start.
He’s headed back to the bullpen.
The thing is, Feldman is starting to put up some highs in terms of innings, which in turn has lead to his recent fatigue in his last few starts. It’s said that the Rangers are hoping to cap Feldman at around the 130 inning mark, which would in turn set him up for a possible 160 inning mark next season.
All in all, kudos to the Rangers organization for recognizing that Feldman did indeed have the talent to succeed, not just as a pitcher, but as a starting pitcher. All in all, this sets up for a potentially exciting rotation next year, with the following rotation:
- Kevin Millwood (RHP)
- Vicente Padilla (RHP)
- Eric Hurley (RHP)
- Scott Feldman (RHP)
- Brandon McCarthy (RHP)
And that’s not counting Matt Harrison, Luis Mendoza, or Kason Gabbard, all of whom who have started for the Rangers.
Should be interesting.
Marlon Byrd And Nelson Cruz Potential Trade Chips
The Rangers are getting calls on Marlon Byrd and Nelson Cruz, the latter of which has flamed out with the Rangers, but is getting some love due to his 31 home runs in 314 at-bats at Oklahoma. Byrd has been the subject of trade rumors before, but Cruz is a new one, considering his struggles with the majors. For Cruz, I think it’s possible to get an arm, likely one in the lower minors, for him, maybe a positional prospect that has flopped or is blocked.
As for Byrd, well, I’m not sure what he’d bring back. Ideally, I’d like a young arm or a decent positional player. Well see if the Rangers can get one.
Next Week’s Blog Schedule:
Thursday - Finding The Successor For Young
Monday - Finding Fits For Potential Trades