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Griever20 11-28-2018 10:35 AM

MLB 2019 - Texas Rangers - A Challenge Mode Dynasty
 
Autumn. The beginning of October. Arlington. The Texas Rangers. Ten years ago, if someone would've told me I would apply for a GM job in MLB, I just would've laughed. What a ride.

Max Gerlach. Born in Germany, Hamburg to exact. A soccer fan. Number cruncher. Mathematician. Wrote a master thesis about the right way to use the Premier League television money as a club. Then got snagged up by West Ham United as Assistant Director of Sports. Became a young star on the front office side... until he was fired for having an affair with the owner's daughter. of course, that one never got public.

Offers from Borussia Dortmund to replace Sven Mislintat, Chelsea, and even the AC Milan... as Director of Sports... were let go by Gerlach... as he moved to the US... to work for a big television station as sports analyst... first for European Soccer and the MLS, and after a years time, he was a lead analyst for MLB's major trades, developing some crude, but effective metrics for trade efficiency and expected future returns.

In that role, Gerlach covered the 2018 season as one of the lead analysts... and once again gave some controversial analysis on trade deadline deals like the Wisler deal, Jose Abreu, Bour, Plawecki for Eovaldi... Sparking discussions about an outsider talking about MLB trades once again...

64-98. Two years after a 95 win season, the Rangers are in free fall. Aging stars, injuries (Mazara for 5 months, lat strain), bad pitching, subpar defense, bad hitting. They have it all... despite some high potential players on the roster. At the end of the day... GM and manager were fired hours after the last out of the regular season...

And then, a simple Twitter post started a rally. "Will the backseat GM Gerlach apply for that Rangers job?" - MRanger88. Brought up in our newsreel... I became cocky and said yes and applied... and little did I know... I was invited for an interview by owner Ray C. Davis. I did not make it easy for them. I paid the flight myself, paid my hotel room, and denied their limo and walked to the ballpark.

What was planned as a two hour interview became a 4 1/2 hour one... which of course was leaked to the public... Investing millions into free agents won't help you short and long-term... talent is here, just add some more young talent on the bounce... using the money wisely, something I learned in the Premier League... flip for prospects... What do you rather want, a Aaron Judge like talent at age 21 or 22 for a $20M buy-in + 6 years of salary, or Harper for $500M?... Long-term contracts, for kids like Mazara under market value...

I don't know if they just wanted to find out what kind of lunatic I was, or if they were really interested... and for a week after the interview... nothing happened apart from my colleagues asking me fruitless questions about the interview... no comment on that.

Until the phone rang on a Monday evening... Ray C. Davis "So Max, how fast can you be here?" - "Are you serious? Like, really serious?" - "I'll take the chance. Either you fail horribly, or you haul in something big. I'll take that risk." - "And the money? - "$180M from the start of the season, $200M if I like what I see in January. Personally, I would still like you to resign Beltre, but that is a pill I'm willing to swallow..."

And so, the voyage into the unknown began... GM of the Texas Rangers.

Griever20 11-28-2018 10:38 AM

So, about the dynasty. I decided to eventually abandon my Brewers dynasty a couple of months ago, mostly because it felt like I was playing on autopilot, having fleeced the AI on normal trade difficulty and scouting enough to win 120+ games...

Obviously, this is a challenge mode dynasty, only changes made was activating trading of injured players, and disabling some of the league evolution stuff. I simmed through the first year and waited till someone got fired... and got the choice between Rangers and Marlins and took the Rangers for obvious reasons... more budget, more talent, more wiggle room.

I played out the offseason until mid-February before I decided to make this a dynasty, so the first part of this is going to be a small... not so small roundup of the offseason so far, followed by Spring Training and a roster rundown.

Onwards we go...

Griever20 11-28-2018 10:42 AM

2018/19 big offseason roundup
 
Changes, Changes:

The first signing was an easy one. I wanted a veteran manager. One that knew how to win. And one that brought at least some excitement to the fanbase. Enter Joe Girardi. The former Yankees manager agreed to a 2-year deal and we went to work right away.

Also, I wanted some talented baseball minds around me... and signed Doug Melvin as Head of Scouting for four years and upped the scouting budget to a maximum of $24M, and the development budget to a maximum of $36M.

Free Agents and Non-Tendered Arbitration Candidates

3B Adrian Beltre(39, 3*) .257/.336/.434 15HR 58RBI 108G 1.9WAR
Compensation eligible. At his age, he has no immediate future with the team... and while fans and the owner will hate it, he won't be resigned. Good luck to him, but we will save the money.

SP Cole Hamels(35, 2*) 7-14 5.03 106K 32GS 177IP 1.2WAR
No interest at all.

P Kevin Jepsen, Matt Moore, Scott Kazmir, Doug Fister, Tim Lincecum, Shawn Tolleson, Jake Diekman
3B Trevor Plouffe, C Robinson Chirinos, LF Ryan Rua, C Cameron Rupp, CF Delino DeShields Jr.
Were either free agents right away, or were non-tendered during arbitration. Got us some roster space, and freed up some more money.

Extensions:

SS Jurickson Profar(25, 2.5/3*) .239-7-43 .644OPS 124G 6/8SB -0.3WAR
1y/$1.32M
Trade candidate. We are set in the outfield, and his shortstop defense is lackluster at best. Candidate for 'flip'.

RF Nomar Mazara(23, 4/5*) 165-3-7 .508OPS 34G -0.7WAR
1y/$850k, Signed a $10y/120M extension kicking in in 2020.
Buy low candidate on a long-term extension. Suffered from a lat strain that cost him most of 2019, but regarded as one of the prime outfield prospects in baseball.


LHCL Alex Claudio(27, 4.5*) 1-10 34SV 2.66 55K 67.2IP 2.1WAR
1y/$4.64M
3 more years of team control, and a lot of talent despite throwing only 83-85 mph. Our closer for now.

RHCL Keone Kela(25, 4/4.5*) 4-3 2SV 3.03 83K 68.1IP 0.2WAR
1y/$1.54M
Strong right-hander, two more years of team control, setup man for a good price.

Free Agent Signings:

C Matt Wieters(32, 2.5*) .291-10-62 .768OPS 124G 2.8WAR for WSH
1y/$2.9M
A bargain, and an important one as we basically had nothing left behind the plate that resembled MLB quality. Also, could be a good trade chip at the deadline if he performs like last season.

Trades, Trades, Trades:
The 'Flipping Strategy'. At the start of free agency, we had a ton of money available, and there were a number of teams looking to sell their veterans and stars in the final year of their contract, for almost nothing.

With our team looking to rebuild, the plan was easy... take the player for a player that we want to get rid of anyways, and then eat his salary, and flip him for a prospect... Watch:

--
Boston receives:
SS Elvis Andrus(30, 2.5*) .279-12-55 .737OPS 148G 30/37SB 2.5WAR, $15M/$15M/$14M/$14M left on contract.
LHP Mike Minor(31, 2*) 6-11 5.02 141K 28GS 143.1IP 0.6WAR, $9.5M/$9.5M left on contract
LHP Wes Benjamin(25, 0.5/1.5*)
2B Isiah Kiner-Falefa(23, 0.5/1.5*)
CF Eric Jenkins(22, 0.5/1.5*)

Texas receives:
RHSP Rick Porcello(29, 2.5*) 11-12 5.45 168K 33GS 190IP 1.0WAR, $21M left on contract
RHSP Bryan Mata(19, 0.5/3*) #128 prospect
CF Cole Brannen(20, 0.5/3*) #159 prospect
3B Michael Chavis(23, 2/3*) #93 prospect, later traded to NYY

Later that offseason:

Washington receives:
RHSP Rick Porcello(29, 2.5*) 11-12 5.45 168K 33GS 190IP 1.0WAR, $21M left on contract paid by TEX

Texas receives:
RF Daniel Johnson Jr.(23, 2/3.5* HS, 1.5/2.5* OSA)

Makes $21M of Rick Porcello on our payroll for three prospects. Elvis Andrus was the guy that had to go, and no offense to him, he was a great servant to the club, but how much of a value will he be in 2-3 years when we hopefully compete again?

--

More flipping:

San Francisco receives:
LF LeDarious Clark(24, 0.5/1.5*)

Texas receives:
SP Jeff Samardzija(33, 3*) 10-10 4.02 172K 29GS 177IP 2.4WAR, $18M/$18M left on contract.

Later that offseason:

Tampa Bay receives:
SP Jeff Samardzija(33, 3*) 10-10 4.02 172K 29GS 177IP 2.4WAR, $18M/$18M left on contract paid by TEX.
RF Shin-Soo Choo(36, 2*) .251-13-34 .764OPS 92G 0.6WAR, $21M/$21M left on contract paid by TEX.
C Juan Centeno(29, 1*) .286-1-2 .832OPS 16G/11GS 0.3WAR
3B Luis Yander La O(27, 1/1.5*)
RF Chad Wesley Smith(21, 0.5/2*)

Texas receives:
RF Justin Williams(23, 2/3*) #132 prospect
SP Jake J. Thompson(24, 2/3.5*) Moved up to #12 in the latest prospect ranking(Feb. 12th)

Both will start the season in the big leagues if they stay healthy...

--

Another flip:

Oakland receives:
RF Matt Railey(23, 0.5*)

Texas receives:
LF Khris Davis(31, 3.5*) .265-30-89 .825OPS 150G 3.1WAR, $14M left on contract

into:

Yankees receive:
LF Khris Davis(31, 3.5*) .265-30-89 .825OPS 150G 3.1WAR, $14M left on contract paid by TEX

Texas receives:
RHSP Albert Abreu(23, 1/3*) #44 prospect, moved up to #38 in the latest prospect ranking(Feb. 12th)

--

And by far the biggest fish, and the most important one:

Arizona receives:
SS Jurickson Profar(25, 2.5/3*) .239-7-43 .644OPS 124G 6/8SB -0.3WAR

Texas receives:
1B Paul Goldschmidt(31, 4.5*) .311-34-112 .979OPS 162G 7.1WAR, $14M left on contract

Into:

Minnesota receives:
1B Paul Goldschmidt(31, 4.5*) .311-34-112 .979OPS 162G 7.1WAR, $14M left on contract paid by TEX

Texas receives:
SS Royce Lewis(19, 2/5* HS, 0.5/4* OSA) #9 prospect

The first overall pick in the 2017 draft, #23 prospect prior to the 2018 season. Hit .289-2-37 .727OPS 21/26SB in 95 games in A+ ball, good for 1.8WAR. Agreed to a 10y/$88.1M extension kicking in after this season. Our star shortstop of the future.

--

Other players acquired:
1B Bobby Bradley(22, 3/4*) .190-3-9 .552OPS 23G -0.6WAR from CLE, starting 1B? #107 prospect
SS Thairo Estrada(22, 2/3*) from NYY, battling with Lewis for the shortstop job.
RHRP Riley Ferrell(25, 3.5/4.5*) 2-0 1SV 3.48 57K 33G 44IP 0.8WAR from HOU
RHRP Gerson Moreno(23, 2/3.5*) from LAD

C Edgardo Rodriguez(18, 0.5/3.5* HS, 0.5/2.5*OSA) from TBR
2B Brandon Lowe(24, 1.5/4* HS, 1/3* OSA) from TBR
LF Starling Heredia(20, 0.5/2.5* HS, 0.5/2* OSA) from LAD
LF Christopher De La(17, 0.5/3* HS, 0.5* OSA) from WSH
RF Raimfer Salinas(18, 0.5/3.5* HS, 0.5/2* OSA) from NYY

Other players traded away:
SP Martin Perez(27, 1*) 0-1 4.76 1GS, $6M/$7.5M left on contract, to LAD
RHRP Matt Bush(33, 3*) 0-1 4.15 9K 7GS to LAD
RHRP Zach Putnam(31, 2.5*) 2-0 2SV 2.86 31K 29G 28.1IP TO WSH
1B Tommy Joseph(27, 2.5*) .234-30-85 .722OPS 152G -0.2WAR to LAD
2B Drew Robinson(26, 2/3*) .212-14-43 .670OPS 118G -0.5WAR to HOU

Griever20 11-29-2018 07:33 AM

2019 Spring Training Roster
 
Rangers Announce Spring Training Roster
stadiumreport.bbn
February 20th, 2019

Starting Pitching:
Albert Abreu(23, R), Clayton Blackburn(26, R), Tom Eshelman(24, R), Ariel Jurado(23, R), David Paulino(25, R), Jake J. Thompson(24, R), Tyler Wagner(28, R)

A lot of youth, not a lot of experience, and potentially not a lot of innings. That can be a good thing, that can be a bad thing. Also, they lack a left-hander. Via GM Max Gerlach: "I looked for talent, not for handiness."

Relief Pitching:
R.J. Alvarez(27, R), Tony Barnette(35, R), Brady M. Feigl(28, L), Riley Ferrell(25, R), Ian Gibaut(25, R), Luke Hochevar(35, R), Keone Kela(25, R), Jose Leclerc(25, R), Aaron Loup(31, L), Gerson Moreno(23, R), Adrian Sampson(27, R), Tony Zych(28, R), CL Alex Claudio(27, L)

A solid group with a lefty closer Alex Claudio, two strong righties in Keone Kela and possibly Riley Ferrell, and a veteran lefty in Aaron Loup. The former Jays pitcher signed a minor league deal with a $1.4M Major League option just before spring training. Solid group, and some options for a trade deadline deal.

Catcher:
Josh Morgan(23, R), Matt Whatley(23, R), Matt Wieters(32, S)

Morgan and Whatley are prospects with some upside, and Wieters is the everyday guy that will get to teach one of them. My bet: Wieters and Morgan.

Infield:
1B Bobby Bradley(22, L), 2B Brandon Lowe(24, L), 2B Rougned Odor(25, L), 3B Joey Gallo(25, L), SS Thairo Estrada(22, R), SS Royce Lewis(19, R)

Too many left-handed hitters, the biggest problem for this Rangers team, which is where Royce Lewis could become a big factor. IF he and Bradley become major stars, an infield of Bradley, Odor, Gallo and Lewis could be the next big thing in 2-3 years. But, they are a bit low on MLB level backups here.

Outfield:
LF Willie Calhoun(24, L), LF Billy McKinney(24, L), CF Julio Pablo Martinez(22, L), CF Carlos Tocci(23, R), RF Daniel Johnson Jr.(23, L), Nomar Mazara(23, L), Yanio Perez(23, R), Justin Williams(23, L)

With Rule V draftee Billy McKinney in the mix, it will be a hard job to trim down this outfield to a group of four to five, and lots of new faces will start down in AAA. When healthy, Mazara should be a lock for right field, but every other position is open for battle. One of them could end up as everyday DH.

Overall, the fans are... split between optimism... and sadness. "We are paying $80M for players that aren't even playing," remarked diehard Rangers fan Bryan from Detroit. "We could've gotten three years of Bryce Harper, who is now in Atlanta or three years of newest Cardinals ace Clayton Kershaw for that," he remarked in the Rangers very own fan forum.

However, Debbi from Houston wrote that "this is the future. No reason to dream of the old days with Beltre, Hamels and co. Yes, they won 90+ games and got us into the playoffs, but the team needs to bring fresh talent in to pair it with our young players that are already there. Gerlach is doin' the right thing."

At the end of the day, the results of the next three to five years will decide.

Griever20 11-30-2018 06:49 AM

2019 Opening Day Roster!
 
Texas Breaks Camp Without Injuries, With Shooting Star Lewis
stadiumreport.bbn
March 27th, 2019

A rather eventless Spring Training ended for Joe Girardi and the Rangers, and here is your Texas roster update and overview. ENJOY!

Your 2019 Texas Rangers:

Starting Pitching:

RHSP Clayton Blackburn(26, 2*, $545k) 4-1 4.81 10GS 58IP 35K 0.1WAR // 4-1 4.81 10GS 58IP 35K 0.1WAR (career)
Once a 16th round selection in 2011 by the Giants, Blackburn was acquired in 2017 as a prospect. At 26-years of age, the right-hander neer really impressed in the Rangers org, posting ERA's of 4 and above in AAA, but has to eat innings now with everybody else gone. Ceiling: AAAA guy.

RHSP Tom Eshelman(24, 1.5/2.5*, $545k) 7-12 4.82 92K 27GS 134.1IP 1.8WAR(AAA) // DNP (career)
A 2nd round pick way back in 2015, Eschelman eventually came over as a Rule V draftee this offseason and could be a decent pickup. The 24-year old is a control artist that loves to paint the corners and had a great 2017 in AAA, posting a 2.23ERA in 18 starts. His 2018 was not quite that good, but there is at least some potential for a mid-four ERA.

RHSP David Paulino(25, 2/2.5*, $1M) 9-4 4.17 104K 22GS 116.2IP 2.4WAR (AAA) // 2-1 6.25 36K 9G/7GS 36IP 0.1WAR (career)
Let go by the Astros at the end of last season, the Rangers signed him for $1M this offseason to take a flyer, and he won a spot in the major league roster for not being completely awful in Spring Training. Fastball, curve, slider and changeup are fine, but he needs some more work in the control department.

RHSP Jake J. Thompson(24, 2/3*, $545k) 2-5 5.50 44K 10GS 54IP 0.8WAR (AAA) // DNP (career)
Named the #11 prospect in baseball on opening day. A 4th round selection by Boston in 2017, he was traded to the Rays and then to us over the span of five months, and there is work to do. His control needs some refinement, his curve and change have some upside, but his 93-95mph heater is already looking fine. Easily the highest potential starter on this team.
Ceiling: #2 starter, possibly #1B

RHSP Tyler Wagner(28, 2*, $545k) 2-5 5.40 37K 11GS 56.2IP 0.2WAR // 3-7 5.27 49K 17G/14GS 80.1IP 0.5WAR (career)
Probably the worst Rangers opening day starter in recent history. Joe Girardi wanted the most experienced starter on the mound for opening day, but it's safe to say that Wagner is not exactly an ace. Throwing 90-92 with a sinker, a slider and a changeup, he still does not create a lot of groundballs as you would expect... has he has trouble with his control, his movement... basically everything...

Bullpen:

RHRP R.J. Alvarez(27, 2*, $545k) 4-0 4.62 79K 60G 60.1IP 0.2WAR // 4-0 4.62 79K 60G 60.1IP 0.2WAR (career)
AAAA guy that made his MLB debut last year. Alvarez throws a hard sinker, but most of the time he does not know how it breaks if it breaks at all, and where it lands. His slider is top class and his go-to pitch, but control and movement hold him back. Middle-relief guy.

RHRP Tony Barnette(35, 2*, $545k) 0-1 1SV 5.93 24K 24G 30.1IP 0.4WAR // 9-5 3SV 4.20 13K 127G 148.0IP 1.7WAR (career)
One of two 'veterans' in the bullpen, albeit Barnette is a real late bloomer(for good reasons). He had a brilliant AAA campaign last year, 22SV with a 2.72ERA in 43 games, and also showed a couple of years ago that he can pitch at the Major League level, 7-3 2.09 in 60.1IP in 2016... but that was when he was 2 years younger...

RHRP Riley Ferrell(25, 3/4.5*, $545k) 2-0 1SV 3.48 57K 33G 44IP 0.8WAR // 2-0 1SV 3.48 57K 33G 44IP 0.8WAR (career)
Ferrell got his feet wet with Houston last year and provides some strong upside in the bullpen with his mid 90's heater, a very good slider, and movement and control over it. Still some room for growth with his slider, but if things fall the right way, he could be a mainstay in this bullpen for years. Acquired from the Astros for infielder Drew Robinson.

RHRP Keone Kela(25, 4/4.5*, $1.54M) 4-3 2SV 3.03 83K 78G 68.1IP 0.2WAR // 20-10 5SV 3.31 94K 220G 201.1IP 2.0WAR (career)
Going into his fifth season with the team, Kela probably is one of the more experienced bullpen arms with this team, and will battle with Ferrell for one of the setup spots... as Girardi has not made anything official yet. The 12th round selection in 2012 struggled with his control a bit last year which drove his WHIP up considerably, but the fastball/curveball combo he features make him a hell of a pitcher to face.

LHRP Aaron Loup(31, 2*, $1.4M) 3-4 3SV 4.13 55K 79G 69.2IP -0.2WAR // 15-24 9SV 3.50 310K 398G 352.2IP 2.6WAR (career)
Loup has had his ups and downs during his Blue Jays career, but generally speaking has been a solid contributor for them, and we hope to get his 3.50ERA average for the season out of him. A groundball guy, which suits our ballpark, he basically comes without swing and miss stuff these days, but with a wide assortment of pitches. Trade deadline candidate?

RHRP Tony Zych(28, 3*, $545k) 1-0 0SV 6.55 11K 15G 11IP -0.2WAR // 8-3 1SV 3.23 91K 85G 83.2IP 1.1WAR (career)
Signed as a minor league free agent in the middle of June, Zych did not really shine in 15 games at the major league level, but looked decent in spring, posting a 3.48ERA with 10.5K/9 and a low walk rate. A typical fastball/slider pitcher, Zych had some success with the Mariners and could be a nice bullpen piece for this year.

LHRP Alex Claudio(27, 4/4.5*, $4.64M) 1-10 34SV 2.66 55K 69G 67.2IP 2.1WAR // 10-14 45SV 2.66 172K 211G/1GS 230IP 4.5WAR (career)
Easily the best pitcher on the team, Claudio will use his groundball magic once again to close out games for Texas. He does not throw hard at all, but the movement on his sinker and on his changeup is absolutely filthy.. and the ball also always lands where we want it to land. Another candidate for a trade deadline deal if they want to strike big. 2018 AL All-Star.

Catcher:

C Josh Morgan(23, 0.5/2*, $545k) .332/.376/.493 8HR 42RBI 66G 2.2WAR(AA) // DNP (career)
A third-rounder in 2014, Morgan is more of a jack-of-all-trades than a main catcher and there are question marks about his defensive ability and ceiling... but the Rangers will have a reason to put him here. His offensive numbers have been really good in the minors, mainly as a contact guy, but he will skip AAA for now...

C Josh Wieters(32, 2*, $2.9M) .291/.343/.424 10HR 62RBI 124G/120GS 2.8WAR // .256/.317/.413 137HR 551RBIs 1022H 1129G 18.2WAR (career)
The veteran will be the main catcher and is coming off a good season with the Nationals... and him landing in Texas was quite a surprise actually. Also a born leader, he could be a good influence in the clubhouse and should help out Joe Girardi in that regard. 4x All-Star, 2x Gold Glover.

Infield:

1B Bobby Bradley(22, 2.5/3.5*, $545k) .190/.231/.321 3HR 9RBI 23G/21GS -0.6WAR // .190/.231/.321 3HR 9RBI 16H 23G/21GS -0.6WAR (career)
A third rounder by Cleveland in 2014, Bradley is slated to play first base every day here in Texas, and while his MLB numbers in limited time weren't impressive, he did kill it in AA, batting .303/.397/.579 28HR 71RBI in 102 games and won an AA Silver Slugger Award. Projected to become a strong power hitter that will take his walks... and take his strikeouts, he is basically a budget version of Mr. Gallo...

2B Rougned Odor(25, 4/4.5*, $7.5M) .254/.284/.456 32HR 71RBI 20/25SB 151G/150GS 1.5WAR // .248/.286/.447 120HR 343RBI 650H 697G 6.6WAR (career)
One of the guys that are the future in Arlington. Maybe. His 2017 was abysmal, his 2018 was decent, but there are question marks about his offensive numbers, and his defensive skills. Yet, he is in the third year of a 7-year contract until 2023 with the last year being a team option. Odor announced that he wants to run more this year, but if the right offer comes, he could run himself right out of Texas.

3B Joey Gallo(25, 4/4.5*, $560k) .225/.355/.512 42HR 92RBI 15/18SB 157G/153GS 2.8WAR // .213/.338/.505 90HR 187RBI 238H 355G 5.9WAR (career)
Hitting home runs is not the problem here. Getting hits apart from that home runs is the issue. He improved on his batting eye over the last years, and everybody loves a 40 home run guy, but he has yet to sign a long-term deal with Texas and there are rumors that contract talks were aborted because Gallo wasn't happy with the overall $$$ value.

IF Thairo Estrada(23, 2/3*, $545k) .293/.335/.397 3HR 24RBI 4/5SB 48G/45GS 0.8WAR(AAA) // DNP (career)
Out of the Yankees international camp into the minors, and straight onto our 40-man. The 23-year old is a well-rounded defender that should be able to hit for a decent average. Not a brilliant base stealer, and not quite a star caliber player, but a great bench piece that can play second, third and shortstop. May DH against LHP to bring at least one additional right-hander into the lineup.

SS Royce Lewis(19, 1.5/5*, $545k) .289/.342/.385 2HR 37RBI 21/26SB 95G/92GS 1.7WAR(A+) // DNP (career)
"A stupid way to generate excitement around a 90+ loss team," the analysis by a well-known TV expert. Anyways, at 19 years of age, Royce Lewis will start his Rangers and MLB career in the leadoff spot and at shortstop on opening day. A great base stealer, a good defender with very nice hitting skills, and a right-handed hitter, something this team desperately needs. Minnesota traded him away for one free year of Paul Goldschmidt... we will see if that was worth it. #7 prospect in baseball on Opening Day.

Outfield:

LF Willie Calhoun(24, 2/2.5*, $545k) .315/.380/.476 4HR 11RBI 39G/32GS 0.5WAR // .304/.368/.449 5HR 15RBI 52G 48H 0.6WAR (career)
One of four corner outfielders on the roster that are good with the wood, Calhoun is also one of those corner guys that does not defend that well, and that may be why he is expected to be on the bench a lot of times, at least unless McKinney struggles. A good contact bat that can hit 15-20 home runs in a full season, he lacks speed on the bases or defensive skills to become more than a one-dimensional player.

LF Billy McKinney(24, 2.5/3.5*, $545k) .270/.339/.435 11HR 60RBI 115G/113GS 2.1WAR // DNP (career)
A Rule V draftee out of the Yankees org this winter, McKinney genuinely struggled in spring training, batting .167 without any power, but still got onto the opening day roster AND has won the left field job according to the manager. A decent hitter that should hit .260-.270 with a good OBP and a lot of doubles at the MLB level... once developed, he could be one of those quietly effective outfielders that nobody talks about.

CF Julio Pablo Martinez(23, 2.5/3.5*, $545k) .248/.314/.417 7HR 25RBI 3/5SB 80G/80GS 0.9WAR // .248/.314/.417 7HR 25RBI 3/5SB 66H 80G/80GS 0.9WAR (career)
The kid from Cuba played a solid second half at the major league level and showed some decent defense, but not a huge about of production with the bat. Putting up an OPS+ of 92 without much speed, he needs to hit the ball with a little bit more consistency to get to a batting average of .260-.270 to justify his starting gig. Platooning with the guy below.

CF Carlos Tocci(23, 1.5/2.5*, $545k) .357/.419/.393 0HR 3RBI 8G/8GS 0.1WAR // .357/.419/.393 0HR 3RBI 10H 8G/8GS 0.1WAR (career)
The young Venezuelan earned some playing time at the major league level by hitting .309 in AAA through 87 games and should carry over a decent batting average if used against LHP exclusively. While he is a clever baserunner, his running speed is not quite there and he never stole more than 15 bases in a minor league season, so he most likely is left to match his platoon partner, hoping for an empty .280 batting average.

RF Nomar Mazara(23, 4/5*, $850k) .165/.252/.256 3HR 7RBI 34G/34GS -0.7WAR // .249/.315/.404 43HR 172RBI 297H 327G 1.7WAR (career)
'The Big Chill', as his nickname goes, had one 101RBI year in 2017, and a horror year in 2018. 34 horrible games, trying to fight through an injury, and then a season-ending lat strain that put 'Big Chill' into the freezer for the rest of the year. Still, Gerlach puts a lot of trust into him... enough to ink him to a 10y/$120M extension kicking in after this season. Brilliant... or madness. Mazara could hit .300-30-100 if he puts everything together... or, he could be the next big disappointment.

RF/DH Justin Williams(23, 2.5/3*, $545k) .296/.339/.542 31HR 95RBI 127G/126GS 4.1WAR(AAA) // DNP (career)
If Justin Williams is your DH and your backup plan in right if Mazara goes down with injury again... it could be a pretty good one. Not only a power hitter, Williams hit for an average of .290 and above at A+, AA and AAA over the years and while they retained a lot of salary to get him, this could still be a pretty good steal, especially if he is serving as a DH a lot.

Preseason Prediction: 77-85, 3rd in AL West
With Nomar Mazara hitting .306-34-108 with an OPS over .900 predicted...

Tieran 11-30-2018 08:07 AM

Is there a reason you don't manipulate players service time? Seems foolish to start people like Lewis in the MLB.

Griever20 11-30-2018 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tieran (Post 4398312)
Is there a reason you don't manipulate players service time? Seems foolish to start people like Lewis in the MLB.

Well, since I signed him to a 10y/$88.1M extension kicking in for next season anyway, I did not see the need for that. And yes, I know that I'm wasting money in the first years, but I may be saving A LOT in the later years. Also, I personally feel that a player like him tends to develop faster at the MLB level, but that is only a gut feeling.

As for the other guys, yeah, I could wait out a month before bringing up Williams or Thompson, but I'm honestly a bit too lazy for that. If they look good, I will buy out their arb years+ 2-3 with a 6-8 year contract anyways because that is kinda the way I operate.

Thanks for following along!

Griever20 12-01-2018 05:14 AM

Prospect Report: March 28th, 2019
 
Confidential: Prospect Report, March 28th, 2019

So Max, here is a little overview over our minor league system. I am ignoring players that are on the major league roster, and start off with the OSA's top prospects, and then move on to the guys under their radar that we think are worth the attention.

Enjoy the read, I'll keep you posted.

Best Wishes
Doug Melvin
Scouting Director Texas Rangers

#22 Prospect
RHSP Hans Crouse(20, 0.5/2* HS, 0.5/3.5* OSA) AA Frisco RoughRiders
55/50/50 pitching potential, 95-97 mph, neutral GB/FB tendency, over the top arm slot, 50 stamina
Our 2nd round selection in 2017 from Dana Hills High School in California. Fastball, Curve, Change. Got lit in 12 starts in rookie ball last year, a 6.35ERA and not a lot of progress. His changeup is still bit raw, and we are a bit more pessimistic about his control, stuff and stamina at the MLB level.

#62 Prospect
RHSP Albert Abreu(23, 1/3* HS, 0.5/3* OSA) AAA Round Rock Express
60/50/50 pitching potential, 94-96 mph, neutral GB/FB tendency, over the top arm slot, 55 stamina
Acquired from NYY this winter. We still think he got the stuff of a good MLB pitcher, but he struggled in A+ ball last year, 4-10 with a 5.30ERA. His Spring numbers were even worse: 11.91ERA in four starts... Fastball, Curve and change with a little bit iffy control and movement. Needs to make a big step forward in AAA this year as he is already 23.

#81 Prospect
RHSP Bryan Mata(19, 0.5/3* HS, 0.5/3* OSA) AA Frisco RoughRiders
60/50/55 pitching potential, 91-93 mph, neutral GB/FB tendency, normal(3/4) arm slot, 55 stamina
Acquired from BOS this winter. Fastball, slider and a changeup with the latter pitch being the one with the highest potential... and the least developed right now. At age 19, he pitched to a 4.57ERA in A+ in 28 strong starts.

#83 Prospect
SS Chris Seise(20, 0.5/3* HS, 0.5/3* OSA) AA Frisco RoughRiders
65/45/25/50/60 batting potential, 65/70/55 Speed/Stealing/Baserunning, 55 D at Shortstop
Our 1st round selection in 2017, #29 overall. Could become a Gold Glove SS as there is a lot of room for growth in his defensive skills. Hit .297 with 11 stolen bases in A- last year.

Overall, the OSA has us as the #3 minor league system with three prospects on the major league roster.

--

C Matt Whatley(23, 0.5/3.5* HS, 0.5/2.5* OSA) AAA Round Rock Express
45/45/55/60/30 batting potential, 45/50/55 Speed/Stealing/Baserunning, 65 D at Catcher
The 3rd round pick in 2017. Lost the spring training battle with Morgan and, similar to Abreu, needs to take a leap forward in AAA this year. He hit .287 in A- in 38 games, and .247 in 19 games in A ball last year. If he does hit well, I suggest to give him a shot at the MLB level later this year as may be the best potential catcher on our 40-man.

2B Brandon Lowe(24, 1.5/3.5* HS, 0.5/3* OSA) AAA Round Rock Express
55/50/45/55/50 batting potential, 45/65/55 Speed/Stealing/Baserunning, 60 D at Second Base
Acquired from TBR last winter. A solid potential hitter that did not develop that well in their minor league system. This is his last shot to become at least a decent backup player. Hit .260 in AA and .309 in AAA for them last year.

3B Anderson A. Tejeda(20, 0.5/3* HS, 0.5/2.5* OSA) AAA Round Rock Express
55/60/50/55/40 batting potential, 55/65/55 Speed/Stealing/Baserunning, 55 D at Third Base
Signed as an international free agent in 2015. Lit up A ball last year, batting .299-18-99 .844OPS in 119 games and won the SAL MVP Award for that. A good third baseman with 15-20 home run pop and a lot of doubles, and a cannon for an arm. Can steal a base... or 10 if everything works well.

RF Daniel Johnson Jr.(23, 1.5/3* HS, 1/2.5* OSA) AAA Round Rock Express
55/55/60/50/40 batting potential, 65/55/60 Speed/Stealing/Baserunning, 65 D in Right Field
Acquired from WSH this winter. Hit .297/.390/.441 11HR 48RBIs in A+ ball last year and was selected into the All-Star team. Could develop 20-25HR pop with his pull swing, but needs at least 250ABs before we should consider him a potential starter at the MLB level.

2B Matt McLain(23, 1.5/3* HS, 1/2.5* OSA) A Hickory Crawdads
55/40/40/60/65 batting potential, 65/60/60 Speed/Stealing/Baserunning, 55 D at Second Base
Fourth round selection in 2018. We still think he could become a good contact hitter despite his .227 batting average last year in rookie ball, but even then, he lacks the little bit of extra speed to become a prolific leadoff hitter, and the little bit of extra arm to become a Gold Glove second baseman.

Overall, I have to say that our minor league system still lacks upper echelon talent. Our first round pick last year retired from baseball to play football after hitting for a 1.018OPS in rookie ball and our second round pick was traded away this winter. The 2017 draft was fine when it comes to depth, but I still think we need to pull off more Royce Lewis trades, especially for pitching.

Griever20 12-01-2018 05:39 PM

2019 March/April
 
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Transactions:
March 31st - Claimed LHRP Kevin Chapman(31, 2.5*) off waivers from Milwaukee. Chapman is earning $740k this year via arbitration and gives us a valuable second lefty apart from our closer. He did struggle with the Brewers last year tho, posting a 6-3 2SV 4.77ERA season in 77 games, albeit with 88 strikeouts in 71.2IP

April 2nd – The Tigers claimed RHRP R.J. Alvarez(27, 2*) off waivers from us. He was waived to make room for Chapman.

April 3rd – Waiver wire bonanza continues. We claimed RHRP Trey Wingenter(24, 2.5/3.5*) off waivers from San Diego, and placed him on the active roster. Tony Barnette was optioned to AAA, and RHRP Adrian Sampson(27, 1.5*) was waived and DFA'd to make room on the 40-man. Wingenter, a groundball guy with a strong fastball and a great curveball impressed in AA last year, going 3-3 2.04 16SV with 66 strikeouts in only 39.2IP.

May 1st – First baseman Bobby Bradley(22, 2.5/3.5*) had to be moved to the 60-day DL today as he fractured his right ankle in a 4-7 loss to the Pirates. The young left-handed hitter is batting .213-5-15 .699OPS in 29 games this season and will be our for 3-4 months. OF Yanio Perez(23, 1.5/2*), batting .235 in AAA, was recalled as Willie Calhoun is expected to slot in at first base for now.

Series:
0-3 vs CHC
0-3 vs HOU
1-3 @ LAA(Rougned Odor 2-4 2R 2RBI HR)
1-1 @ ARI (David Paulino 6.2IP 4H 0ER 4BB 4K)
1-2 vs OAK
1-2 vs LAA
1-2 vs HOU
1-2 @ OAK(Joey Gallo 2-5 2R 4RBI 2HR)
2-2 @ SEA(Julio Pablo Martinez 3-3 2R 3RBI 2BB 2HR)
0-1 vs PIT

March & April: 8-21
Runs Scored: 123(14th)
Batting AVG: .246(13th)
OBP: .312(13th)
Home Runs: 31(10th)
Stolen Bases: 22(2nd)
Runs Against: 166(13th)
Starters ERA: 6.47(15th)
Bullpen ERA: 4.13(7th)
Defensive Eff.: .680(6th)

Well, our owner wanted us to not suck completely... we missed that by a country mile in April I guess. Our starting pitching has been pretty abysmal so far with Wagner, Blackburn and our 'hot prospect' Jake J. Thompson all posting an ERA over 7 and our hot waiver claims in Chapman and Wingenter both added a very respectable ERA over 6.50... suckers. Still, the bullpen is probably the best part of our team so far...

On the positive side of things, Royce Lewis, despite a little DtD injury that cost him 4-5 games, is hitting .287/.364/.425 with a home run, 6RBIs and 8/11 stolen bases, good for 0.8WAR in 24 games, Joey Gallo is hitting .282 with 8 home runs and Rougned Odor is hitting .294, Williams .320, albeit with no homers.

Mazara however started things off cold and is only slowly picking up pace, batting .423 last week... and the rest of our main lineup is, unfortunately, horse ****... Wieters is looking old, batting .163, and with Bradley, we lose a guy with potential and replace him with Willie Calhoun, who will be learning first base at the MLB level... at least, that position suits his fielding skills more than the outfield... he is the fastest at the hot dog stand, but that is it.

Help from the minors is not in sight as our AAA team is a cracking 2-16, a result of us releasing a lot of dead weight like 28-year old duds sitting in AAA, gathering dust...

As for free agents to bolster the rotation... well, we pitched minor league offers to Chris Tillman and Mike Fiers... both had an uninspired ERA of 5 last year. Also on the minor league contract list, 2B Logan Forsythe because he is a right-handed batter.


In Other News:
April 4th - Pirates CF Starling Marte(30, 2.5*) saw a 21-game hitting streak come to an end in a 2-1 victory over the Reds today. The veteran and 2x Gold Glover is coming off a hot 2018 where he hit .313-23-78 .883OPS 33/46SB in 141 games.

April 9th - Braves RF Bryce Harper(26, 5*) also finally met his Waterloo, in his case a 20-game hitting streak ended in a 4-1 in Colorado. Having signed a 7y/$192.8M contract this offseason, the superstar is hitting .386-5-13 1.243OPS in the first 11 games.

April 11th – Padres CF Manny Margot(24, 2/2.5*) completely dismantled Diamondbacks pitching in a 15-3 win today... as he hit for the cycle. 5-6 3R 7RBI DB TP HR. He has become only the third player in Padres history to hit for the cycle after Matt Kemp and Wil Myers.

April 16th – The Mets clobbered the Phillies 18-3 today, and two guys had career days in that one. SS Amed Rosario(23, 2.5/3.5*) collected a rare 6-hit day, going 6-6 4R 3RBI with a home run, and star outfielder Michael Conforto(26, 5*) got off to a 4-5 4R 6RBI BB DB 2HR night.

April 19th – Nationals SS Trea Turner(25, 3/3.5*) saw his 24-game hitting streak come to an abrupt and in a 6-2 win over Miami today. Batting .333-3-8 .883OPS through 18 games, he also still is a perfect 12/12 in the stolen base department.

April 23rd – Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado(28, 4.5*) wrote his name into the history books today by hitting for the cycle in an 18-8 rout of the Nationals. The 6x Gold Glover went 4-4 4R 6RBI BB DB TP HR and is now hitting .270-3-16 .855OPS in 24 games.

April 26th – Astros SP Justin Verlander(36, 3*) collected a big career milestone, win #200 in a 11-7 win over Cleveland. The veteran has a career record of 200-117 with a 3.45ERA and 2540 strikeouts in 403 starts.

April 28th – Astros 2B Jose Altuve(28, 5*) left a 26-game hitting streak on the field in a 3-2 win over the Indians today. Batting a hot .405-3-17 1.117OPS in 27 games for the 18-10 Astros, the 5x Silver Slugger is balling once again.

May 1st – Angels CF Mike Trout(27, 5*) was named AL Batter of the Month after batting .329 with 9 home runs, 28 RBIs and 30 runs scored.

May 1st – Mets LF Michael Conforto(26, 4.5*) was named NL Batter of the Month after batting .409 with 9 home runs, 24 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

May 1st – Orioles SP Kevin Gausman(28, 2*) was named AL Pitcher of the Month after going 5-0 1.80 28K in 40IP.

May 1st – Pirates SP Joe Musgrove(26, 2.5/3*) was named NL Pitcher of the Month after going 5-0 2.80 33K in 35.1IP.

May 1st – Angels 1B Jorge Ramirez(29, 2*) was named AL Rookie of the Month after going .351 with 6 home runs, 25RBIs and 16 runs scored.

May 1st – Phillies 2B Scott Kingery(25, 3*) was named NL Rookie of the Month after going .287 with 5 home runs, 11RBIs and 18 runs scored.

Griever20 12-02-2018 09:36 AM

2019 May
 
3 Attachment(s)

Transactions:
none

Series:
0-1 vs PIT
3-0 vs TOR(Clayton Blackburn 7IP 4H 1ER 0BB 5K W)
1-1 @ PIT
1-3 @ HOU(Jake J. Thompson 7.1IP 5H 0ER 0BB 4K)
2-1 vs KCR
2-1 vs STL(Albert Abreu 8IP 4H 1ER 0BB 4K W)
0-3 vs SEA
0-3 @ LAA
3-0 @ SEA
2-0 vs KCR

May: 14-13
Runs Scored: 248(13th)
Batting AVG: .254(12th)
OBP: .312(14th)
Home Runs: 74(7th)
Stolen Bases: 42(2nd)
Runs Against: 292(10th)
Starters ERA: 5.69(12th)
Bullpen ERA: 3.79(7th)
Defensive Eff.: .683(8th)

All celebrate, we don't suck completely! We had our highs this month months, including a couple of sweeps, a great start by Jake J. Thompson who threw 7.1 scoreless in a shutout win over the Astros, Albert Abreu making a surprise appearance in a double header... 8IP 4H 1ER 0BB 4K in a 2-1 win over St. Louis, six home runs by Justin Williams this month...

Truth is, our pitching has somehow stabilized... a bit. Blackburn and Tyler Wagner had a monthly ERA under three, Thompson posted a 3.54 and with Abreu performing well in his one start, he may see some more games later this season.

In the bullpen... the biggest news was that Riley Ferrell's ex girlfriend stole his dog... don't ask...

As for some other hitters, Mazara hit .306-5-14 .870OPS this months and Willie Calhoun... sucked a bit... .245-3-10 .660OPS.

However, the division is tough as nails and therefore, we will finish bottom no matter what, and I personally think a 14-13 month is a bit above our head. That being said, we will reevaluate on July 1st, and then start trade talks again to bring in some more prospects, preferebly pitching... and of course, the First Year Player Draft is our main focus right now... we must hit on our fourth overall pick.


In Other News:
May 6th - Yankees RF Giancarlo Stanton(29, 4.5*) blasted a trio of home runs into the bleachers, going 3-5 3R 7RBI 3HR in a 13-2 win over Seattle. The AL Home Run King is batting .275-14-33 1.077OPS in 33 games.

May 15th - Yankees 2B Brandon Drury(26, 1.5/2*) killed it today in a 17-7 win over the Orioles, hitting for the cycle with a 4-5 4R 5RBI DB TP HR day. The former Diamondbacks prospect is batting .200-4-8 .776OPS in 21 games.

May 25th - Reds 3B Nick Senzel(23, 3/4.5*) saw a long hitting streak of 20-games, that included a 5-hit game, come to an end in a 5-2 loss to the Cubs. Named the #4 prospect in baseball prior to the season, he is batting .313-2-22 .792OPS in 48 games.

June 1st – Yankees RF Giancarlo Stanton(29, 4.5*) was named AL Batter of the Month after batting .409 with 9 home runs, 24 RBIs and 24 runs scored for the month, and .287-21-51 1.076OPS in 56 games for the season.

June 1st – Padres RF Wil Myers(28, 3*) was named NL Batter of the Month after batting .387 with 11 home runs, 22 RBIs and 27 runs scored for the month, and .299-19-38 .990OPS in 55 games for the season.

June 1st – Twins RP Trevor Hildenberger(28, 4*) was named AL Pitcher of the Month after going 3-0 0.57 17K and 8 saves in 15.2IP. He is 4-0 with 18SV and a 0.63ERA in 28.2IP for the year.

June 1st – Mets SP Noah Syndergaard(26, 5*) was named NL Pitcher of the Month after going 3-0 2.01 53K in 44.2IP. He is 7-1 with a 2.05ERA and 103 strikeouts in 12 starts for the year.

June 1st – Astros RF Kyle Tucker(22, 3/4*) was named AL Rookie of the Month after going .303 with 4 home runs, 14RBIs and 17 runs scored for the month, and .285-7-24 .829OPS in 48 games for the season.

June 1st – Reds 3B Nick Senzel(23, 3/4.5*) was named NL Rookie of the Month after going .396 with 6 home runs, 19RBIs and 19 runs scored for the month, and .330-6-31 .870OPS in 54 games for the season.

Griever20 12-03-2018 05:53 AM

2019 First Year Player Draft
 
2019 First-Year Player Draft

We have to hit on this draft. Fourth overall pick. My first draft in charge, and Bob Melvin and his scouting department was working overtime... and double overtime.

My personal favorite prior to the draft was 18-year old right-hander Matthew Allen from Seminole High School. Fastball, curveball, changeup, good stamina, good control, good makeup, 6'3'' tall.... and the teams ahead of us decided to go with position players, in like a catcher, and two infielders that all looked mighty good.

When our pick eventually rolled around, Bob cheekily remarked that LaRue was still up there, a 17-year old catcher with a good arm, average shot calling, and a decent bat... according to his scouting department. I checked some other scouting reports by public sides... and the consensus was that he won't hit for average... and so I decided to go with the starter.

Round 1 Pick 4: Texas Rangers select RHRP Matthew Allan(18, 4* HS, 4.5* OSA) out of Seminole High School(Sanford, FL)
As mentioned above, things are looking good. 65/50/60 for pitching potentials, 91-93 mph on the gun, and three good pitches. He is regarded to have a professional work ethic and according to both our head scout and the OSA, is the best pitcher in the draft. Wants $2.5M and will get those.

Supplemental round pick, for Beltre, Bobby pointed at a third baseman with little arm strength... and I balked at his suggestion and took another arm...

Suppl. Round Pick 2: Texas Rangers select RHRP Justin Campbell(18, 3* HS, 2.5* OSA) out of Simi Valley High School(CA)
6'7'', the right-hander is tall and should be able to improve on his velocity over the next 3-4 years in our minor league system. 60/50/50 on pitching potentials, he throws 91-93 with a curveball, a slider, and a changeup, so lots of pitches to choose from. Wants $600k, that is $500k under slot.

Round 2 Pick 4: Texas Rangers select C CJ Rodriguez(18, 3* HS, 1.5* OSA) out of Mater Dei High School(Santa Ana, CA)
I had my eye on a quality reliever, but that kid was taken late in the supplemental round, so we went for this young catcher. A right-handed hitter with above average defense, and some good pop that does not want a lot of money. One of our area scouts dug that kid out as he missed most of the high school season with an injury. Wants $340k, half of the slot money.

Round 3 Pick 4: Texas Rangers select CF Tyler Williams(18, 3* HS, 1.5* OSA) out of Redan High School(Stone Mountain, GA)
Another one of those obscure findings by our scouting division. Good speed, but not fast enough to swipe 30 bases, but a good defender that should bring a good OBP to the table. A good leader, which is always a good thing in minors and majors, he will get exactly the slot money, $350k.

Round 4 Pick 4: Texas Rangers select CF Hunter Bishop(20, 2.5* HS, 1.5* OSA) out of Arizona State College(Tempe, AZ)
Our first college guy. Good speed, good pop, good defense, could become a well-rounded corner outfielder. Pull hitter from the left side that developed nicely after not taking the bait as a 24th round selection by SDP last year. Wants the slot, $240k.

Round 5 Pick 4: Texas Rangers select RHRP/IF Gunner Halter(21, 1.5*) out of Mississippi State College(Starkville, MS)
Two-way player that can easily field shortstop, or pitch an inning with a decent fastball and a decent changeup. I'm not convinced, but our scouting department things he will become a fine position player one day...

Round 6 Pick 4: Texas Rangers select SS Jorge Julio Jr.(19, 2.5* HS, 1.5* OSA) out of High School(Weston, FL)
Very good defensive infielder, decent speed, sprays the ball all around the field but needs to get a bit more consistent with the bat, and more accurate towards the gaps to become an MLB caliber prospect.

Round 7 Pick 4: Texas Rangers select SS Josiah Miller(19, 2.5* HS, 1.5* OSA) out of Lincoln High School(Tallahassee, FL)
Carbon copy of our 6th rounder...

Round 8 Pick 4: Texas Rangers select LHSP Spencer Van Scoyoc(21, 2.5* HS, 2* OSA) out of Arizona State College(Tempe, AZ)
Another Arizona State product with a name nobody can pronounce, Van Scoyoc looks like a run of the mill starter with lots of question marks, basically the control and the third pitch, but for this state of the draft, a good choice as a lefty starter.

From here on, I let Bob and his guys to the work, but with the goal of bringing in some more high school talent if possible. Overall, this draft has become a high school heavy one and I personally prefer that given our situation. We are spending the max amount of money into player development, and good some kids into our club that could really benefit from that. Only time will tell tho...

Griever20 12-03-2018 09:15 AM

2019 June
 
3 Attachment(s)

Transactions:
June 10th – Our first round pick, SP Matthew Allan, and our fifth round pick, Gunnar Halter signed today. Halter will get converted to a shortstop where Bobby thinks he is a 3* potential player.

June 11th – Our second rounder, C CJ Rodriguez, and our third rounder, CF Tyler Williams have signed.

June 11th – RHSP Tom Eshelman(24, 2*) had to leave today's game, a 5-3 win in Boston, with hand soreness. He will be placed on the 10-day DL for precaution, and Albert Abreu(23, 1.5/3*) will get a couple of starts.

June 13th – RHRP Tony Zych(28, 2.5/3*) had to be placed on the 10-day DL as he is suffering from some back stiffness. The 28-year old is 2-1 1SV 2.49ERA in 47IP with 52 strikeouts this season. RHRP Gerson Moreno(23, 2/3.5*) was recalled from AAA to take his place. Moreno was acquired from LAD last winter and is 1-4 7SV 4.03ERA 29K in 22.1IP with Round Rock.

June 14th – Our fourth-round pick, CF Hunter Bishop, has signed.

June 15th – It's a clean sweep. Supplemental round pick SP Justin Campbell joined our organization today.

June 17th – We ended some trade talks with the White Sox today. The deal would've sent Tyler Wagner and a minor prospect over for Carson Fulmer, but the Sox kept on asking for more.

June 22nd – RHSP Albert Abreu was sent back down to AAA as Tom Eshelman is back healthy. Abreu did not impress this time as he was lit by Boston for 8ER, and for 16ER in three starts in total...

Series:
1-1 vs KCR
1-2 vs BAL
3-0 vs OAK(Julio Pablo Martinez 4-4 2R RBI, Joey Gallo 4-5 2R 5RBI 2HR(23))
2-2 @ BOS
2-1 @ CIN(Joey Gallo 3-4 3R 4RBI BB 2HR(26))
1-3 vs CLE(David Paulino 9IP 7H 1ER 1BB 5K W)
2-1 vs CWS
1-2 @ DET
1-2 @ TBR

June: 14-14
Runs Scored: 400(8th)
Batting AVG: .260(7th)
OBP: .314(11th)
Home Runs: 61(4th)
Stolen Bases: 61(4th)
Runs Against: 471(12th)
Starters ERA: 5.93(13th)
Bullpen ERA: 4.45(10th)
Defensive Eff.: .664(12th)

Well, well, a decent month, and we actually were in fourth in the division for a couple of days this month. On the other hand, our very handsome owner gave me a little review of the season... and he was unhappy with our record, our first baseman, and the fact that we let Beltre go, and not quite happy with our defensive efficiency and our attendance... I'm doing the best I can.

Our starting pitching let us down a bit this month... and for the whole year, but we will have to roll with most of those guys. Wagner may go via trade, Blackburn may go via trade and we bring in Abreu, Jurado or a trade acquisition in...

As for the position players... we are a bit too stacked on left-handed position players, and we need to upgrade our defense. I'm very tempted to move Rougned Odor. His defense at second is below average at age 25, and while he is hitting very fine, in a hitting friendly environment like Arlington, we may want to shake things up here... and we need to give something to get something... right?

Another trade candidate, obviously, Matt Wieters if we can get anything for him.

A little move that will impact fielding... Mazara will move to DH against RHP and Williams will move into right... Nomar's fielding has been pretty horrible so far... and maybe Justin can do better... our corner outfield is a mess right now, and we are playing in a flyball park... Moving around guys and bringing the defense together will require some work and some trading over the next 6-9 months...

Positive: Hitting has been pretty good. Willie Calhoun has swung a hot .337-5-28 .935OPS bat in June, Williams .369-2-9 .923OPS and Mazara hit .365-6-14 1.055OPS. Joey Gallo is second in the AL with 30 home runs, Royce Lewis is second in stolen bases with 25, and our center fielder Julio Pablo Martinez leads the AL in triples with 10.

Another problem: Tony Zych is still laboring through his back soreness and his replacement Gerson Moreno has an ERA of 27.00 through 5.1 horrible innings... another broken prospect dream? Oh, and both our lefty middle relievers have an ERA over 5...


In Other News:
June 13th - Rangers RF Nomar Mazara(24, 4.5*) had to leave a 21-game hitting streak behind in Boston as he went hitless in a 5-4 loss today. The 24-year old has recently picked up steam and is batting .290-10-30 .840OPS in 68 games for the season.

June 15th - Cardinals SP Clayton Kershaw(31, 5*) pitched a rare 3-hit shutout today, blanking the Mets 3-0 with a 9IP 3H 0ER 3BB 3K game. The 3x Cy Young winner is 6-2 2.58 113K in 15 starts for his new team.

June 15th - Padres SP Dinelson Lamet(26, 2.5*) managed something special today, pitching a 1-hit shutout against the Rockies IN Denver. He walked one and struck out five. Lamet improved to 8-3 4.11 85K in 15 starts.

June 18th - Angels LF Justin Upton(31, 2.5*) collected a big milestone today as he hit home runs #300 and #301 in a 21-6 rout of the Blue Jays today. The veteran is a career .266/.347/.475 hitter with 301HR, 931RBIs, and 1666 hits in 1708 games.

June 19th - Rangers SP David Paulino(25, 2*) delivered a complete game 4-1 win over the Indians today, working 9IP 7H 1ER 1BB 5K. The kid from the DR improved to 3-5 4.66 70K in 15 starts.

June 28th - Astros SS Carlos Correa(24, 4.5/5*) lost a 22-game hitting streak today in a 7-5 loss to Seattle as he went 0-3 for the game. The reigning batting champ is batting .308-22-68 .990OPS in 80 games.

July 1st – Indians SS Francisco Lindor(25, 5*) was named AL Batter of the Month after batting .398 with 6 home runs, 30RBIs and 25 runs scored for the month, and .377-15-68 1.114OPS in 81 games for the season.

July 1st – Braves 1B Freddie Freeman(29, 4.5*) was named NL Batter of the Month after batting .398 with 8 home runs, 26RBIs and 19 runs scored for the month, and .307-22-72 1.007OPS in 86 games for the season.

July 1st – Astros SP Gerrit Cole(28, 3.5*) was named AL Pitcher of the Month after going 4-0 1.80 45K in 40IP. He is 9-3 with a 3.15ERA 106K in 16 starts for the year.

July 1st – Padres SP Dinelson Lamet(26, 2.5*) was named NL Pitcher of the Month after going 5-0 1.24 30K in 36.1IP. He is 10-3 with a 3.72ERA and 99 strikeouts in 17 starts for the year.

July 1st – Astros RF Kyle Tucker(22, 3/4*) was named AL Rookie of the Month after going .380 with 10 home runs, 29RBIs and 21 runs scored for the month, and .315-17-53 .959OPS in 70 games for the season.

July 1st – Marlins CF Monte Harrison(23, 1.5/2.5*) was named NL Rookie of the Month after going .252 with 10 home runs, 20RBIs and 15 runs scored for the month, and .204-18-38 .693OPS in 82 games for the season.

Griever20 12-04-2018 12:01 PM

2019 July & Trade Deadline
 
3 Attachment(s)

Transactions:Loads of Deals...
July 1st – In a early bird trade, the Rangers acquired RHSP Alec Hansen(24, 1.5/3* HS, 1.5/3.5* OSA) from the White Sox in exchange for AA 1B Andrison Pena(22, 0.5*) and AAA RHRP Luke Hochevar(35, 1.5*). Hansen was 0-6 with a 6.07ERA in 53.1IP, and was a prime candidate for a change of scenery deal.

July 1st – To make room for Hansen, SP Tom Eshelman was returned to the Phillies. The Rule V draftee was 4-6 6.65ERA 38K in 70.1IP.

July 2nd – International Amateur free agents were posted today, and we were going after RHSP Juan Garnica(16, 2.5* HS, 4.5* OSA). Stay tuned.

July 3rd – RHRP Tony Zych's back is finally healed and is back in the picture with Moreno getting shipped down to AAA.

July 4th – 3B Joey Gallo and the Texas Rangers agreed to an 8y/$123M contract extension that will by out his remaining arbitration years, and has a team option with a $5M buyout clause. The fans love it.

July 4th – RHSP Juan Garnica signed for a $3.8M signing bonus.

July 7th – 3B Joey Gallo was named our lone All-Star representative, batting .252/.344/.592 32HR 62RBIs 13SB 3.7WAR.

July 8th – SP David Paulino's season is over as he was diagnosed with a torn labrum(shoulder) suffered in a 7-2 loss in Minnesota... fits perfectly to our 0-7 start to July. We decided to bring a fresh face up in Ariel Jurado(23, 1.5/2.5*). He had a 5.64ERA in AAA...

July 11th – RHRP Tony Zych(28, 2.5*)'s season is also over as he was diagnosed with a partially torn UCL. Welcome back Gerson Moreno and his 19.64ERA...

July 19th – Trade update. Rougned Odor has little to no value right now... Matt Wieters... same deal. We are fielding offers right now, look who is available... stay tuned. In most deals, we would have to give up a prospect or all of Odor's salary to get back a prospect...

July 23rd – In a interesting move, the Texas Rangers have acquired #55 prospect RHSP Adbert Alzolay(24, 1.5/2.5* HS, 1.5/3* OSA) and #91 prospect RHSP Alex Lange(23, 1/3*) from the Cubs in exchange for prospect LF Starling Heredia(20, 0.5/2*) and prospect 2B Emir Velasquez(19, 0.5/2*). Both were assigned to AAA Round Rock for now.

July 24th - RHSP Alec Hanson had to be placed on the 10-day DL due to biceps tendinitis suffered in a 2-0 win over the Mariners. Albert Abreu once again was called up to replace him.

July 30th – In a quickly tailored together deal, the Rangers acquired #232 prospect C Danny Jansen(24, 2/3*) from the Royals in exchange for $1.7M in cash, C Matt Wieters(33, 1.5*, ret. 100% salary) and prospect SS Myles McKisic(21, 0.5/2*). Jansen will report straight to the MLB level to replace Wieters who only hit .190 for the season.

July 31st – In a early deadline day deal, the Texas Rangers shipped RHSP Clayton Blackburn(26, 1.5/2*), RHSP Tyler Wagner(28, 1.5*), prospect 3B Kole Enright(21, 0.5/2*) and $900k in cash to the Mets in exchange for prospect LHSP Thomas Szapucki(23, 0.5/3*). To fill out the MLB rotation, Max Gerlach called up Adbert Alzolay and A.J. Alexy(21, 1.5/2*).

Series:
0-4 vs LAA
0-3 @ MIN
2-2 vs HOU(Tyler Wagner 6IP 6H 1ER 1BB 3K)
2-0 vs ARI
2-1 @ HOU(Ariel Jurado 8IP 2H 0ER 2BB 2K W)
2-1@ SEA(Jake J. Thompson 5.1IP 5H 0ER 3BB 4K W)
2-2@ OAK(Justin Williams 2-3 3R 5RBI 2BB 2HR(13))
1-1 vs SEA(Danny Jansen 4-4 2R 4RBI HR(1))

July: 11-14
Runs Scored: 508(8th)
Batting AVG: .259(8th)
OBP: .320(11th)
Home Runs: 144(9th)
Stolen Bases: 85(4th)
Runs Against: 597(12th)
Starters ERA: 5.87(13th)
Bullpen ERA: 4.31(10th)
Defensive Eff.: .668(12th)

So, the bonanza is over, we spend our last reserves of cash, ate more salary... and what did we get? First of all, in two days we will be able to run a rotation of Ariel Jurado, Adbert Alzolay, Jake J. Thompson, Albert Abreu and Alec Hansen for hopefully the rest of the season. None of those is a finished product yet, but why give the innings to a dead corpse like Wagner if the results are basically the same.

We now have Alex Lange, Thomas Szapucki and a surprise kid in Pauly Milto(22, 1.5/2.5*) in AAA. Milto was a 15th round selection last year. Our hope is that two, maybe three of those kids reach their ceiling... even though they are late to the party. For example, Alzolay would be a great prospect... if he was 22, not 24... That is why we got so many 2.5-3.5* potential pitching prospects... they are a tad too old...

General prospect update will be coming once the dust has settled and our scouting department was able to focus on our kids again. Just so much, the OSA has Matthew Allen, our first rounder, as the #2 prospect in baseball.

Also, we got rid of Matt Wieters and will try out Danny Jansen as new main catcher. The 24-year old was a 16th round selection by Toronto in 2013 and hit .327 with a .890OPS in AAA for KCR this season... can only be an improvement.

Hitting wise, congrats to RF Justin Williams who not only managed to not suck completely in the field, but also took the AL Rookie of the Month Award, batting .342/.444/.632 with 5 home runs, 13RBIs and 11 runs scored. We got us a big contact hitter there.

Also big in July again: Willie Calhoun, batting .353/.385/.529 4HR 17RBIs and looking comfy at first... Bobby Bradley will start his rehab assignment in a week... when he is back, decisions need to be made... looking at left field. Billy McKinney had a decent .256-4-11 .767OPS month and he is one of the better fielders in our team... but I want to get Calhoun and Bradley into the lineup... and Mazara and Williams... can we have two DH slots and a designated fielder please?

It is going to be two more months of throwing pitchers against the wall, hoping that one or two of them stick... by the way, personal highlight of the month: Ariel Jurado pitching eight shutout innings in a 2-0 win over Houston... what is it that our kids always pitch well against them once a month?


In Other News:
July 2nd - Dodgers 1B Cody Bellinger(23, 4.5/5*) bombed the Diamondbacks with a big 3-4 3R 5RBI day with three home runs in a 10-1 win. The 2018 World Series MvP is batting .294-24-72 .966OPS in 87 games.

July 2nd - Cardinals SP Clayton Kershaw(31, 5*) collected just another shutout today, a 4-hitter with 7 strikeouts in a 7-0 win over Seattle. The 8x All-Star is 9-2 2.26 138K in 18 starts.

July 19th - Dodgers SS Corey Seager(25, 5*) saw a 21-game hitting streak come to an end in a 5-2 victory over the Marlins today. The reigning Silver Slugger at SS is batting .326-28-88 1.025OPS in 98 games.

July 24th – Blue Jays CF Adam Jones(33, 2*) collected career home run #300 today in a 4-3 win over Cleveland. The veteran and 4x Gold Glover is a career .279/.319/.464 hitter with 300 home runs, 935RBIS and 1940 hits in 1787 games.

July 25th – Indians SP Corey Kluber(33, 4.5*) 5-hit the Royals today in a 4-0 win, striking out four and walking two. The 2x Cy Young Winner is 12-5 3.23 121K in 21 starts for 2019.

July 27th – Mets SP Noah Syndergaard(26, 5*) completely dominated the Pirates in a 5-0 win, throwing a 3-hitter with 7 strikeouts and no walks. The 2x All-Star is 13-3 2.17 177K in 22 starts for the season.

August 1st – Twins 1B Paul Goldschmidt(31, 4.5*) was named AL Batter of the Month after batting .407 with 14 home runs, 32RBIs and 26 runs scored for the month, and .304-31-90 1.001OPS in 105 games for the season.

August 1st – Dodgers 1B Cody Bellinger(24, 4.5/5*) was named NL Batter of the Month after batting .372 with 13 home runs, 37RBIs and 28 runs scored for the month, and .308-34-104 1.015OPS in 110 games for the season.

August 1st – Yankees SP Ervin Santana(36, 2.5*) was named AL Pitcher of the Month after going 4-0 1.38 18K in 26IP. He is 13-2 with a 3.48ERA 103K in 21 starts for the year.

August 1st – Mets SP Noah Syndergaard(26, 5*) was named NL Pitcher of the Month after going 3-1 1.19 30K in 30.1IP. He is 13-3 with a 2.17ERA and 177 strikeouts in 22 starts for the year.

August 1st – Rangers RF Justin Williams(23, 3/3.5*) was named AL Rookie of the Month after going .342 with 5 home runs, 13RBIs and 11 runs scored for the month, and .312-13-42 .909OPS in 81 games for the season.

August 1st – Marlins CF Monte Harrison(23, 1.5/2.5*) was named NL Rookie of the Month after going .344 with 5 home runs, 19RBIs and 13 runs scored for the month, and .237-23-57 .752OPS in 106 games for the season.

Griever20 12-05-2018 07:12 AM

2019 August
 
3 Attachment(s)

Transactions:
August 4th – RHSP A.J. Alexy was demoted to AAA after pitching one game, 4.1IP 1ER, and Alec Hansen was activated off the DL.

August 8th – First baseman Bobby Bradley(23, 2.5/3.5*) was sent to AAA on a rehab assignment. He will get the full time as we have no immediate need to rush him.

August 12th – The Rangers had to place their new catcher Danny Jensen(24, 2/3*) on the 10-day DL with a fractured hand. He was hit by a pitch in a 3-0 loss to Milwaukee and will miss 5 weeks. AAA catcher Matt Whatley(23, 0.5/2.5*) was called up to catch together with Josh Morgan.

August 27th – Bobby Bradley was activated from his rehab assignment, and RF Yanio Perez was sent back down to AAA.

Series:
3-0 vs DET(Ariel Jurado 6IP 8H 1ER 1BB 8K W)
2-1 @ CLE
2-1 @ MIL(Rougned Odor 4-4 4R 4RBI BB 3HR, Adbert Alzolay 7IP 4H 0ER 2BB 5K W)
3-0 @ TOR(Nomar Mazara 3-4 2R 4RBI BB 2HR(21), Albert Abreu 7IP 4H 1ER 2BB 4K W, Willie Calhoun 2-3 2R 4RBI 2HR(16))
3-1 vs MIN
2-1 vs LAA(Nomar Mazara 2-3 2R 5RBI 2HR(23), Alec Hansen 7IP 2H 1ER 1BB 4K W)
2-2 @ CWS
1-1 @ LAA(Joey Gallo 3-4 3R 4RBI BB 2HR(40))
2-1 vs SEA(Nomar Mazara 3-4 5R 2RBI 3BB 2HR(27), Alec Hansen 6.1IP 3H 1ER 1BB 4K W)

August: 20-8
Runs Scored: 577(5th)
Batting AVG: .267(6th)
OBP: .330(9th)
Home Runs: 197(5th)
Stolen Bases: 102(4th)
Runs Against: 710(11th)
Starters ERA: 5.43(11th)
Bullpen ERA: 4.24(9th)
Defensive Eff.: .672(12th)

Houston, we seem to have a pitcher... or more than one. Abreu had a 4.97ERA, Jurado had a 4.67ERA, then comes Thompson with a 4.38ERA... and then we come to the hot kids. Adbert Alzolay posted a 2.70ERA in his first MLB month, and Alec Hanson put a 2.73 on the board. And with that, a bit of hot offense and some luck, we went 20-8 this month.... 20 and ******* 8.

Then there is Mr. Odor with 11HR and a 1.101OPS, Billy McKinney and his 1.074OPS... Nomar Mazara with 13HR and a 1.053OPS, Justin Williams and his .337 batting average, Willie Calhoun and his .326 batting average... in short, everything went our way... perfectly. Oh, and someone hit for the CYCLE...

I got a glimpse at the boss yesterday, and he smiled at me like it is Christmas... guess he liked our performance this month as we are close to .500 and third in the division... so much for bringing in a bunch of young kids and try to get a high draft pick next year...

As for September callups, we will bring up RHP A.J. Alexy and LHP Brady M. Feigl for the bullpen, as well as 2B Brandow Lowe and OF Yanio Perez and call it there. Quite frankly we don't have a lot of developed players in AAA that are on the 40-man, and no reason to put a Thomas Szapucki kind of player on the 40-man and start his service time here.


In Other News:
August 4th - Indians LF Michael Brantley(32, 2.5*) lost a 21-game hitting streak today in a 4-3 win over the Angels, going 0-4 for the day. The 2x All-Star is batting .312-10-50 .879OPS in 81 games.

August 9th - Astros SS Carlos Correa(24, 4.5/5*) ripped three home runs in a 10-3 win in Baltimore, going 3-4 4R 4RBI 2BB 3HR for the day. The 3x All-Star is batting .320-36-110 1.044OPS in 112 games.

August 10th - Rangers 2B Rougned Odor(25, 4*) also hit three home runs in a 12-5 win over the Brewers in interleague play, going 4-4 4R 4RBI BB 3HR. The Venezuelan is batting .285-28-79 .867OPS 16/22SB in 114 games.

August 16th - Rangers CF Julio Pablo Martinez(23, 2.5/3.5*) hit for the CYCLE today in a 12-3 win over the Twins, going 5-5 2R 5RBI DB 3TP HR. The Cuban kid is batting .257-9-52 .699OPS in 119 games.

August 19th - Rangers CF Julio Pablo Martinez(23, 2.5/3.5*) was named AL Player of the Week, going 14-30 1HR 11RBIs and 4 runs scored. He is now batting .259-9-53 .704OPS in 121 games.

August 26th - Rangers RF Nomar Mazara(24, 4/4.5*) was named AL Player of the Week, going 10-29 4HR 9RBIs and 8 runs scored. 'The Big Chill' is now batting .288-25-69 .859OPS in 131 games.

August 27th - Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado(28, 4.5*) bombed the Red Sox for three home runs in a 11-4 today, going 3-3 3R 5RBI 2BB 3HR. The soon-to-be free agent is batting .299-32-86 .937OPS in 132 games.

August 31th - Astros RF Kyle Tucker(22, 3.5/4*) walloped three dingers in a 11-1 win over the Blue Jays, going 3-4 3R 6RBI BB 3HR. Named an All-Star in his rookie season, he is batting .314-27-83 .957OPS in 116 games.

September 1st – Orioles 3B Manny Machado(27, 4*) was named AL Batter of the Month after batting .381 with 8 home runs, 31RBIs and 23 runs scored for the month, and .310-32-98 .919OPS in 132 games for the season.

September 1st – Pirates 3B Colin Moran(26, 3) was named NL Batter of the Month after batting .377 with 7 home runs, 31RBIs and 22 runs scored for the month, and .309-20-93 .878OPS in 132 games for the season.

September 1st – Astros SP Gerrit Cole(28, 4*) was named AL Pitcher of the Month after going 5-0 2.02 37K in 35.2IP. He is 15-4 with a 2.98ERA 165K in 27 starts for the year.

September 1st – Cardinals SP Clayton Kershaw(31, 5*) was named NL Pitcher of the Month after going 4-0 3.08 50K in 38IP. He is 14-4 with a 2.53ERA and 206 strikeouts in 28 starts for the year.

September 1st – Yankees 2B Gleyber Torres(22, 3/5*) was named AL Rookie of the Month after going .337 with 8 home runs, 19RBIs and 19 runs scored for the month, and .276-23-73 .854OPS in 105 games for the season.

September 1st – Cardinals LF LaMonte Wade(25, 3*) was named NL Rookie of the Month after going .438 with 4 home runs, 20RBIs and 20 runs scored for the month, and .324-10-47 .868OPS in 106 games for the season.

Griever20 12-06-2018 06:30 AM

2019 September
 
3 Attachment(s)

Transactions:
September 6th – The Rangers successfully claimed RHRP Victor R. Diaz(25, 2/3* HS, 2/3.5*) from the White Sox organization today. The 25-year old is currently injured with a strained shoulder and posted a 6.68ERA so far in 2019, but looking at Alec Hansen, the Rangers had some luck with White Sox castoffs.

September 14th – Danny Jansen is back off the DL and back in the lineup for the last 13 games... meaningless as we were eliminated from playoff contention yesterday.

October 2nd – And on the last day of the regular season, things took a turn for the worse for Alec Hansen... as he tore his flexor tendon(elbow) and will be out for 8-9 months... He went 5-5 4.66 54K in 15 starts for his new team...

Series:
0-1 vs SEA
2-1 @ NYY(Bobby Bradley 4HR that series, Jake J. Thompson 8IP 1ER W)
1-3 @ BAL
1-2 vs TBR(Adbert Alzolay 6.1IP 6H 0ER 1BB 5K W)
2-1 vs OAK(Albert Abreu 7IP 7H 1ER 0BB 9K W, Joey Gallo 3HR that series, 47 for the season)
1-1 @ HOU(Bobby Bradley 3-4 R 5RBI DB TP HR)
2-1 @ OAK(Albert Abreu 5.1IP 5H ER 1BB 5K W, Ariel Jurado 5.1IP 7H 0ER 2BB 4K W)
0-3 vs BOS
2-1 vs NYY(Joey Gallo 2-3 2R 4RBI 2BB 2HR(49))

September: 11-14
Runs Scored: 810(7th)
Batting AVG: .264(7th)
OBP: .328(9th)
Home Runs: 232(6th)
Stolen Bases: 117(4th)
Runs Against: 843(12th)
Starters ERA: 5.46(12th)
Bullpen ERA: 4.22(9th)
Defensive Eff.: .668(12th)

11-14 month, kinda more what I expected from this young team. Losing Alec Hansen in the last game of the season, and basically for next season as well... is a blow to us. We knew when we traded for him that he is a bit injury prone, but in our situation, we had to take the chance... well, with Jurado, Alzolay, Thompson, Abreu and similar guys like Alexy, Lange, Szapucki and Milto in AAA, we should have a lot of options next year... how good they will be and if they develop the way we want... we will see.

Hitting wise, Bobby Bradley collected 7HR in September... with a .212 batting average... there is still some room for growth here. Same for Royce Lewis who hit .242/.317/.347 with an AL-leading 48 stolen bases, good for 2.0WAR. Remember, he will make $8.8M next year thanks to the 10-year contract kicking in.

Joey Gallo whiffed on the AL home run title by five, but still upped his batting average compared to 2018 by .023, and his OPS by .028. With him, Lewis and Nomar Mazara locked up, things are fine here. As for our Rookie of the Year candidate Justin Williams, we will try to lure him into a long-term arbitration buyout contract this offseason... as he hit .301-20-69 .875OPS in 123 games.

Our bullpen has been up and down, but we most likely won't spend any money on relievers this offseason, and instead keep the group we have around, minus Aaron Loup most likely, and try to haul a young, talented reliever in via trade...

As for the prospects, see next post...


In Other News:
September 12th - Athletics SP Derek Holland(32, 1.5*) dominated the Astros today, working 9IP 5H 0ER 3BB 4K in a 7-0 win. The veteran is 2-5 3.75 31K in 8 starts between OAK and SFG.

September 15th - Reds 1B Joey Votto(36, 4*) collected career home run #300 in a 4-3 loss to Arizona today. The 6x All-Star is a career .313/.432/.538 hitter with 300HR, 983RBIs and 1857 hits in 1688 career games.

September 27th - Mets SP Jason Vargas(36, 2*) blanked the Braves 5-0 with a 3-hit, 0BB and 9K shutout. The veteran and 2017 AL All-Star is 7-12 4.93 129K in 29 starts.

October 1st – Orioles 1B Trey Mancini(27, 2.5*) was named AL Batter of the Month after batting .417 with 10 home runs, 28RBIs and 20 runs scored for the month, and .316-36-103 .945OPS in 139 games for the season.

October 1st – Mets LF Michael Conforto(26, 5*) was named NL Batter of the Month after batting .292 with 10 home runs, 27RBIs and 20 runs scored for the month, and .316-46-123 1.064OPS in 160 games for the season.

October 1st – Red Sox SP Chris Sale(30, 4.5*) was named AL Pitcher of the Month after going 4-0 1.57 33K in 34.1IP. He is 13-12 with a 4.68ERA 209K in 33 starts for the year.

October 1st – Giants SP Tyler Neede(31, 5*) was named NL Pitcher of the Month after going 4-0 1.09 21K in 24.2IP. He is 15-7 with a 3.03ERA and 163 strikeouts in 30 starts for the year.

October 1st – Orioles LF DJ Stewart(25, 2.5*) was named AL Rookie of the Month after going .350 with 2 home runs, 11RBIs and 19 runs scored for the month, and .273-12-40 .798OPS in 134 games for the season.

October 1st – Pirates 2B Juan Tapia(26, 5*) was named NL Rookie of the Month after going .296 with 3 home runs, 14RBIs and 18 runs scored for the month, and .293-19-88 .849OPS in 159 games for the season.

October 1st – Yankees SP Luis Severino(25, 4.5*) has won the AL Pitching Triple Crown this year, going 20-7 with a 2.82ERA and 247 strikeouts in 33 games.

October 1st – Mets SP Noah Syndergaard(27, 5*) has won the NL Pitching Triple Crown this year, going 18-6 with a 2.33ERA and 263 strikeouts in 33 games.

October 1st – Astros 2B Jose Altuve(29, 5*) has won the AL Batting Title this year, batting .367/.428/.614 22HR 78RBIs in only 116 games.

October 1st – Dodgers SS Corey Seager(25, 5*) has won the NL Batting Title this year, batting .331/.401/.576 36HR 123RBIs in 159 games.

Rangers On The AL Leaderboards:
Alex Claudio – SV – 37 - 3rd

Joey Gallo – HR – 49 - 3rd
Joey Gallo – R – 120 - 4th
Julio Pablo Martinez – TP – 20 - 1st
Royce Lewis – SB – 48 - 1st
Royce Lewis – CS – 19 - 1st

Griever20 12-06-2018 01:40 PM

2019 October Prospect Report
 
Confidential: Prospect Report, October 2nd, 2019

So Max, our end of the year overview of our minor league system per position.

Enjoy the read, I'll keep you posted.

Best Wishes
Doug Melvin
Scouting Director Texas Rangers

--

Pitching:

Close to the majors: AAA RHSP Alex Lange(24, 1.5/3*), AAA RHSP Pauly Milto(22, 1/2.5*), AAA LHSP Thomas Szapucki(23, 0.5/3*)

Others: AA RHSP Hans Crouse(21, 0.5/2.5*, #22 prospect), A RHSP Matthew Allen(18, 0.5/3.5*, #2 prospect), R SP Justin Campbell(18, 0.5/2.5*)

Dropped out: RHSP Albert Abreu(MLB), AA RHSP Bryan Mata

We added some good arms via trade, and Adbert Alzolay, who was decent at the major league level, still has rookie eligibility and is the #29 prospect via the OSA. As for high upside pitching, Allen could be the ticket here, but he is at least two, most likely three to four years away. Where we may need to add... is relief pitching.

Catcher:

Close to the majors: none

Others: AAA C Edgardo Rodriguez(18, 0.5/3.5*), A- C David Garcia(19, 0.5/2.5*), R C CJ Rodriguez(19, 0.5/3*)

Dropped out: C Matt Whatley(MLB)

Infield:

Close to the majors: 3B Anderson A. Tejeda(21, 0.5/3*), SS Chris Seise(20, 1/3*, #68 prospect)

Others: A+ 2B Tucupita Marcano(20, 0.5/3*), A+ 2B Richie Palacios(22, 0.5/3*), A 2B Matt McLain(20, 0.5/4.5*), R 1B Brayden Combs(20, 0.5/3*), A SS Alvaro Gonzalez(19, 0.5/3*), A SS Luis Mota(18, 0.5/3*)

Dropped out: 2B Brandon Lowe(Age)

Chris Seise certainly is the best prospect here as he looks to be the complete package, high average, great defense, speed. We also think that Matt McLain, our 4th rounder in 2018, could become something special. Yes, he has not really performed in A ball, batting .242 with a 62OPS+, but give him time. He can be a better version of Seise, playing at 2B.

Around him, we have a bunch of interesting kids, some drafted last year, some snagged up on minor league contracts over the last six months and I think we should continue to scout free agents that are 19 or younger, maybe we find something nice.

Outfield:

Close to the majors: AAA RF Daniel Johnson Jr.(24, 1.5/3*)

Others: AA LF Cesar Ortega(18, 0.5/4*), AA CF Hunter Bishop(21, 0.5/3*), AA CF Cole Brannen(21, 0.5/3*), A Raimfer Salinas(18, 0.5/3.5*), CF Tyler Williams(19, 0.5/3*)

Dropped out: none

Johnson Jr. did not really develop in AAA last season, and it is about time he does... Below that, we have a strong group in AA consisting of trade acquisitions and our fourth round pick this year, and with our MLB outfield being pretty crowded already, we are looking fine here.

Griever20 12-07-2018 07:36 AM

2019 The Beginning of the Offseason
 
1 Attachment(s)

Hey, I wasn't fired! Ray Davis was kinda content with my performance, and the team performance, and extended my contract... and slashed our budget by $2M, which was expected given that we made a loss of $20M. He wants us to post a .500 record next year, increase attendance, upgrade at shortstop(Lewis will develop, so I don't give a ****), have a final total balance of $20M(then don't give me that big of a budget...)

Changes, Changes:
Our assistant GM and our scouting director Doug Melvin have retired from baseball... and I quickly tossed offers to Logan White(here we go again) as our new scouting director, and John Mozeliak as Assistant GM, both were accepted before the free agents filed. Got us some good baseball minds here.

Potential Free Agents and Non-Tendered Arbitration Candidates:

LHRP Kevin Chapman(31, 2.5*) 3-8 4.76 76K 58.2IP 0.8WAR
Signed 1y/$820k extension

RHRP Keone Kela(26, 4*) 5-4 4.37 117K 78.1IP 1.4WAR
Signed 1y/$1.68M extension, we wanted a 4y deal, but did not want it.

RHRP Tony Zych(29, 2.5*) 2-2 2.86 54K 50.1IP 0.4WAR
Signed 1y/$820k extension in hope that his partially torn UCL will be fully healed next year and does not affect him.

LHCL Alex Claudio(27, 4*) 5-8 37SV 2.61 60K 79.1IP 2.3WAR
Signed a 4y/$37M extension. Gotta lock up your closer. Compared to similar arms, he is not too expensive...

LHRP Aaron Loup(31, 2*) 5-1 1SV 4.31 89K 94IP 0.6WAR
Signed a 2y/$2.8M extension. Yes, I said I wouldn't, but this became a quick depth signing that hopefully won't hurt us.

Pre-Free Agency Transactions and News:

November 8th – Claimed LHRP Jake Brentz(25, 1.5/2* HS, 1.5/2.5* OSA) off waivers from STL who claimed him from Pittsburgh. He had a 5.56ERA in AA last year and will battle with Loup and Chapman in Spring.

November 9th – In a quickly negotiated trade, the Rangers agreed to a trade offer by the Phillies, adding RHSP Seranthony Dominguez(24, 1/2.5* HS, 0.5/2.5* OSA) in exchange for prospect RHSP Seth Nordlin(22, 0.5/1.5*). Another one of those 'we take a chance at a late prospect' trade.

November 10th – Rangers LF Billy McKinney(25, 2.5*) won the AL Gold Glove in left field this year. The 25-year old Rule V draftee had a .997 fielding percentage, a +5.6ZR and posted a 1.029 efficiency.

November 13th – Astros RF Kyle Tucker(22, 3/3.5*) won the AL Rookie of the Year Award, batting .303/.370/.563 33HR 103RBIs in 140 games.

November 13th – Pirates 2B Juan Tapia(26, 5*) won the NL Rookie of the Year Award, batting .293/.389/.461 19HR 88RBIs in 159 games.

November 15th – Yankees SP Luis Severino(25, 4.5*) won the AL Cy Young Award, going 20-7 2.82 247K in 33 starts, also winning the AL Pitching Triple Crown.

November 15th – Mets SP Noah Syndergaard(27, 5*) won the NL Cy Young Award, going 18-6 2.33 263K in 33 starts, also winning the NL Pitching Triple Crown.

November 16th – Indians SS Francisco Lindor(26, 5*) won the AL MvP Award, batting .366/.452/.621 29HR 111RBIs in 147 games. He is also a 4x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger and 1x Gold Glove Award winner.

November 16th – Dodgers SS Corey Seager(25, 5*) won the NL MvP Award, batting .331/.401/.576 36HR 123RBIs in 159 games. He is also a 4x All-Star, 4x Silver Slugger, 2016 NL Rookie of the Year and has won the 2018 World Series.

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Top Free Agent Filings:

LHSP Chris Sale(30, 4.5*) 13-12 4.68 209K 33GS 2.0WAR(BOS)
RHSP Gerrit Cole(29, 3.5*) 18-4 2.85 194K 31GS 5.6WAR(HOU)
RHSP Alfredo Mariscal(30, 3.5*) fled from Cuba

1B Paul Goldschmidt(32, 4.5*) .316-45-124 1.012OPS 160G 7.2WAR(MIN)
1B/3B Tadatoshi Tada(26, 4*) from Japan
1B Edwin Encarnacion(36, 3*) .266-14-59 .819OPS 73G 1.0WAR(CLE)
1B Justin Smoak(32, 3*) .241-32-98 .782OPS 159G 1.8WAR(TOR)
2B DJ LeMahieu(31, 3*) .292-7-44 .756OPS 122G 2.6WAR(OAK/STL)
3B Nolan Arenado(28, 4.5*) .290-36-96 .908OPS 161G 5.8WAR(COL)
SS Xander Bogaerts(27, 3.5*) .291-14-70 .805OPS 138G 3.3WAR(BOS)
SS Didi Gregorius(29, 3*) .330-30-96 .943OPS 136G 6.1WAR(NYY)

RF Andrew McCutchen(33, 3*) .283-33-102 .880OPS 147G 3.7WAR(PIT)
RF Yasiel Puig(28, 3*) .223-21-69 .728OPS 150G 2.1WAR(LAD)

Now, the fun part of the offseason begins... or not. Last year, we had a lot of chips, we had a lot of money available, and a lot of areas where we wanted to strengthen our team. This year, we enter the offseason with a lot of young players that are looking to make another step forward.

We have 6-8 starting pitchers around the MLB level that have some potential, we have a decent bullpen, we have a strong lineup with good players on every position. We don't have a ton of money available... as $39M of our payroll are still invested in Shin-Soo Choo and Jeff Samardzija.

One easy decision we made right away... was to pursuit another Cuban defector. 23-year old 2B Jorge Castellanos. A good contact hitter with speed, and great defense at second and short, a right-handed batter. He could be the answer to the defensive shortcomings of Rougned Odor. Our new head scout has him at 1.5/3.5*, while Odor was slashed down to a 3* player, 55/70/65/35/45 hitting stats, 45 rated defense at 2B...

Another thing, we see a chance to get a cheap bullpen pickup. Enter RHRP Trevor Rosenthal(29, 4*). A can of worms, I know. He missed all of 2018 with injury and then missed the final two months of 2019 with an oblique strain, posting a 4-1 3.65 62K year in 49.1IP with Washington. We will try to get him on a value deal, 4y with $2.6M/$2.8M/$3M/$3.2M(T).

For big additions, I would love to get a huge starting pitcher with groundball tendency... for obvious reasons(ballpark). The only big free agent to fit that bill is Gerrit Cole... and he wants like, $30M p.a. which is not going to happen.

DD Martin 12-07-2018 02:10 PM

The Twins win the World Series! The Padres win 99 games and the West? Interesting baseball universe being developed there. Should make for an interesting upcoming year.

With all the moves you made and the current starting pitching for the season, I was impressed you won 78 games. Better than the real Rangers did, and you have their future brighter.

Griever20 12-07-2018 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DD Martin (Post 4402190)
The Twins win the World Series! The Padres win 99 games and the West? Interesting baseball universe being developed there. Should make for an interesting upcoming year.

With all the moves you made and the current starting pitching for the season, I was impressed you won 78 games. Better than the real Rangers did, and you have their future brighter.

Yeah, and it took a LOONG time in front of my PC to cobble together deals to get that done. The bottleneck will be the starting pitching in my opinion, and I will try to get a respectable groundball pitcher in... but that is a hard ask.

The only ace caliber pitcher/ace potential pitcher that is at the MLB level, and that has a service time below 5 years and not a big contract is Freddy Peralta from the Brewers, and he had a 4.32ERA and they want the kitchen sink for him... and he is not exactly a groundballer.

After that, there is 50 feet of expensive, old crap, and then there is a glut of 3.5-3* pitchers, and we have enough of pitchers with 3* potential already... I may just try to get one that is a bit further developed than ours... and that I can lure into a good extension...

Also, there is not a lot of high potential pitching in the minors, which is why I keep on praying for Allan to work out...

Thanks for following along!

Griever20 12-08-2018 07:40 AM

2019 Pre-Winter Meetings
 
Pre-Winter Meeting News:

Transactions:

December 1st – The Cardinals offered a decent infield prospect for Justin Williams... we will get bombarded with offers like that, and since we could not find a deal for a disposable player, we ended of leaving the offer behind.

December 10th – Texas landed one of the more coveted young players in free agency today as 2B Jorge Castellanos(23, 1.5/3.5*) signed a minor league contract with a $1M MLB option and a release clause if he is not on the 40-man 30 days into the regular season.

In Other News:
December 3rd - 3B Nolan Arenado(28, 4.5*) will join our division as he signed a 6y/$156M deal with the Angels today. He is a 7x Gold Glover, 3x Silver Slugger and 4x All-Star.

December 6th – The World Series Champs retained one of their core players as 1B Paul Goldschmidt(32, 4.5*) signed a 5y/$100M contact with the . He is a 7x All-Star, 4x Gold Glover and 4x Silver Slugger.

December 10th – The one pitcher we had an eye on is gone... as RHSP Gerrit Cole(29, 3.5*) quickly signed a 6y/$160.2M contract with the LA Dodgers. That is most definitely out of our current budget range this year.

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Winter Meetings

It was a comfortable hotel room I was sitting in. Las Vegas Convention Center. Winter Meetings. Myself, assistant GM John Mozielak, scouting director Logan White, and peanuts from the mini bar that cost approximately $10 per peanut. The Winter Meetings will start tomorrow, and we will be looking to make value trades.

"I think we should move either Brandon Lowe, or Thairo Estrada to make room for Castellanos. Rays and Cards have interest, and they will offer us something tomorrow right away, I promise you," John told us bluntly. His instincts will come in handy here... I personally liked the idea of trading Lowe if he is worth something as he is a left-handed hitter, something we got more than enough of.

However, I wanted to dip into a different market, and it was time to shock my guys. "Logan, honest opinion. 155 games of development at the MLB level, who will be the better, more complete player in 2021. Castellanos, or Odor?" - "Castellanos, he gives us another base stealer, he is a right-handed hitter that fits better into our lineup and he is a dynamite defender that will help us out tremendously." - "Then, we will try to move Odor this Winter meeting." Silence. Shock. Agreement.

"Risky, but it is the best baseball and business move we can make here," Logan said... and John disagreed. "Give away a guy that hit .289 with 36 home runs and close to 100RBI's for an unproven kid? Nah, don't like it at all, why not wait?" - "Because Odor is only getting worse defensively. Honestly, he is a dark hole, and we don't have unlimited DH slots... AND we have Chris Seise in the minors who has been doing WORK in Winter Ball and could be ready soon" The discussion went on, but I had my mind made up. I want to trade Odor. Period. It would be interesting Winter Meetings.


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