MLB 2019 - Texas Rangers - A Challenge Mode Dynasty

[Griever20]

American League Championship Series Game 4:

October 21st, 2021

Texas Rangers - New York Yankees @ Yankee Stadium

TEX: SP Jake J. Thompson(R, 0-0 0.00)
NYY: SP Gio Gonzalez(L, 1-0 2.57)

Jake's first postseason start. And it was similar to the last two starts. Gallo and co. flew out to the track three times in two innings, and Brandon McKay then homered and Didi Gregorius clobbered an RBI-double down the left-field line to drive in Andujar... who was hit by a pitch... NYY 2, TEX 0.

A single and walk later, we had a little chance to score... Bradley fanned, top of the third over. Bottom third... and our World Series ambitions went down the drain as Sanchez homered and Judge, McKay and Frazier singled, NYY 4, TEX 0.

And we were not hitting the gopher balls of a 5.71ERA arm for five innings... until Joey G. connected with a 2-run JACK to make it 4-2 and to kick Gonzalez out of the game. We, on the other hand, should've put Thompson out earlier... has he was left in... you guessed it. 5-2 Yankees.

Royce Lewis got on... as usual... in the seventh and Yankees arm Alex Lange then had to throw 22 pitches to McKinney, Mazara and Bradley... and the later singled in a run! NYY 5, TEX 3 after seven...

One inning later, Justin Williams who got the start on a hunch... doubled to left, and that brought up Eusebio... out... and Castellanos... flyball to center, deep center. Frazier stole outs at the track all series long... not this time as the ball... CAROMS OF THE WALL AND INTO THE FIELD! WILLIAMS IN, CASTELLANOS AT SECOND!

That brought up Lewis... who grounded out to the pitcher... end of the eighth. Well, the top half. The bottom half saw Claudio pitch... and give up another run... 2-run deficit with Cody Carroll going into his second inning. 1-2-3 and our ALCS just went down the drain.

SP Jake J. Thompson 5.1IP 11H 5R 4ER 3BB 3K
SS Royce Lewis 2-5 R
1B Bobby Bradley 1-5 R RBI
3B Joey Gallo 1-4 R 2RBI HR
C Danny Jansen 1-3 BB
RF Justin Williams 3-3 R BB 2DB
2B Jorge Castellanos 2-4 RBI DB
HR TEX: Joey Gallo(3)
HR NYY: Brendan McKay(1), Gary Sanchez(2)
W: Gio Gonzalez(2-0 2.92) L: Jake J. Thompson(0-1 6.75) SV: Cody Carroll(2 2.84)
TEX 4 NYY 6 NYY leads ALCS 3-1.
**** me. All year long, our starters have carried this team above high water... and in the ALCS, our guys suck.

NLCS:
Los Angeles Dodgers 1 - Chicago Cubs 6
Los Angeles leads NLCS 2-1.

[Griever20]

American League Championship Series Game 5:

October 22nd, 2021

Texas Rangers - New York Yankees @ Yankee Stadium

TEX: SP Corey Kluber(R, 1-0 2.57)
NYY: SP Luis Severino(R, 1-0 1.76)

Elimination game. We needed a sharp ace in Kluber and he got tagged by a Wade double, followed up by two outs... and an Aaron Judge RBI-single... and things only went south from there. Second inning, with two down, Gregorius bunted for a hit... worked like a charm... as he got on.

Torres and Wade then landed easy hits onto the grass... 3-0 Yankees. And our offense did nothing. Three no-hit innings later by Severino and two hits later, Wade drove in another run as Torres doubled down the line to left... ***** pitching is king. To crown that... Judge hit a 2-run jack in the third, and Wade a solo shot in the fourth... that was the Rangers career of Corey Kluber.

6IP 9H 6ER 1BB 7K, close the book on that. He lived to see Bradley flick a 2-run shot into right field, but we were running out of outs... rapidly... Severino with seven innings of 2-run ball, Green another hitless inning, and with their closer unavailable... they went with lefty Trevor Lane for the ninth.

The crowd was rocking the place, seeing the home team leading by four... but they were silenced quickly in the ninth... Second pitch, Mazara lasered one down the right field line, and Bradley followed that one up with his own solo shot... TEX 4, NYY 6, still nobody down in the ninth...

A BLOODY COMEBACK FOR ***** SAKE!

Righty Will Harris(2.96) summoned in panic... and he faced Joey Gallo... who worked a full count... and got fooled on a curve, one down... Danny Jansen at the plate.... hard-hit groundball... at Alonso at first, U3...

Brennan. Last chance.

He grounded out to second.

SP Corey Kluber 6IP 9H 6R 6ER 1BB 7K
LF Billy McKinney 2-4
DH Nomar Mazara 1-4 2R RBI HR
1B Bobby Bradley 2-4 2R 3RBI 2HR
C Danny Jansen 1-3 BB
RF Steven Sensley 1-3
HR TEX: Nomar Mazara(1), Bobby Bradley 2(2)
HR NYY: Tyler Wade(1), Aaron Judge(5)
W: Luis Severino(2-0 2.01) L: Corey Kluber(1-1 4.50) SV: Will Harris(1 6.75)
TEX 4 NYY 6 NYY wins ALCS 4-1.
Gone fishing.

NLCS:
Los Angeles Dodgers 3 - Chicago Cubs 4
Chicago leads NLCS 3-1.

Los Angeles Dodgers 4 - Chicago Cubs 0
Chicago leads NLCS 3-2.

Chicago Cubs 5 - Los Angeles Dodgers 2
Chicago wins NLCS 4-2, advances to World Series.

[Griever20]

Yep, that ALCS stunk. Our starting pitching did not hold up as basically only that game one start by Kluber was a quality start... and with basically, I mean LITERALLY... The bullpen did hold up good enough, but if you have to score 5 runs+ in four straight games to have a chance to win in a playoff scenario... you lose.

Offensively, we choked a lot. Like, we get those solo home runs and some scrappy walks and singles, but never tailored together a couple of big innings with that. If you look at our batting averages for the series, they look good. Gosh, Royce Lewis killed it in the postseason and even Joey Gallo hit .278... It feels like we got a bit unlucky here.

On the other hand, we can take some lessons from that, and start a blueprint for the offseason.

Cole Brannen has been a good servant in center field in his first year, but his splits against LHP are horrible, and Eusebio did not really impress me all year long... a right-handed center fielder that can do some more damage would be nice.

Second base... I hate this position. Since we traded away Odor, we have been going back and forward there. A peek to the scouting reports that came in at the beginning of the offseason, Castellanos was potential was slashed to a meager 2.5*, and Hansel Moreno down to 1.5/3.5* as a 25-year old... so the short term option is not that good, and the long term option's stock is falling... great. Maybe we do something there? Or wait out on Moreno... dunno...

More chatter when the offseason has started... I'm going for some booze now.

[Griever20]

Here comes the money. $230M of budget from a happy owner that basically saw all his wishes come true. Ray C. Davis is 81 years old and charitable, so I hope he gets 100 years old...

Changes, Changes:
We will keep our staff around. They did a good job.

Potential Free Agents and Non-Tendered Arbitration Candidates:

RHRP Riley Ferrell(28, 3*) 2-5 4.95 67K 72.2IP -0.2WAR
Signed 1y/$830k extension. He wasn't sharp and is not the arm we thought he was, but still a good middle of the bullpen arm.

LF Billy McKinney(27, 3*) .310/.387/.478 17HR 78RBIs 5.3WAR
Wanted an 8y extension worth a gazillion dead presidents... and I'm calling bull**** on his 5.3WAR season. He got a $5.9M offer... and accepted.

RHRP Dellin Betances(33, 3.5*) 6-4 3SV 2.51 76K 64.2IP 1.7WAR Free Agent
Earned $9M last season and would listen to a 3y/$24M offer with year three being a team option... and we offered that one.

RHSP Corey Kluber(35, 3.5*) 7-1 2.36 54K 84IP 1.7WAR Free Agent
Because he has not pitched an inning for CLE, the veteran is compensation eligible! And we will submit the qualifying offer.

Roster Chatter:
Ok, so if Betances resigns, our bullpen is set. Kluber is a loss, but we have three talented kids in AAA... and a little tidbit. Logan just bumped Nick Lododo's movement potential to 55, his control potential to 60... and his overall potential to 5*... I want him up here.

Our trade targets for the immediate future... a center fielder, right-handed, that can hit a bit better than .250. Maybe a 2B if we can get a sure thing. Else... the roster is good as it is for now... But we have money.

We MAY be able to lure a big free agent in this winter... I have an eye on a certain arm...

Pre-Free Agency Transactions and News:

November 7th – It took the Rangers little time to swing a deal... as usual. Max Gerlach and Jed Hoyer agreed to a trade today that will sent A C Luis G. Alvarado(21, 0.5*), A LF Randor Vargas(21, 0.5/1*) and CF Ricky Eusebio(27, 1.5/2*) to the Cubs.

In return, the Rangers receive CF Albert Almora(27, 3*, .320-1-9 103AB) and AA LF Nelson Velazquez(22, 2.5/4*, .263-30-89 .891OPS 129G AAA).

In short, we see no value in Alvarado and Vargas as they were signed as minor league free agents two years ago, and Eusebio is... Eusebio.

We get back Albert Almora. He is a Gold Glove center fielder, on a 4y/$20.28M contract extension kicking in for next year... and a career .277/.315/.451 24HR hitter against LHP.

Velazquez is an interesting guy. He was a 5th rounder in 2017 and developed into a slugging outfielder, mainly left-field, that bats right-handed and hit 30HR in AA. Our righty bench option?

November 8th – We waived and DFA'ed SS Thairo Estrada, RF Yanio Perez, RHP Ariel Jurado, C Josh Morgan today.

November 9th – The Rangers off some of their outfield depth as RF Steven Sensley(26, 2.5/3*) and AA SS Francis Villaman(23, 1.5/2.5*) to the Phillies in exchange for AA 2B Jonathan India(24, 2/4.5*, .250-23-84 .786OPS AA), once the third overall pick in the 2018 draft and former #6 prospect.

Just another 2B option. Don't expect much out of him, the OSA rates him as 3* potential and he dropped out of the top 100 prospect list. However, we had a surplus of outfielders that bat left-handed, and our 40-man needed some trimming down anyways.

[Griever20]

Awards:

November 14th – Rangers SS Royce Lewis(22, 4/4.5*) won the AL Gold Glove at shortstop this year. The 22-year former first overall pick had a .972 fielding percentage, a +11.8ZR and posted a 1.068 efficiency.

November 16th – Rangers 1B Bobby Bradley(25, 3*) won the Silver Slugger at First Base this year. In his second full year, he is batting .274/.355/.521 with 36 home runs and 128RBIs.

November 16th – Rangers DH Nomar Mazara(26, 4*) won the Silver Slugger as a Designated Hitter this year. His second straight award, he is batting .294/.372/.498 with 28 home runs and 88RBIs.

November 16th – Royals C Kuniaki Takamura(27, 4.5*) won the AL Rookie of the Year Award, batting .332/.384/.511 18HR 93RBIs in 131 games.

November 16th – Nationals SP Glenn Otto(25, 3/4*) won the NL Rookie of the Year Award, going 11-13 3.28 188K in 34 starts.

November 18th – White Sox SP Carlos Rodon(28, 4*) won the AL Cy Young Award, going 13-7 2.96 203K in 32 starts. He also is a first-time All-Star.

November 18th – Mets LHRP Brad Hand(31, 4*) won the NL Cy Young Award, going 3-4 44SV 1.34 96K in 73.2IP in 81 games. He is the second Mets player to win the Cy Young in a row.

November 19th – Red Sox 3B Rafael Devers(25, 5*) won the AL MvP Award, batting .336/.400/.619 43HR 125RBIs in 157 games. He also is a 3x All-Star and 4x Silver Slugger.

November 19th – Dodgers 1B Cody Bellinger(26, 5*) won the NL MvP Award, batting .291/.382/.645 56HR 137RBIs in 154 games. He is also a 4x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger, 2017 NL Rookie of the Year, was the 2020 NL MvP and has won the 2018 World Series.

--

Top Free Agent Filings:

LHSP Clayton Kershaw(33, 5*) 17-10 3.30 253K 32GS 5.8WAR(STL)
RHSP Aaron Nola(28, 5*) 1-0 1.13 5K 1GS 0.2WAR(PHI)
RHSP Corey Kluber(35, 3.5*) 7-1 2.36 54K 14GS 1.7WAR(TEX)

C Buster Posey(34, 4.5*) .286-6-41 .746OPS 111G 3.0WAR(SFG)

1B Freddie Freeman(32, 4.5*) .301-38-120 .958OPS 162G 6.7WAR(ATL)
2B Arturo Trevino(28, 5*) defected from Cuba
3B Miguel Sano(28, 3.5*) .272-37-110 .860OPS 156G 5.3WAR(MIN)

LF Miguel Conforto(28, 5*) .262-26-88 .822OPS 161G 4.0WAR(NYM)
CF Byron Buxton(27, 4*) .272-29-101 .787OPS 155G 5.7WAR(MIN)

When the offseason started, we were thinking hard about Aaron Nola. The 28-year old 2020 NL Cy Young winner lost the 2021 season to a torn flexor tendon and suffered a setback in late November. He will be out until at least May. Not sure if you want to dump a TON of money on that... or do we?

And then, Arturo Trevino spawned. He looks like the real ticket according to our scouting department. 60/60/55/55/65 on the hitting department, a 60 rated defender with a weak arm. The OSA has him as a 60/60/50/60/65 with better defense and 3.5/4* rated.

We will negotiate with both. Depending on how that works out... we may do some additional business at the Winter Meetings.

[Griever20]

Transactions:
December 7th - Bidding war for the second baseman... but RHSP Aaron Nola(28, 5*) jumped on a 4y/$76M contract with the Rangers with a player opt-out after year four! Fan interest is through the roof... and we lost our first round pick!

In Other News:

December 7th – The Diamondbacks just signed LF Michael Conforto(28, 5*) for a 6y/$138M deal with a opt out after the 2025 season. He is a 4x All-Star and the 2019 NL Silver Slugger.

December 7th – And the free agent frenzy kicked into overdrive today as the Phillies replaced Aaron Nola with LHSP Clayton Kershaw(33, 5*) who signed on a 4y/$127.8M contract. He is a 3x Cy Young, 1x NL MvP, 1x NL Gold Glover and 11x All-Star.

December 7th – Aand last but not least, C Buster Posey(34, 4.5*) will work for the Boston Red Sox for 4y/$83M. He is a 9x All-Star, 4x Silver Slugger, 2010 NL RotY, 2016 NL GG and 2012 NL MvP.

December 9th – The free agent market is moving fast as the Mets replaced Conforto with 4x Gold Glover, 2019 AL All-Star and 2019 World Series winner CF Byron Buxton(27, 4*). The superstar signed on a 7y/$156.8M deal.

December 9th – And the World Series champs joined the fray by signing 1B Freddie Freeman(32, 4.5*) on a 5y/$170.5M deal. The 6x All-Star and 2019 NLDS MvP makes the Yankees a juggernaut.

December 14th – Habemus draft pick. The Detroit Tigers accelerated a rebuild(...) by signing SP Corey Kluber(35, 3.5*) for 3y/$45.6M. The 2x AL Cy Young winner and 5x All-Star made a curious choice as the Tigers lost 85+ games for the last five years.

--

Winter Meetings... Hotel Room in Florida

So, the latest update is that Nola will be ready for a rehab assignment in mid-late April, and we will have at least three years of him. I fully expect him to opt out of his contract, but I did not want to sign him for a longer deal with his elbow in a cast and in pieces... he needed to sign the contract with his left hand for **** sake.

Trevino is mulling over a bloody 4y/$62M deal... and it would be nice if he would sign soon so that we can do some nice roster moves.

"How about one of the relievers from the free agent pool? There is a ton of closers around," Mozeliak wanted to make some good old baseball moves and he would love us to drop some $10+M per year on a veteran reliever... we got enough of those in my opinion.

"I want to see what happens with Trevino first. We don't have unlimited money. However, go to the usual teams and look for prospects, value players. I don't expect a lot but try. Focus on second baseman." - " In the Trevino skill range?" - "Yes."

[Griever20]

Given that it is one post for the Meetings you can guess what happened ...

Mike Hazen. Arizona. He is the owner of 2B Xavier Edwards, a 22-year old with incredible bat speed and contact ability... A supplemental round pick in 2018, but not rated in the top 100 by Baseball America. Without Royce Lewis, no deal.

"Moncada possible, but I hate his defense," Whatsapp from Logan...

Next stop, Mets. Rob Freed controls the fate of two great infielders. Ronny Mauricio, a 20-year old shortstop/2B that has good speed, a Diamond colored glove and some great OBP skills in the making. And we had no deal, same for Tyler Callihan and their MLB 2B Andres Gimenez... just no deal with players I'm willing to trade and they were still salty about Moreno... maybe he is the second coming of someone great after all...

"Albies possible, but he is basically Castellanos +.050OPS." I walked over to the Braves and talked a little. They would give up Albies for Castellanos and a throw-in... not sure.

The first day ended pretty eventless... apart from some minor deals. Boston traded for Jake Arrieta, the Marlins signed Masahiro Tanaka, Minnesota signed Edwin Encarnacion and last but not least, Miguel Sano(28, 3.5*) signed a $189M contract offer for 7y with the Blue Jays.

Day two, and the shark that got Trevino to sign him up as a client told me that he wanted at least 5y/$87.5M... and we balked on that... options were running through our fingers. A small upgrade to Albies... spend big on a question mark...

"We should stand pat," said Logan that morning. "The free agent option is getting too costly. And the trade options are either way to expensive or just a minor upgrade, if at all. And the minor upgrades are already in arbitration, or under a big contract." - "Standing pat means losing, we need to go big. We lost in the ALCS, we need more," Mozeliak again...

I ended the discussion. "We keep the guys around. Castellanos was little better than Albies, and we have TWO prospects in India and Moreno... should Trevino go to hell...Also, there is still a lot of intrigue around Moreno and he has done some good work in Winter Ball, right Logan?" - "He did... dunno, maybe I overreacted on his cup of coffee in September..."

Later that day, the Yankees came to our camp... and wanted an arm from us, Thompson or a different starter... as if we would give the champs another quality arm... do I look silly...

Day three offers galore. Strasburg... Osuna... Machado... Kyle Seager... Turner... Lucroy too many names, not enough interest from us... I'm turning into 'Stand' Pat Gillich.

Oh, the Rule V draft was two days after the Winter Meetings... and we lost RF Yanio Perez to the Orioles. No loss here, he got waived and DFA'ed at least two times now.

[Griever20]

With the Winter Meetings done, center field, second base and Aaron Nola sorted, we focused on an are that I always love to focus on. Relief prospects. Paying $8M to Betances is fine for now, $5.1M for Kahnle is fine for now, $9.5M for Claudio is fine for one of the best lefties in the game... but I want to follow that generation up with young prospects from our minors...

Alex Spears is fine with a 3.04ERA in AA, but one year away from being an impact arm. Our first-rounder Mike Franklin(21, 0.5/3*) destroyed is right arm after posting a 2.40ERA in 15IP in A-... in like, he tore his labrum in his shoulder... game over. Maybe we can trade some surplus AAAA prospects for some arms?

Transactions:

December 21st – In a quickly orchestrated deal, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired 3B Shervyen Newton(22, 1.5/2.5*) from the Rangers in exchange for R RHRP Tony Darland(23, 2.5/5* HS, 2.5/4.5* OSA).

Newton was an international amateur free agent signed by the Mets in 2015 and claimed off waivers by Texas in April 2021.

Tony Darland on the other hand was Toronto's 1st rounder in 2020, 10th overall. He was played as center fielder a lot, but we really want him as a pitcher as he throws 97-99 with a good, soon great changeup and decent movement... and iffy control.

December 22nd – And the Rangers continued the reliever bonanza as they acquired A+ LHRP Josh Kearns(22, 1/4* HS, 1.5/4.5* OSA) from the Cardinals in exchange for AAA 2B Richie Palacios(24, 2.5/3*, .317-17-71 .896OPS AAA).

Palacios was a 3rd rounder in 2018 that developed nicely, but I call bull**** on his chances of batting .300+ with 15HR in the majors year in and year out... and he is not quite a defensive juggernaut.

Karns was 3-6 26SV 3.56 with 73K in 55.2IP in A+ and is maybe the best LHRP prospect in the minors right now. The 22-year old was the 20th pick in the 2020 draft.

January 1st – Trevino is still out there... but does not want to talk with us right now... and he was gone for a dime one day later.

January 17th – We claimed 2B Derian Cruz(23, 0.5/2.5*) off waivers from Atlanta and smuggled him through waivers himself. They signed him as an international free agent in 2015, and won a couple of Gold Gloves in the minors... we have made good value with those claims recently as they became good trade value.

February 17th – Good news from the medical department. Aaron Nola responded well to Kevin Harmon's treatments and the work with German medical magician Müller-Wohlfahrt(I made the contact) and should be available around the start of April for a rehab assignment.

--

In Other News:

December 30th – RHRP Michael Feliz(28, 4.5*) will join the Giants on a big 3y/$48.7M deal. The 28-year old was 8-2 33SV 2.10 100K in 64.1IP, won the NL Reliever of the Year in 2020 and is a 2x All-Star.

December 31st – The 2020 champs from Minnesota bolstered their outfield by signing LF Christian Yelich(30, 3*) for 4y/$46.4M. The 3x Silver Slugger, 2x All-Star and 2014 NL Gold Glover hit .266-12-65 .737OPS with MIL last year.

January 2nd – The Red Sox splashed out a 5y/$50M contract for 2B Arturo Trevino(28, 4.5/5*). The Cuban reportedly turned down a bigger deal by the Rangers and a mystery team to join Boston.

January 2nd – 2B Javier Baez(29, 3*) resigned on a 5y/$40.5m deal with the Cubs. He is a 2x Gold Glover and hit .256-17-74 .710OPS last year.

January 19th – With 99.3% of votes, SS Alex Rodriguez joined the Hall of Fame today in his first year of eligibility. The now 46-year old TV expert, 10x Silver Slugger, 2x Gold Glover, 14x All-Star and 3x MvP is a career .295/.380/.550 hitter with 696 home runs, 2086RBIs and 3115 hits in 2784 games.

January 19th – Joining him will be an old foe... 1B/DH David Ortiz(41) collected 90.5% of votes to join the Hall of Fame with a Red Sox cap. The 7x Silver Slugger and 10x All-Star is a career .286/.380/.552 hitter with 541 home runs, 1768RBIs and 2472 hits in 2408 games.

[Griever20]

Rangers Announce Spring Training Roster
stadiumreport.bbn

February 24th, 2022

The Rangers made one big move this offseason with Aaron Nola joining the team, but we won't see a lot of him this Spring Training as he won't return until April. Adding some outfield depth to the mix, and having Moreno and a bunch of arms competing for roster spots, and especially for the rotation.

Nick Lodolo will join the fray as a non-roster invitee, and many see him as the next ace.

Starting Pitching:
Albert Abreu(26, R), Hans Crouse(23, R), Dallas Keuchel(34, L), Nick Lodolo(24, R), Cory Taylor(28, R), Jake J. Thompson(27, R)
DL: Casey Mize(24, R), Aaron Nola(28, R)

What a group. Nola has a chance to headline the staff for the next three seasons as a Cy Young winner in his prime, Keuchel, Thompson and Taylor are a lock and Abreu and Lodolo AND Crouse are prime options here. Lodolo could start the year in AAA to develop a BIT more to become dominant, and given service time issues, it would be wise to keep him in AAA for a couple of months.

Right-Handed Relief Pitching:
Dellin Betances(33, R), Dylan Cease(26, R), Victor R. Diaz(27, R), Riley Ferrell(28, R), Jorge Guzman(26, R), Michael Matuella(27, R), Tommy Kahnle(32, R), Luis Angel Medina(22, R), Riley Pint(24, R), Alex Speas(23, R)

Left-Handed Relief Pitching:
Brett Adcock(26, L), Jake Brentz(27, L), Alex Claudio(30, L), Brett Martin(26, L)

14 pitchers for 7 slots. Kahnle, Betances, Claudio are a lock and Adcock and Guzman are close. Behind that, Joe Girardi says everything is possible. Ferrell kinda dropped back to the pack of solid relievers, and the Rangers will get their first real look at fireballer Dylan Cease.

Catcher:
Patrick Bailey(22, S), Danny Jansen(26, R), Matt Whatley(26, R)

Bailey is a prospect that isn't on the 40-man, but already a better catcher than Whatley... but not quite a finished product and will start the season in AAA. The fourth depth option is 24-year old Elih Marrero but he hit .213 in AAA and was left in the minor league camp...

Infield:
1B Bobby Bradley(25, L), 2B Jorge Castellanos(25, R), 2B Jonathan India(25, R), 2B Hansel Moreno(25, R), IF Chris Seise(23, R), 3B Joey Gallo(28, L), SS Royce Lewis(23, R)

The Rangers shied away from Trevino who then signed for Boston, but with Castellanos, Moreno, India and the lefty option of Chris Seise, they are deep in the middle infield.

However, India and Moreno are already 25 and need to make a big leap forward in order to make an impact. Castellanos is still a Gold Glover and Royce Lewis has developed into a superstar recently that led the AL in stolen bases for the last three years.

Joey Gallo is in need of a better batting average, but with the new and improved mound, his production still equaled 4.4WAR... not quite his 2019, but good enough. Barring a big injury, 3/4 of this infield is maybe the best in the majors... and they plan to use Velazquez(see below), as a 1B option.

Outfield:
LF Billy McKinney(28, L), LF Nelson Velazquez(23, R), CF Albert Almora(27, R), CF Cole Brannen(23, R), CF Bubba Thompson(23,R) , RF/DH Nomar Mazara(26, L), RF Justin Williams(26, L)

With Almora and Velazquez joining the team, the team now has a quality righty for center field that can play against LHP and play when Brannen becomes injured(given his 'fragile' status, it is a 'when' for me, not 'if'). Velazquez is a right-hander with pop... basically a carbon copy of Sensley, just 100% more valuable for them... because of his handiness.

Billy McKinney is coming off a career season where a .344 BABIP and a lot of extra base hits did a job for him and Nomar Mazara did not quite repeat his MvP season, but still won his second straight Silver Slugger Award.

The question mark seems to me Justin Williams who, after two seasons of an OPS+ higher than 120, completely tanked last year and will have to fight the challenge of a Velazquez/McKinney corner outfield setup.

[Griever20]

Moreno Makes Opening Day Roster, Lodolo and Bailey Start In AAA
stadiumreport.bbn

March 30th, 2022

The Rangers entered Spring Training with a number of battles, and a chance for some quality cuts and bold decisions... and some of those were influenced by injuries. First of all, the Rangers will be without Danny Jansen for the first series as he will be out with a hammy strain, but not on the DL.

The pitching battle was a quick one as Hans Crouse left the camp with a strained oblique early and that opened the door for Casey Mize as the Rangers decided to keep Nick Lodolo in AAA.

And then there was 2B... anyways, meet:

Your 2022 Texas Rangers:

Starting Pitching:

RHSP Albert Abreu(26, 3*, $545k) 11-6 2.96 168K 31GS 179IP 2.8WAR // 22-19 4.04 78GS 405.2IP 373K 3.6WAR (career)
The revelation of 2021. Abreu lowered his walk rate to 3.1, cut his home run rate in half, kept the strikeouts in line, and got a bit lucky with a .269BABIP... the lowest by a qualified starter. The stuff, 94-96 mph with a curve and a changeup, is above average and he made the final step forward in his control. Expect him to pitch closer to his 3.92FIP. Acquired from NYY in 2018/19 offseason.

LHSP Dallas Keuchel(34, 3*, $19.2M) 15-8 2.91 146K 32G/32GS 207IP 3.9WAR // 112-90 2.91 1432K 279G/270GS 1767IP 30.7WAR (career)
A lefty with an 89-91 mph fastball sinker, a cutter, a slider, a changeup, and a knuckle curve, all with wicked movement and a 3x Gold Glover a 4x All-Star and 2015 AL Cy Young Winner. Unfortunately, he also shows signs of decline last year. His strikeout rate was at a career low 6.3 and while his ERA was the best in the AL, Logan warns us that he won't be quite as effective this year. A free agent this winter, he was acquired from NYM in the 2020/21 offseason.

RHSP Casey Mize(24, 2/2.5*, $545k) 7-2 5.12 74K 16G/16GS 84.1IP 1.5WAR(AAA) // DNP (career)
Once was a great prospect, but his stock has been falling for a while, and the latest injury cost him his solid potential. 93-95 with a fastball, a cutter, a slider, and a splitter, he literally does not have a single above average trait and will be a stopgap for Aaron Nola. Acquired from DET at 2020 deadline.

RHSP Cody Taylor(28, 3.5*, $5M) 14-3 3.52 150K 28G/28GS 166.1IP 3.7WAR // 32-13 3.87 360K 71G/69GS 397.1IP 6.9WAR (career)
A groundball pitcher with a hard sinker and good breaking stuff, he reached his full potential last season and really showed that he can manage game situations.. winning 17 games despite a mid 3's ERA. His fastball is hard, 96-98 and he generates a lot of ground balls... He will be our opening day starter... Acquired from SFG in the 2020/21 offseason.

RHSP Jake J. Thompson(27, 3/3.5*, $6.21M) 15-10 3.64 149K 32G/32GS 187.2IP 2.2WAR // 24-23 3.64 307K 73G/73GS 402IP 3.8WAR (career)
A 93-95 mph fastball with a curve and a change, he is the third starter that made a huge jump in 2021 and earned an All-Star nomination and a contract extension. His third pitch, the changeup, is lacking a bit and there may be some more room... but he is a quality product already. Acquired from TBR in the 2018/19 offseason.

RHSP Aaron Nola(28, 5*, $19M) 1-0 1.13 5K 1GS 8IP 0.2WAR(PHI) // 57-51 3.72 1019K 162G/162GS 1023IP 25.2WAR (career) DL 3 days
A Cy Young winner that is unfortunately injured for the start of the season with a torn flexor tendon and will get a rehab assignment in AAA for a while starting on April 3rd. Yet, he may be one of the true aces out there with a great assortment of pitches, starting with a 91-93 heater, a sinker, a curve, and a changeup, and more importantly, ++ movement and control. His last full season was a 12-9 3.48ERA 223K year in 2020. Signed as a free agent last winter.

Bullpen:

LHRP Brett Adcock(26, 3.5/4*, $545k) 5-1 2SV 2.80 51G/3GS 100K 83.2IP 2.0WAR // 6-1 2SV 2.82 56G/3GS 104K 89.1IP 1.9WAR (career)
Good fastball, great curve, a slider, and a change, and technically, Brett Adcock was a quality lefty in the pen, and also made three spot starts due to his 50 rated stamina and his four-pitch mix. There still was big trade interest around the majors as a starter, but we held onto him as a reliever. Acquired from HOU in 2020/21 offseason.

RHRP Dellin Betances(34, 4*, $8M) 6-4 3SV 2.51 76K 62G 64.2IP 1.0WAR // 41-29 41SV 2.56 861K 539G 559.1IP 11.7WAR (career)
One of the big strikeout artists in the AL, Betanceshappily signed a 3y/$24M deal this offseason, and we are happy to keep him around. The 4x All-Star has one of the best curveballs in the majors and a 96-98 heater that easily baffles hitters. His control is a bit iffy but he improved his walk rate by 0.6 compared to 2020. Acquired from NYY in 2020/21 offseason.

RHRP Dylan Cease(26, 3.54*, $545k) 0-0 0SV 0.00 0K 1G 1.2IP 0.0WAR // 1-4 1SV 3.33 93K 52G/1GS 67.2IP 1.0WAR (career)
Cease stuck on the DL for 99% of last year and already is laboring on a sore elbow(3 days)... but his stuff is good. 97-99 with a great curve and great movement and good control, he may be a better version of Dellin Betances soon... if he stays healthy. Acquired from CWS in 2020/21 offseason.

LHRP Alex Claudio(30, 4*, $9.5M) 6-3 3SV 2.13 62K 80G 80.1IP 2.3WAR // 30-29 114SV 2.41 359K 433G/1GS 470.2IP 12.2WAR (career)
An elite setup man that is not doing it with pure stuff, but makes use of his groundball magic. 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. Under contract until the end of 2023. 2x AL All-Star.

RHRP Victor R. Diaz(27, 5*, $545k) 2-1 0SV 5.40 41K 41G 36.2IP 0.1WAR // 13-7 4SV 4.42 147K 151G 152.2IP 0.9WAR (career)
So, Logan's words: Diaz should have no trouble being a reliable closer based on talent. His fastball velocity made a jump to 98-100 this offseason and his control improved a lot. He throws a deadly slider and a splitter with movement. Girardi says: Based on pure skills, he should be our closer. But: he has not quite shown it so far. Claimed off waivers from CWS in 2019.

RHRP Jorge Guzman(26, 3.5/4*, $545k) 3-1 5SV 3.80 78K 63G 73.1IP 1.3WAR // 7-2 17SV 4.07 139K 136G 148.1IP 1.1WAR (career)
A 97-99 heater with a strong slider and good movement screamed... quality reliever and he was rock solid last year, improving his walk rate AND strikeout rate, but got a bit unlucky with his BABIP. Quality middle reliever. Acquired from MIA in 2020/21 offseason.

RHRP Tommy Kahnle(32, 4*, $5.1M) 7-737SV 2.75 88K 74G 75.1IP 2.1WAR // 16-22 50SV 3.07 461K 365G 377.2IP 7.7WAR (career)
Kahnle is our closer once again... tho Girardi would use Diaz instead. He has three big-ticket pitches, a 96-98 heater, a slider, and a quality changeup. He posts good movement, likes grounders, and is in a contract year. Acquired from NYY in 2020/21 offseason.

Catcher:

C Danny Jansen(26, 2*, $545k) .282/.375/.368 5HR 50RBI 131G/130GS 3.3WAR // .276/.369/.370 14HR 110RBI 260H 269G 6.5WAR (career) DL 3 days
Not a great shot-caller, but a good arm and a decent hitter. Not a lot of power, but if we can get a repeat of 2021 we will take it. Keeps home plate warm for Patrick Bailey. Acquired from KCR at the 2019 trade deadline.

C Matt Whatley(26, 0.5/1.5*, $545k) .208/.244/.280 2HR 10RBI 42G/3240GS -0.3WAR // .240/.286/.363 8HR 27RBI 86H 112G/97GS 0.6WAR (career)
Horrible hitter still, but he performed well in limited time last year. A decent defender that is a good backup. Yes, that is the exact same text as last year.

Infield:

1B Bobby Bradley(25, 3*, $6.5M) .274/.355/.521 36HR 128RBI 160G/156GS 4.1WAR // .257/.340/.513 101HR 300RBI 390H 401G/395GS 7.2WAR (career)
Bradley won the AL Silver Slugger Award last year and hit in the cleanup hole for most of the season, and did incredibly well there. 70 rated power showed as he hit 85 home runs in two seasons and for a 135 OPS+ or better. Under contract until the end of 2026. Acquired from CLE in the 2018/19 offseason.

2B Hansel Moreno(25, 2.5/4.5*, $1M) .288/.370/.519 7HR 25RBI 26G/26GS 7/8SB 0.9WAR(AAA) // 1-23 HR (career)
Yes, we went for it. Moreno only hit .224 in spring, but it is now or never. He still is the #7 prospect in baseball, and there still is a 70 power potential on him... Castellanos is in AAA and is the first call-up. A 4.5* potential switch hitter that every scout in the country loves... we need to take the chance now and hope for the best. It is a dropoff in defense, but the power could be exactly what we need day in and day out, and in the playoffs... He will hit low in the order anyways. Acquired from NYM at 2021 trade deadline.

2B/SS Chris Seise(23, 1.5*, $545k) .279/.342/.382 4HR 39RBI 83G/67GS 20/26SB 1.9WAR // .279/.342/.382 4HR 39RBI 70H 83G/67GS 20/26SB 1.9WAR (career)
A great defender with good speed, but his bat is lacking. He went from potential 2B starter to glorified backup with a golden glove. He still hit decently last year but we will give Moreno the first shot at second. A first-round selection in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft.

3B Joey Gallo(28, 4*, $13.74M) .222/.337/.476 38HR 95RBI 10/11SB 159G/157GS 4.4WAR // .226/.338/.512 227HR 502RBI 658H 832G 20.2WAR (career)
Gallo took another but still is a premium slugger at third base that every team would love to have. He will be dropped down the order a bit as I hate a batting average below own weight in the cleanup spot, but still is a top-notch third baseman. Supplemental round Pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

SS Royce Lewis(22, 4/4.5*, $8.81M) .295/.371/.427 10HR 52RBI 59/87SB 143G/143GS 5.8WAR // .265/.341/.427 26HR 152RBI 175/237SB 472H 435G/433GS 12.0WAR (career)
Royce Lewis has made the jump from good to elite last year. He won a Gold Glove, and he started HIT. A .371OBP with speed and only the suckage of the bats behind him kept him from scoring 100 runs again. Acquired from MIN in the 2018/19 offseason.

Outfield:

LF Billy McKinney(27, 3.5*, $5.9M) .310/.387/.478 17HR 78RBI 148G/142GS 5.0WAR // .275/.348/.478 51HR 225RBI 480H 463G/445GS 7.8WAR (career)
Once a Gold Glover in 2019, he made a lot of noise with his bat in 2021 and carried this team for quite a while, dropping out of the batting title race late in 2021. However, that may have been a career season and we balked at a long term extension. Still, a good bat with loads of extra-base hit potential and good defense, tho the Gold Glove has been another fluke in my book. Rule V draftee from NYY in 2018.

LF/RF Nelson Velazquez(23, 3.5/4.5*, $545k) .263/.362/.529 30HR 89RBI 129G/128GS 5.3WAR(AA) // DNP (career)
Logan starts to like him more and more. A power bat in left and right field, we will give him any chance to shine against LHP, and if McKinney and/or Williams struggle, he is on the pole position and could even play center with his good range. 70 rated power according to our scouting department, he is a rookie with hopefully a quality bat. Acquired from CHC the last offseason.

CF Albert Almora(27, 3*, $2.75M) .320/.366/.427 1HR 9RBI 67G/21GS 1.0WAR(CHC) // .277/.312/.413 47HR 250RBI 562H 682G/427GS 8.6WAR (career)
A great defender for all three outfield positions and a right-handed hitter that will platoon with Brannen. He is too good to rot in AAA, where he was last year with Chicago. He will be under contract until the end of 2025 and is a good contact hitter with great defense. Acquired from CHC the last offseason.

CF Cole Brannen(23, 3/3.5*, $545k) .255/.360/.363 5HR 30RBI 32/46SB 92G/88GS 1.8WAR // .255/.360/.363 5HR 30RBI 83H 32/46SB 92G/88GS 1.8WAR (career)
Our center fielder against RHP, Brannen has hit decent enough and played decent defense, but similar to Chris Seise, his star has fallen a bit. First of all, his defense has not been quite as stellar, his bat has not quite produced the batting average, and his body... is a bit fragile. Acquired from BOS in the 2018/19 offseason.

DH/RF Nomar Mazara(26, 4*, $12M) .294/.372/.498 28HR 88RBI 156G/152GS 3.4WAR // .287/.360/.496 155HR 485RBI 886H 806G 15.7WAR (career)
Mazara more or less hit exactly his 162-game average last year, give or take a home run or an RBI here or there. A 2x Silver Slugger, 2x All-Star and 2020 AL MvP, he really is a quality hitter that hopefully will match his 162 game average for a lot of years... Signed as an international amateur free agent in 2011.

RF Justin Williams(26, 3*, $7.91M) .230/.277/.382 15HR 67RBI 125G/114GS -0.4WAR // .279/.321/.491 77HR 240RBI 435H 408G/391GS 4.7WAR (career)
Williams dropped a lot of batting average and OBP last year and was a net loss. With below average defense as well, he was a liability last year but at least hit .286/.364/.531 in spring... Acquired from TBR in the 2018/19 offseason.

Owner Expectation: At least reach the Playoffs!
Preseason Prediction: 98-64 1st in AL West
Same prediction as last year, and that is without factoring in Aaron Nola... and with Moreno predicted to hit .271-44-108 .913OPS... HOLY ****!

Coming Up: Prospect Report & First Month of Baseball!

[Griever20]

Confidential: Prospect Report, March 31st, 2022

I know it is Opening Day, but it is also time to report on how our minor league system developed over the Winter. I personally think we got a good couple of relief prospects in, and I still want to point out that the #7 prospect in baseball in Hansel Moreno is already up in the majors.

Thanks to him, we have the best minor league system in baseball according to BA.

Greetings
Logan White
Scouting Director Texas Rangers

--

Pitching:

Close to the majors: AAA LHSP Nick Lodolo(24, 3/5*, #11 prospect(+44)), AAA RHSP Hans Crouse(23, 2.5/3*, #32 prospect(-35)), AAA RHRP Alex Speas(23, 2.5/3.5*), AA LHCL Tony Darland(23, 3/4.5*), AA RHRP Freddie Jones(22, 2/4*)

Others: A+ LHRP Josh Kearns(23, 1/3.5*), R LHSP Jorge Anjo(18, 0.5/3.5*, #17 prospect(-3)), R LHRP Luis Pulido(19, 0.5/3*), A RHRP Mike Franklin(21, 0.5/3*), INT LHSP Juan Granados(16, 0.5/1.5* HS, 0.5/3.5* OSA, #46 prospect(+5))

Dropped out: RHSP Casey Mize(25, MLB), RHSP Matthew Allan(20)

Allan is done, and Mize is a bust. Nick Lodolo however is the real ticket and the reason why he IS in AAA... is service time. However, I suggest to sign him to a Royce Lewis kind of deal as soon as possible. Hans Crouse would've been the main option for the MLB roster, but his strained oblique kept him away from that job.

You remember Freddie Jones? He was a top 100 prospect before, but that was as a starter. He does not have a third pitch but still throws 99-101 on the gun, making him a quality relief prospect. Similar story for Luis Pulido down in R ball. A 15th round pick last year, he throws a solid heater with decent movement and control, but forget the changeup.

Catcher:

Close to the majors: AAA C Patrick Bailey(22, 2.5/4*)

Others: A C Raymond Torres(21, 0.5/3*)

Dropped out: none

Not a lot of movement here. Bailey hit .232-2-6 .817OPS in Spring Training and was VERY close to winning an MLB job, but at least will start the year in AAA... at least one first-rounder that does not look like a total bust...

Infield:

Close to the majors: AAA 2B Jonathan India(25, 2.5/3.5*) AAA SS Alonzo Jones(25, 2/2.5*)

Others: AA 2B Matt McLain(22, 1.5/3*), A+ 2B Aaron Bracho(20, 0.5/4*), A+ SS Sincere Smith(21, 1.5/3*), R 1B Braedon Mooris(19, 0.5/2.5*), R 3B Nate Pugh(19, 0.5/3*)

Dropped out: 2B Hansel Moreno(25, MLB), 2B Richie Palacios(25, Trade), 2B Derwin Barreto(21), SS Marcos Junior Gonzalez(22)

We trimmed some quality off the top with Moreno up and Palacios traded away(he was released by the Cardinals and signed on a minor league deal by the Indians...), and some of the borderline guys were kicked out of the picture again.

Still, we have some solid trade chips + Bracho down there, even with none of the kids being ranked...

Outfield:

Close to the majors: AAA RF Angel Basabe(21, 1.5/2.5*)

Others: AAA CF Tyler Williams(20, 0.5/3*), R CF Mike Fusek(20, 0.5/3*), R RF Jon Graves(19, 0.5/2.5*), R RF Alpha Eleby(19, 0.5/2.5*), R CF Eddie Hookfin(18, 0.5/2.5*), R LF Tommy Jennings(18, 0.5/2.5*)

Dropped out: CF Robert Gonzalez(20), RF Erick Rivera(20)

We added some 2.5* bats onto this list with the headliner being Angel Basabe. Another kid we signed on a minor league contract in 2019 after he was released by the Bucs, he is an average bat with some pop and good defense, but mostly corner outfield. In AA, he hit .232-16-55 .682OPS, so the bat is still raw, but he may become a decent corner outfielder... and trade chip.

[Griever20]

Transactions:
April 2nd – Unfortunately, we lost RHRP Luis Angel Medina(22, 2.5/3*) to Baltimore and LHRP Jake Brentz(27, 2.5*) to the Diamondbacks on waivers.

April 3rd – Aaron Nola was activated off the DL and sent to AAA Round Rock for a lengthy rehab assignment.

April 18th – Royce Lewis was placed on the 10-day DL with back spasms that would hamper him on the field for 1-2 weeks. He was hitting .258-1-3 .727OPS 6/10SB so far. Jorge Castellanos was recalled to platoon at SS with Chris Seise.

April 21st – Justin Williams was placed on the 10-day DL as he also suffers from a day-to-day injury, a strained rib cage muscle. Batting .468-1-7 1.111OPS in 10 games, he will miss 3 weeks. We promoted Angel Basabe...

April 28th - Royce Lewis was activated off the DL and Castellanos was sent back to AAA.

April 30th - Aaron Nola was activated from his rehab assignment after going 4-0 3.18 19K in 4 starts. RHSP Casey Mize(2-3 5.22) was demoted back to AAA...

Series:
2-2@ HOU(Joey Gallo 3HR that series)
1-1 @ SEA(Casey Mize 6.1IP 4H 2ER 1BB 7K, First MLB Win!)
3-1 vs OAK(Hansel Moreno 2-3 2R 4RBI BB 2HR(3))
1-2 vs CIN
2-1 @ MIL(Albert Abreu 6IP 6H 1ER 1BB 5K W(2-0 5.87))
1-2 @ OAK
2-2 vs SEA
1-3 vs TBR
1-1 @ CWS(Dallas Keuchel 9IP 5H 1ER 1BB 7K W(2-3 6.00))

March & April: 14-15
Runs Scored: 130(6th)
Batting AVG: .246(11th)
OBP: .321(9th)
Home Runs: 36(5th)
Stolen Bases: 28(2nd)
Runs Against: 134(10th)
Starters ERA: 5.38(11th)
Bullpen ERA: 2.45(1st)
Defensive Eff.: .673(9th)

So, to sum things up. Our pitching is horrible, our lineup has been hampered by injuries, our OBP is down, our batting average is down, our defensive efficiency is down... but we are hitting home runs, and our bullpen is stellar despite a lot of innings to cover...

Thompson 7.14ERA, .439BABIP, 3.54FIP
Keuchel 6.00ERA, .331BABIP, 4.51FIP
Abreu 6.03ERA, .304BABIP, 5.88FIP...

We have Nick Lodolo pushing in AAA, 4-0 2.10 30IP 36K... one more month of sucking, and Albert Abreu is the first one to get axed... and we certainly hope that Aaron Nola makes a splash now, and Taylor continues to pitch well...

Oh, and Logan slashed Nola's stamina and control down, and the overall package down to 4*... all my nightmares are coming true...

All batting averages dropped apart from Williams who is hot on the DL... and then there is Velazquez. .143 with some pop... .186BABIP... ****

CF Cole Brannen .197 BABIP
LF McKinney .241 BABIP
2B Hansel Moreno .286 BABIP...

Oh, and Gold Glover Royce Lewis has a negative zone rating in April...

And then, there is one guy that is tied for the team lead in home runs... Hansel Moreno. Holy cow... .247/.343/.527 7HR 15RBIs 123OPS+ and average defense. We will shuffle the lineup around a bit, batting Moreno second for now... until Williams is back.

I'm kinda lost right now. This seems to be a bad stretch, and we are poised for a big month of May...

In Other News:
April 9th – Cardinals SP Danny Salazar(32, 3*) threw a gem, 9IP 7H 0ER 2BB 7K in a 6-0 victory over the Pirates. The 2016 AL All-Star is 2-0 1.29 11K in 2 starts.

April 10th – Braves CF Ronald Acuna Jr.(24, 4*) saw a 20-game hitting streak come to an end in a 3-2 loss to the Mets. The 2x Gold Glover is batting .300-3-8 .883OPS in 10 games.

April 15th – Rays SP Jacob Faria(28, 3*) blanked the Tigers 7-0, throwing a 9-hitter with 0BB and 4K. The 28-year old moved to 1-2 5.50 14K in three starts.

April 16th – Angels SP Shohei Ohtani(27, 4.5*) had his best stuff today, throwing a 4-hit shutout with 2BB and 14 strikeouts. He is now 2-2 1.75 33K in four starts.

April 22nd – Orioles 3B Manny Machado(29, 4*) had a big five hit night in a 11-5 victory over the Red Sox, going 5-6 4R 4RBIs DB HR. The 6x All-Star is batting .270-3-14 .794OPS in 19 starts.

April 24th – Reds SP Robert Stephenson(29, 2.5*) blanked the Giants 6-0, throwing a 4-hitter with 1BB and 10 strikeouts. The righty is 3-1 3.64 33K in 6G/5GS.

May 1st – Red Sox 2B Arturo Trevino(28, 5*) was named AL Batter of the Month after batting .327 with 10 home runs, 27RBIs and 17 runs scored for the month.

May 1st – Nationals 3B Anthony Rendon(31, 4*) was named NL Batter of the Month after batting .392 with 6 home runs, 26RBIs and 16 runs scored for the month.

May 1st – Angels SP Justin Verlander(39, 2.5*) was named AL Pitcher of the Month after going 4-0 0.68 30K in 26.1IP for the month.

May 1st – Cardinals RHCL Billy Maasen(29, 3.5*) was named NL Pitcher of the Month after going 2-1 8SV 1.35 17K in 13.1IP for the month.

May 1st – Red Sox 2B Arturo Trevino(28, 5*) was named AL Rookie of the Month after batting .327 with 10 home runs, 27RBIs and 17 runs scored for the month.

[Griever20]

Indians Blanked by Taylor
stadiumreport.bbn

May 10th, 2022

The Texas Rangers got a great effort from Cory Taylor as the 28-year-old hurler tossed a complete-game 4-0 shutout over the Cleveland Indians. He struck out 6 while allowing 4 hits and walking 1.

Taylor has started 8 times this year, pitched 52 innings, fanned 41 batters and walked 18. His current record is 4 wins and 1 loss with a 1.90 ERA. Acquired from the Giants in the 2019/20 offseason, the righty has collected 31 wins in parts of three seasons.

AL Star of the Week Named
stadiumreport.bbn

May 23rd, 2022

Joey Gallo is respected by most Texas Rangers fans for his no-frills style of play. The 28-year-old third baseman went about his business with vigor last week to grab the American League Player of the Week honors.

He compiled a .375 average (9-for-24) with 4 home runs, 8 RBIs and 4 runs scored.

This season Gallo is batting .240/.309/.531 with 42 hits, 14 home runs, 35 RBIs and has scored 27 runs for the season and has hit 35+ home runs in every season since 2017.

[Griever20]

Transactions:
May 5th – More bad news, Justin Williams' recovery time is now unclear...

May 17th – Justin Williams was activated off the DL today... and Angel Basabe was sent down.

May 19th – RHRP Dylan Cease's season is over as he was placed on the 60-day DL with a partially torn UCL(elbow). Riley Ferrell(1-0 9SV 3.45 15.2IP 20K AAA) was recalled.

May 30th – Following a 4IP 4ER performance in a 7-3 loss to the Astros, Albert Abreu(26, 3*, 4-5 5.84 53K 57IP) was demoted to AAA and the current #2 prospect in baseball, LHSP Nick Lodolo(24, 3/5*, 5-1 2.77 86K 65IP AAA) was placed on the 40-man and active roster.

Series:
1-0 @ CWS(Hansel Moreno 2-2 3R 2RBI BB 2HR(9))
3-0 vs TOR(Cory Taylor 8IP 4H 0ER 1BB 11K W(3-1 2.30), Jake J. Thompson 8IP 4H 0ER 1BB 7K W(2-2 5.59))
2-0 vs LAA
1-2 @ CLE(Cory Taylor 9IP 4H 0ER 1BB 6K W(4-1 1.90))
0-3 @ NYY
2-1 @ MIN(Joey Gallo 3-5 2R 3RBI DB 2HR(12))
2-1 vs CWS
3-0 vs MIN
3-0 vs OAK
1-1 @ HOU(Bobby Bradley 2-5 2R 4RBI 2HR(10))

May: 18-8
Runs Scored: 284(6th)
Batting AVG: .257(11th)
OBP: .333(9th)
Home Runs: 77(5th)
Stolen Bases: 54(1st)
Runs Against: 247(6th)
Starters ERA: 4.95(9th)
Bullpen ERA: 3.38(2nd)
Defensive Eff.: .672(11th)

That is more like it but I'm still not happy. We won a lot of 1-run games that also were high scoring... and while that is pretty much a result of being located in Arlington, it still is not the way we want to play.

For the month of June, we will make two changes. Nick Lodolo will make his MLB debut(HYPE!!!) in Seattle on June 3rd and there are tickets available and fan flights can be booked at our ballpark. That leaves us with Crouse(6.69) and Patrick Bailey(.269/.347/.480 7HR 24RBIs 41G) as our last two big arrows to call up... +- Jonathan India(.320/.424/.459 5HR 31RBIs 50G)...

Also, the lineup will change a bit... as we will permanently bench Cole Brennan. He is batting .191 with a -0.4ZR... either your center fielder can hit, or he can field. Albert Almora hit .302 in limited action, and should be the better fielder... he will get the everyday job for now...

And we may have hit the jackpot at second base with Hansel Moreno. He is hitting for a .823OPS and if he gets the batting average up a BIT more, he is an All-Star candidate.

Players to watch apart from Lodolo: Thompson whose FIP is still 2.50 runs lower than his ERA, Keuchel who is dog**** this year and Velazquez who is getting some more AB's in left field... as 'Gold Glover' Billy McKinney statistically is the worst fielder of in our team...

In other news, the draft is coming up and we have the supplemental round pick, #35 overall, and then the last pick in every round... don't expect a big haul.

In Other News:
May 5th – Twins 2B Jorge Polanco(28, 2.5*) swatted 5 hits today in a 9-2 win over the Angels, going 5-5 2R RBI 2DB. The 2020 AL All-Star is .batting .340-4-21 .952OPS in 27 games.

May 7th – Astros 2B Jose Altuve(32, 3*) collected career hit #2000 today in a 8-6 win over the Cardinals, going 3-6 for the day. The 8x All-Star, 6x Silver Slugger, 2017 AL MvP and 2015 AL Gold Glover is a career .311/.364/.466 hitter with 177HR, 745RBIs, and 2002 hits in 1591 career games.

May 8th – Nationals SS Trea Turner(28, 3.5*) lost a 20-game hitting streak today in a 5-1 victory over Arizona. The 2021 NL Silver Slugger is batting .304-2-19 10/15SB .884OPS in 35 games.

May 12th – Royals 1B Nick Pratto(23, 3/3.5*) made the record books with a 6-hit barrage in a 17-3 win over the Astros, going 6-7 3R 7RBIs HR. The sophomore is batting .346-7-34 .975OPS in 31 games.

May 22nd – Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon(35, 2.5*) took part in a wild 14-7 win over the Dodgers, going 5-5 2R 3RBI DB HR. The 7x All-Star is batting .283-6-31 .835OPS in 45 games.

May 23rd – Yankees LF Giancarlo Stanton(32, 4.5*) collected career home run #500 today in a 11-5 win over the Rays. The 2x MvP, 7x All-Star and 5x Silver Slugger is a career .269/.364/.582 hitter with 501 home runs, 1168RBIs and 1563 hits in 1578 games.

May 25th – Braves RF Bryce Harper(29, 5*) added home run #300 to his career numbers in a 5-4 win over the Indians. The 2015 NL MvP, 2012 NL Rookie of the Year, 9x All-Star and 5x Silver Slugger is a career .292/.403/.534 hitter with 300HR, 881RBIs, and 1454 hits in 1389 career games.

May 27th – Dodgers RF Alex Verdugo(26, 3*) had a 5-hit night in a 13-4 win over the Mets, going 5-5 3R 3RBI 2DB. The reigning Gold Glover is batting .309-4-34 .821OPS in 46 games.

May 31st – Pirates SP Joe Mushgrove(29, 2*) threw a 6-hit shutout in a 7-0 win over the Cardinals, walking one and striking out six. The 2020 NL All-Star is 3-5 6.10 54K in 11 starts.

June 1st – Yankees LF Giancarlo Stanton(32, 4.5*) was named AL Batter of the Month after batting .352 with 16 home runs, 31RBIs and 31 runs scored for the month and .291-28-55 1.112OPS in 56 games for the year.

June 1st – Dodgers 1B Cody Bellinger(26, 5*) was named NL Batter of the Month after batting .340 with 12 home runs, 28RBIs and 22 runs scored for the month and .294-22-57 1.063OPS in 54 games for the year.

June 1st – Red Sox LHCL Brett Cecil(35, 2.5*) was named AL Pitcher of the Month after going 4-1 5SV 1.80 17K in 15IP for the month and 4-2 6SV 3.45 30K in 31.1IP for the year.

June 1st – Diamondbacks SP Taylor Clarke(29, 2.5*) was named NL Pitcher of the Month after going 4-1 1.45 21K in 31IP for the month and 8-2 2.87 55K in 10 starts for the year.

June 1st – Rays RF Jesus Armando Sanchez(24, 3*) was named AL Rookie of the Month after batting .313 with 4 home runs, 14RBIs and 17 runs scored for the month and .317-8-25 .894OPS in 50 games for the year.

June 1st – Brewers SS Luis Alexander Gonzalez(23, 2*) was named NL Rookie of the Month after batting .384 with 5 home runs, 16RBIs and 21 runs scored for the month and .345-8-26 .933OPS in 53 games for the year.

[Griever20]

2022 First-Year Player Draft

Of our last three drafts, two first-rounders went bust. One declined over the years, and the other one blew out his elbow after 22 innings...

And we only have a supplemental round pick as we gave up our first-rounder for Aaron Nola... still a good investment. Now, here is our shortlist of players that won't be around when we got our first pick...

LHSP Sean Hitt(21, 5*)
RHSP Luis Montalvo(21, 4.5*)
RHSP Jake Bowden(20, 3.5*)
RHSP Jeremy Bush(21, 3.5*)
RHSP Doug Collier(18, 3.5*)
RHSP Eddie Gunsolley(22, 3.5*)
RHSP Juan Morua(18, 3.5*)
LHSP Joe Strama(19, 3.5*)

RHRP Ghaffar Hecini(21, 5*)
RHRP Camden Hardmon(21, 4*)
RHRP Jim Holland(21, 4*)
RHRP Tommy Michael(21, 4*)

1B Blaze Jordan(19, 5*) 2nd overall pick 2021

CF Chris Capretti(18, 4*)
LF Makoto Ogawa(18, 4*)
CF Ben Avalos(22, 3.5*)
CF Jasiah Dixon(21, 3.5*)
CF Jeff Miserendino(21, 3.5*)

The draft was full of arms and our hope certainly was that one of those groundball guys with 3.5* potential drop to us... or one of the crop of outfielders maybe?

The Orioles had the first and third pick as they didn't sign Blaze Jordan due to their financial woes... and selected SP Luis Montalvo with the first overall pick... good selection as Sean Hitt may have a lot of potential, but also is 'fragile' as he blew out his elbow as a 17-year old... didn't matter as they picked him third overall.

The best hitter in Blaze Jordan went to Arizona second overall and just like that, our board of sexy picks was emptied out rather fast... and by the time we had a chance to pick, only two relievers were left... RHRP Tommy Michael and RHRP Jim Holland(21, 4*)... and we balked on them and took a high school center fielder that Logan really liked and that has good intangibles.

Supplemental Round Pick 10: Texas Rangers select CF Emmy Baker(18, 2.5* HS, 2.5* OSA) out of Williston-Elko Highschool(Williston, SC)
A solid outfielder defensively that projects to his a good amount of home runs with a decent batting average, Baker is nothing special, but a good low-risk pick as he is a hard worker and has some good speed. Wants the slot, $850k

Round 2 Pick 28: Texas Rangers select 1B Eddie Najar(18, 3.5* HS, 2* OSA) out of Bolivar-Richburg Highschool(Bolivar, NY)
An elite hitter that does struggle in the field, Najar hit .486/.540/.743 with 5HR and 38RBIs against average competition this year, and is another hard worker that prepares a lot for games. Bad news, however, he is committed to Junior College... We offered $2.6M...

Round 3 Pick 31: Texas Rangers select SS Alan Salvati(18, 2.5* HS, 1.5* OSA) out of Washington Highschool(Fremont, CA)
Good defender with a contract bat, he hit .436 against average competition. Lacks the speed to become a true leadoff hitter, but could be somebodies Gold Glove 2B or backup infielder someday... Wants the slot, $250k.

Round 4 Pick 30: Texas Rangers select SS Jared Cossaboom(18, 2.5* HS, 0.5* OSA) out of Bishop Heelan Catholic Highschool(Sioux City, IA)
Logan thinks this guy will take walks for fun at the major league level and should be able to hold his own in the field, but his likely position may be second base. Slapps a lot of groundballs when he makes contact... and that may become an 'if' as the OSA has his contact potential at 25... Slot guy at $180k

Round 5 Pick 30: Texas Rangers select C/RHRP Dave Henry(21, 0.5* HS, 0.5* OSA) out of Northern Colorado College (Greeley, CO)
One of those steals. A catcher by trait, Logan's Colorado area scout saw him pitch a training game in college and was blown away by delivery, and fastball and everything. Probably a reliever(or a bust), we will convert him into an arm right away.

Round 6 Pick 30: Texas Rangers select LHRP Juan Ramirez(22, 2* HS, 3* OSA) out of Fordham College (New York, NY)
A decent lefty reliever with good stuff, a 95-97 heater with a good slider, both pretty well developed, and iffy movement and control. He is reported as a good leader of a bullpen and was 9-3 2.83 150K in 121IP against average competition.

Round 7 Pick 30: Texas Rangers select RHRP Kevin Horton(18, 2* HS, 0.5* OSA) out of Maranatha Highschool (Pasadena, CA)
6'6'' with good 92-94 mph on the gun, a curve and a change, and an arm that attracts injuries like poo attract flies... also, his control is not that good and well... let's face it... the pool is pretty empty.

Round 8 Pick 30: Texas Rangers select 2B Jeremy Logan(18, 2.5* HS, 0.5* OSA) out of Lima Christian Highschool (Lima, NY)
Solid hitter that should hit .260 with a high OBP, but is not a great defender and not a great base stealer. To become a good prospect, he needs to develop his bat big time...

As I said, not a great draft...

[Griever20]

Williams on a Hot Streak, AL Player of the Week
stadiumreport.bbn

June 20th, 2022

At the age of 26, Justin Williams might have some potential he hasn't realized yet -- if his success at the plate last week is any indication. The Texas right fielder put up some exceptional numbers the past seven days with a .548 batting average. For his efforts Williams collected the American League Player of the Week Award.

He racked up 17 hits in 31 at-bats, 3 ho, e runs and 6 RBIs last week in 6 games.

For the year Williams has hit a .377/.406/.623 slashline with 32 RBIs, 8 home runs and 32 runs scored.

[Griever20]

Transactions:
June 9th – Our 3rd rounder, SS Alan Salvati(18, 0.5/2.5*) signed today, and so did our fifth-rounder RHRP Dave Henry(21, 0.5/2.5*).

June 10th – Our fourth-rounder IF Jared Cossaboom(18, 0.5/2.5*) signed today!

June 11th – The future is now. With C Danny Jansen(27, 2.5*) leaving yesterday's 5-2 win with a high ankle sprain that will keep him out for 6 weeks. He will be replaced by C Patrick Bailey(23, 2.5/4*). The teams 1st round pick, 13th overall in 2020, hit .263-8-33 .810OPS in AAA.

June 12th – Our second rounder, 1B Eddie Najar, has decided to go to junior college...

June 14th – CF Emmy Baker(18, 0.5/2.5*), our supplemental round pick, signed today!

June 24th – Talked about as a closer three months ago, RHRP Victor R. Diaz won't pitch again for a while as he suffered a torn flexor tendon and will be out for 11-12 months. He was 6-1 3.70 39K in 41.1IP... RHRP Alex Speas(24, 2.5/3.5*, 1-3 6SV 4.19 31K 19.1IP) was recalled from AAA.

Series:
1-0 @ HOU
4-0 @ SEA(Jake J. Thompson 6.1IP 4H 0ER 4BB 5K W(3-3 5.92), Hansel Moreno 3-5 3R 4RBI 2HR(14), Danny Jansen 2-3 2R 3RBI BB 2HR(8))
3-0 vs HOU
2-1 vs SEA
1-1 vs SFG
4-0 @ BOS(Aaron Nola 8.1IP 4H 0ER 2BB 2K W(4-1 3.78))
2-2 @ TOR
0-3 @ CHC
1-1 vs PIT
1-0 vs HOU

June: 19-8
Runs Scored: 450(2nd)
Batting AVG: .263(11th)
OBP: .335(7th)
Home Runs: 135(2nd)
Stolen Bases: 72(3rd)
Runs Against: 359(4th)
Starters ERA: 4.52(6th)
Bullpen ERA: 3.60(2nd)
Defensive Eff.: .690(5th)

Ok, guys, you got me, I'm starting to believe. The offense has started to click, and the pitching has become better... but is injury plagued bullpen wise and a bit wonky in the rotation.

And that may be the area where we make a move soon. With Cease and Diaz out for the season and Ferrell and Speas up, we are running out of depth in the bullpen, and then there is lefty Brett Adcock who is struggling a lot... but still, his stuff is great... but gives up 2.1 HR/9 and walks a lot of people... and had a 7.90ERA in June... but where to find a quality lefty reliever...

Positive, all of our starters had an ERA below 4.50 and especially Jake J. Thompson posted a 3.09 mark... that one is finally working out, and the defense picked up the pace as well. So, the relief market it is... especially given the fact that Kahnle is 32 and a free agent this winter.

Some hitting. Velazquez won the left field job based on a .250-8-15 1.024OPS month that was only beaten by Justin Williams... .378/.417/.694 9HR 29RBIs and a Player of the Month Award... nice. Meanwhile in center field, Albert Almora hit .289-1-15 .740OPS in a full month and got that job.

Now, Patrick Bailey didn't quite get off to a hot start, batting .217, but we will give him time... he is the future, and so is Lodolo... 5.21FIP... give him time.

Prospect report: None of our draft picks was ranked in the top 100. Our #15 prospect Jorge Anjo us doing better in R ball, posting a 4.56ERA but striking out no one... and Hans Crouse's stock keeps on falling. 3-5 6.98 55K in AAA.

In Other News:
June 3rd – Blue Jays RF Nick Decker(22, 3*) collected a five hit night today, going 5-5 2R 4RBI 2DB HR in a 9-6 win over the Padres. The 2018 fifth-rounder is batting .308-7-29 .895OPS in 46 games.

June 3rd – Blue Jays SP Chris Sale(33, 5*) blanked the Padres 8-0 while allowing 2 hits, 0BB and striking out 12. The 9x All-Star is 5-4 4.41 106K in 12 starts.

June 9th – Mets SP Jacob deGrom(33, 4*) started off a day of shutouts with a 7-hitter with 0BB and 10K in a 7-0 win over the Cardinals. The 2x All-Star moved to 3-8 4.55 86K in 14 starts.

June 9th – Yankees SP Steven Matz(31, 3*) added to that by throwing a 6-hitter with 1BB and 7K while beating the Athletics 1-0. The 2x Gold Glover is now 6-1 2.44 54K in 12 starts.

June 9th – Reds SP Denyi Reyes(25, 2.5*) threw the best one, 9IP 2H 0ER 0BB 9K in a 2-0 victory over Atlanta. Acquired from Boston as a prospect, he is now 4-6 4.12 64K in 13 starts in his first full year in the rotation.

June 10th – Reds CF Kameron Misner(24, 3*) clobbered three today in a 4-3 win over the Cardinals, going 3-4 3R 4RBI 3HR for the night. The 8th overall selection in 2019 is batting .352-16-38 1.143OPS in 43 games.

June 22nd – Diamondbacks 1B Pavin Smith(26, 3*) lost a 20-game hitting streak to the Reds today, but his team at least won 2-1. The four-year player is batting .343-6-49 .926OPS in 74 games.

June 24th – Dodgers SP Gerrit Cole(31, 3.5*) blanked the Rockies 7-0 while allowing only 3 hits and one walk, and while striking out 11. The 3x All-Star is 11-1 3.00 77K in 14 starts this year.

June 24th – Orioles 1B Greyson Jenista(25, 2.5/3*) had a hell of a game in a 13-4 win over Toronto, going 5-5 4R 5RBI DB with three home runs. The 2018 first-rounder is batting .241-21-57 .853OPS in 76 games in his rookie season.

June 25th – Tigers 1B Mike Ford(29, 1.5*) surprisingly hit for the CYCLE today, going 4-4 2R 4RBI DB TP HR in a 8-6 win over the Angels. More a bench player, the 29-year old is hitting .278-6-13 .927OPS in just 24 games.

June 27th – Mets 3B Tadayoshi Tada(29, 4*) hit three home runs today in a 11-3 dubbing of the Phillies, going 4-4 3R 8RBI BB 3HR for the day. The Japanese star is batting .258-9-28 .789OPS in 55 games.

June 28th – Blue Jays SP Chris Sale(33, 5*) threw his second shutout of the month today, a 5-hitter with 1BB and 7K in a 6-0 win over the Rays. Signed through 2025, he moved to 7-5 3.67 138K in 16 games after a slow start.

July 1st – Rangers RF Justin Williams(26, 3*) was named AL Batter of the Month after batting .378 with 9 home runs, 29RBIs and 24 runs scored for the month and .348-12-42 .996OPS in 49 games for the year.

July 1st – Dodgers SS Corey Seager(28, 4.5*) was named NL Batter of the Month after batting .351 with 10 home runs, 25RBIs and 19 runs scored for the month and .338-20-71 1.015OPS in 80 games for the year.

July 1st – Yankees SP Steven Matz(31, 3*) was named AL Pitcher of the Month after going 5-0 1.89 31K in 33.1IP for the month and 9-1 2.45 71K in 15 starts for the year.

July 1st – Dodgers SP Gerrit Cole(31, 3.5*) was named NL Pitcher of the Month after going 6-0 2.01 34K in 40.1IP for the month and 12-1 3.00 81K in 15 starts for the year.

July 1st – Rays RF Jesus Armando Sanchez(24, 3*) was named AL Rookie of the Month after batting .311 with 4 home runs, 17RBIs and 13 runs scored for the month and .315-12-42 .891OPS in 76 games for the year.

July 1st – Reds CF Kameron Misner(24, 3/3.5*) was named NL Rookie of the Month after batting .316 with 18 home runs, 42RBIs and 19 runs scored for the month and .316-18-42 1.021OPS in 58 games for the year.

[Griever20]

"If you smile like that, you have a deal in the back pocket," stated Mike Mozeliak right away. "Yeah, you want to do a ****ing trade that surprises everyone," Logan added to that. "You want to acquire a full bullpen right?"

We met on July 1st in the early morning, and I DID have some trade talks with some teams during the last week. We wanted a reliever, short term or long term, and I wanted to make a quality salary dump move to clear room on the payroll for some cheeky extensions.

"First of all, I have a couple of deals on deck that will give us an ace reliever for the rest of the year. The first guy is obvious, Edwin Diaz from Seattle. He was the 2020 AL Reliever of the Year, is in the final year of his deal, and the Mariners are 37-46 and want out.

Second option: Roberto Osuna from the Giants. He would cost us two marginal prospects and is on a tear, 3-1 20SV 1.25 34K in 36IP. Also in the final year of his contract... Thoughts?"

"Diaz 100%," Logan quickly chirped in. "Osuna is an injury waiting to happen, and a big reason why he is performing so well is that he is a flyball pitcher in San Francisco... he won't fare that well with us. Diaz has a small mechanical flaw right now, but with a week of work, we can fix it..."

"How about taking Zach Britton with him? Let's not forget, the Mariners have two quality relievers?" John added to that. "I don't want to commit too much money here, and I trust Adcock to turn it around..." - "Then Diaz, maybe we can get them to eat some money."

"But, that is not all right?" Joe Girardi chirped in from the back. "You have something else in mind."... He was right...

[Griever20]

Rangers Add Diaz, Outfielder, Trade McKinney
stadiumreport.bbn

July 1st, 2022

Rangers fans were in shock today when they heard the news that LF Billy McKinney(27, 3*, .253-9-32 .766OPS), an 2021 AL All-Star and 2019 AL Gold Glover, was traded away to the LA Dodgers today in exchange for LF Lamar Sparks(23, 2/3.5*, .233-5-15 .981OPS 13G), the #229 prospect in baseball, and relief prospect A RHRP Logan Tanner(21, 2/3*).

McKinney has recently fallen out of favor in Texas with the rise of slugging left fielder Nelson Velazquez who has hit a ton in June. If he can continue that, could really balance out the lineup as he hits from the right side.

Lamar Sparks on the other hand will replace McKinney on the MLB roster right away. The 23-year old was a 5th round selection in 2017 by Baltimore and acquired via trade in 2021. He has a great ability to read pitches and posted a .396OBP in AAA earlier this year, and a .375OBP in A+ last season, and has some good speed and defensive skills... and is in the first year of team control... Cutting $5.9M of salary for McKinney seems to be part of the motivation here.

In a second deal that bolstered the Rangers roster a lot more, RHCL Edwin Diaz(28, 5*) was acquired from the Mariners today, and Seattle will pay 75% of the 2022 salary. The 28-year old former 2x All-Star and 2020 AL Reliever of the Year(6-3 35SV 1.00 113K 72IP) has struggled a bit this year, posting a 3-4 record with 16SV, a 3.89ERA and 58K in 39.1IP, but the Rangers and Joe Girardi announced that he will take over the closer job right away, sending Riley Ferrell back to AAA.

The Rangers gave up AA LHSP Sergio Sanchez(21, 0.5*, 2-1 2.56 39K 31.2IP as RP) and AA RF Erick Rivera(21, 1/2*, .283-11-44 .851OPS) in that deal. Both were signed as minor league free agents years ago.

Cubs Paxton No-Hits Mariners
stadiumreport.bbn

July 6th, 2022

Chicago Cubs starter James Paxton said he was standing behind the mound when the scoreboard caught his eye, confirming what he already knew: He was one out from a no-hitter. For a couple of seconds, he didn't move.

"I took a breath and told myself 'This is the last one,'" Paxton recalled.

The left-hander collected himself, got the final out, and finished one of the greatest performances of his career.

The Chicago left-hander no-hit the Seattle Mariners 9-0 at Safeco Field, finishing with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts, facing only 31 batters.

"I knew for a while it was a no-hitter," Paxton admitted later. "But I really didn't worry about it until the last out. I thought I just wanted to win the game, and then I realized I wanted the no-hitter, too."

This year Paxton has a 1-10 record with a 4.32 ERA in 17 starts.

[DD Martin]

Figures he would no hit his former teammates. I have to admit I fear this for the upcoming MLB season with Seattle trading him to the Yankees