Carlos Beltran Part II ... No Hello

Carlos Beltran to the Giants.  Oh well, great move for San Fransisco adding some pop to the middle of a lineup that has lacked pop all year.  With what seems to have been pitching alone up to that point the Giants were (60-44) before Beltran got to town.  Even with Beltran going (0-4) with two strikeouts last night, Giants pitching overwhelmed the team with the best record in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies.  When Beltran hits, and he will, the Giants will be a tough team to beat down the stretch.

I am happy the Rangers didn't give up too much to get Beltran even though he would have added a whole other dynamic to our lineup - especially come playoff time.  Unlike in San Fransisco where he is batting third, Beltran probably would have only had to handle the pressure of batting seventh, being just another cog in our already powerful lineup.  His slugging percentage was so attractive but I still think the Rangers can win with a speedster manning the last outfield spot.  Chavez, Gentry and Murphy have all proven that they can get the job done and do it well.

There doesn't seem to be another outfield rental piece out on the market right now that would be worth the cost of prospects.  Hunter Pence still has a couple years left until he hits free agency and the Rangers already have Leonys Martin penciled in for next year with him killing the ball down in the minors.  Your also not going to ask Josh to play center all season next year so you probably can't figure Pence into the Ranger equation.  The Texas Rangers' offensive seems to be set unless Jon Daniels has some crazy move up his sleeve that we don't know about.  So onto the bullpen we go.

From what I've been hearing out 'there,' here is a list a potential pitching targets:

Starters Worth Mentioning:
Hiroki Kuroda, Jeremy Guthrie, Ubaldo Jimenez, Wandy Rodriguez, James Shields, Erik Bedard, John Danks, Carlos Zambrano

Relievers Worth Mentioning:
Koji Uehara, Heath Bell, Tyler Clippard, Mike Adams, Drew Storen, Andrew Bailey, Jon Rauch, Frank Fransisco, Grant Balfour

Someone Like You ... Carlos Beltran Part I

I am indeed warming to the idea of trading for New York Mets' outfielder Carlos Beltran as we are a week away from baseball's trade deadline Sunday at 3PM Central.  I have been in the boat that says we don't need another offensive piece because there is no room being it that we already have Endy Chavez, Craig Gentry and David Murphy behind Josh and Nelly.  That last sentence itself says there is room for upgrade.  I love what Endy and Graig have done as a dynamic duo in center field, each playing a crucial role on the Rangers 2011 road to the postseason.  Not to mention David Murphy, having played in over half the games this year, has been a key player for the Rangers since he arrived in the Eric Gagne trade back at the deadline in 2006.

I am all for the strategy involved in baseball that is switching players in and out of the lineup.  It is fun to watch when you understand match-ups and ultimately to keep your strong bench involved and ready.  Rick Carlisle preached the need for every player to always be ready on the Mavericks and it made the team strong top to bottom.  Ron Washington believes in every one of his players and works everyone of them into games consistently throughout the season.

If you brought in Carlos Beltran though, the Rangers would know their starting outfield every postseason game that the played.  Beltran switch hits and is having a phenomenal year, almost a throwback to what he was when the Mets originally signed him.  Is a Beltran move necessary to the Rangers success this year?  Is it going to prove a valuable move in what it will cost you in prospects?  That is the most important question.

A Way to Get Beltre

UPDATE:  We got Adrian Beltre.  He will be our 3rd baseman for the next five to six years and will bat cleanup behind Josh Hamilton for the 2011 season.  Michael Young will be our super utility player and isn't too happy with the organization, not because of the move which he was happy with but the continued miscommunications between him and the front office.  He is still a Texas Ranger and I hope he remains one because his role will be of the utmost importance to the clubs success.  We did not get Grienke or Garza though we did pursue them.  We did sign Brandon Webb to a one year low risk high reward contract.

Adrian Beltre, born April 7, 1979 in the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo, should now be the Texas Rangers number one free agent target.  Having come off an MVP caliber year, albeit a contract year, Beltre could solidify the Rangers lineup and open up a potential starting point in the Zach Greinke/Matt Garza talks.  Of course there is one blatantly obvious issue blocking the signing of the highly coveted free agent third baseman and that is the Texas Rangers' franchise third baseman, one time short stop and one time second baseman Michael Young.

You might say, "well he played short stop and second base so just scoot him over."  Its not that simple.  Two years ago Michael Young took offense to being asked to learn and play third base with young blue chip prospect Elvis Andrus ready for the big league challenge.  Young is still a Ranger and happier than ever after the Rangers made their first World Series appearance in franchise history to go along with Mike's first trip to the post season.

"Well then move him to second if you've got Elvis Andrus holding down the short stop position for the next four plus years."  Again, its not that simple.  You've got the oft injured, yet freak of nature home grown second baseman Ian Kinsler locked up for years to come as well.  I know he's dealt with injuries the last couple years but is one of the biggest impact players on the team and that's with reigning MVP Josh Hamilton leading the way [also: Nelson Cruz tied the record for most extra inning homeruns in a season with 5 in 2010].

And now, "What's all this talk about trading our franchise player and life long Ranger (was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays as a minor leaguer) Michael Young to make room to sign Adrian Beltre?"  Young cannot block a trade to Colorado who had inquired on Young during the 2010 Winter Meetings.  The Rangers front office was just doing their due diligence in listening to anyone that wanted to talk business and were never too serious about trading Young and three year contract.  Michael Young should be a Ranger lifer with all that he's been through and seen here.  The guy can still hit even with a down year in 2010 and plays solid defense although range is lacking.  It sounds like I'm trying to say that just because he's the Rangers Derek Jeter there should always be a place in the lineup and on the field for him.  Actually what I'm trying to say is Michael Young is still good.  I'm not going to put it past him to have a couple more .300 - 200 hit seasons.  It is very possible if not expected.

I will go ahead and post this now and make changes later because I want to shower and get something to eat.  Exams got me down, man!

General Outline:  Young - 4,  Beltre - 5,  Hamilton - 7,  Kinsler - 8:  Bourbon added in package for Greinke/Garza

Its Not Religious, Brother

Great quotes throughout and I definitely believe the ESPN anchor missed this one:  "Either way, I was good."  That was great.  Great message that Josh is talking about.  The MVP is a blessing of a platform.

Colby Lewis, Who?

The first time I heard this name associated with the Rangers I thought nothing of it but perhaps a player of the Jason Jennings caliber.  But as the Colby Lewis train pulls into the station, rearing to load up for the 2010 baseball season, I start to hear what kind of train he is although I have not seen it.

Colby Lewis was drafted in the 1st round (sandwich pick) of the 1999 draft, 38th overall by the Texas Rangers out of North High School in Bakersfield, CA.  He made his Major League debut in 2002 going 1-3 with a 6.29 ERA in 15 games, 4 starts.  His career did not progress any better as he spent time up and down from the Majors and Minors with the Rangers, Tigers, Nationals (minors), A's and Royals (minors).

Lewis then made the decision to go play in Japan with the Hiroshima Carp taking the spot of ace which had been vacated by now Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda.  NPB Tracker Patrick Newman writes:

"Nikkan Sports and others are reporting that Hiroshima Carp ace Colby Lewis has turned down the team’s offer and will return to MLB for 2010. Lewis cited family health problems as his decision to leave the Carp.

Lewis leaves big shoes for Hiroshima to fill. He stepped in to the ace role that Hiroki Kurodawas not his strength at the MLB level. In Japan, Lewis only walked 46 over 354.1 innings pitched. Somewhat weirdly however, he did hit 14 batters in 2009. vacated, and in some ways outperformed the current Dodger. In 54 NPB games, Lewis went 26-17 with a 2.83 era, and led the Central League in strikeouts in each of the last two seasons. More impressive was his command of the strike zone, which

Lewis looks like an interesting back-rotation MLB starter to me, and could be very effective if his command makes the trip back. Please see our data site to get a feel for his arsenal."

 Craig Calcaterra of Circling the Bases writes this bit about Lewis's decision:

"Colby Lewis, a former first round draft pick for the Rangers, had an undistinguished stint in the majors.  OK, that's putting it a bit lightly.  He had a 6.71 ERA, splitting time between starting and relieving over five seasons. He then went on to Japan for a couple of years where he seemed to find himself:  He went 15-8 with a 2.68 ERA and a 183/27 K/BB ratio in 178 innings in 2008 and went 11-9 with a 2.96 ERA and a 186/19 K/BB in 176 1/3 IP last season."

So after spending two seasons with Hiroshima it seems that Lewis has found the command he had lacked in the States and could be on the cusp of a big comeback if you want to call it that.  One problem is that I have a hard time finding MLB players that made the trip from Japan to the States that aren't Japanese.  Since 2001 there have been seven Japanese players to play in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.  That is seven out of 41 players that have played at least one game in the bigs though.  Pretty good percentage considering some didn't play that much.  Obviously Japan has great players as seen in their World Baseball Classic showings.  Most Japanese players that come to the States don't make the trip until they've played considerable time in Japan as well.

What are the chances Lewis succeeds.  I'd say a former first rounder that struggled to put it together until the age of 28 while bouncing around in the Major League Baseball and then finding comfort across the world has as good of chance as any.  He is now 30 years old and signed a two year deal that will put him on the Texas Rangers' 40-man roster.

Do You Need Star Talent? 1st Edition

There's a lot of talk about whether the Rangers need to go out and trade for some superstar talent with the depth they have in the farm.  One side says "heck yes! Let's win now!" - and the other side trusts the youngsters.

Do you go out and try to get a Greinke type player (not just because he's a pitcher but because he's an uber-talent) at whatever cost?

I'll delve into this at another time.  If you happen to catch this post feel free to discuss or just ponder.  This is just a fun sports blog for me.

2010 Texas Rangers

25ish Man Roster

After listening to "Rangers Podcast in Arlington" a good point was brought up on payroll next year and how it could affect the Rangers' arbitration eligible players.  This "25ish" man roster isn't even necessarily 25 players - just something fun I'm doing to work on my understanding of the game.

NOTE:  Players that are "striked through" are players we do not have control over.  Any player with stars (*) next to their name are not currently on the 25 man big league roster and I will rate them on a 5 star scale.

(*) - consideration
(*****) - great consideration.

Catcher

• Jarrod Saltalamachia
• Taylor Teagarden
• Pudge Rodriguez (38)**
• Max Ramirez**
  

Infield

• Elvis Andrus
  
• Ian Kinsler
  
• Michael Young
  
• Chris Davis
• Justin Smoak*****
• Omar Vizquel (43)**
• Esteban German**
  

Outfield

• Josh Hamilton
  
• Marlon Byrd (32)**
  
• Julio Borbon
• Nelson Cruz
• David Murphy
  

Pitching

1. Feldman
   
2. Hunter
   
3. McCarthy
   
4. Holland
5. Millwood
   
6. Harrison***
7. Wilson
   
8. Hurley***
9. Feliz
   
10. O'Day
    
11. Moscoso***
12. Fransisco
13. Ben Sheets (31)****
14. Rich Harden (28)*
15. John Lackey (31)***
16. Randy Wolf (33)*
17. Octavio Dotel (36)*
18. Grili (33)**
    
19. Eddie Guardado (39) = "Everywhere Eddie" asst. Coach
    

What a Start to the Season!

I am in shock. I don't know what to say. Is this for real? Did we just sweep the Mariners and the Angels back-to-back? The redemption project? The mentor project? The King? The great-hambino? So much for the Michael Young transition to 3rd base. So much for our S**T pitching staff. So much for 2010 being the year. So much for "the bank" and Cruz's exaggerated Septembers. So much for the Rangers?

RED JERSEYS???

Have a good day and God bless.

Eric Hurley and the Ongoing Ranger Pitcher Curse

I'm so bummed by the news we got today. Before the Rangers acquired all the players they did in the summer of '07, the Rangers had one exciting pitching prospect that was close to the majors and that was Eric Hurley. Not only do I love his name but I loved watching him on the mound last year. He pitched great. To watch a pitching prospect come up from the minors and have success, in the Ballpark mind you, was very encouraging. Hurley was not expected to be an ace. Hurley was a solid young pitcher.

I can name you a lot of number 3 and 4's that made a solid rotation, but I'm not going to waste my time doing all the research. 3 and 4's win World Series and that's what Hurley would have been. I loved it when the Rangers brought him up last year and then later when they brought up Matt Harrison. Neither would have been an ace in a good organization, but both would have been solid pitchers. I could see each winning 15 or more a year. Harrison is still healthy and I'm glad the lefty has shown some success in the majors. More will come from him, but to lose Hurley, a Ranger home grown, kind of bothers a Ranger fan more than Harrison's success.

I'm not speaking for everybody because you have to love the fact that Harrison, remember left handed, is having success. Hurley put up a better ERA though in his brief healthy stint as a Ranger, not to mention it was all while the Rangers were still in a playoff race (Shocker).

I think JD & Co. have figured out how to handle their young talent and having Nolan Ryan as a mentor to young pitchers, majors or minors, gives Rangers fans hope for the future. Funny how Ranger bats end up dominating (thank you Jaramillo) and the pitchers all end up getting hurt or roughing it through Arlington.

Have an open mind to the Ballpark's pitching conditions. It may be hot, it may be a hitter's park, and it just might have all those breezes so often talked about, but remember Nolan figured out how to pitch in Texas with success. That in itself proves injuries and heat exhaustion can be avoided.

Figure out how to win in Arlington and your offense will provide the V's.

Michael Young: A Texas Ranger (cont.)

So, yes, Michael Young will continue to play for the Texas Rangers. It was a situation that caught me a little off guard but I'm glad it was resolved quickly. He will start at 3rd base next year.

The story was that Michael and GM John Daniels had breakfast together one morning when Daniels told Young that they wanted him to transition to 3rd base. After winning a gold glove and having already made the transition to short stop from 2nd base after the Alex Rodriguez trade, Young wasn't too happy. He asked to be traded. News reports and blogs had a hayday with the report. Well after a couple days of thinking and talking to friends, baseball players and Nolan Ryan, Young decided he would make the switch.

Did Daniels and Co. really think Young would react the way he did. No way. Young has always been the ultimate team player. He is the face of the franchise. The Rangers didn't sign him to his giant contract just because he was a great baseball player. They signed him because...

1. He's a great baseball player (hits .300 and gets 200 hits a season).
2. He's a leader. Everyone in the organization has an amazing amount of respect for him.
3. Like I said, he's the face of the franchise. Though all the seasons of not making the playoffs, Young has stuck by the Rangers side and is an encouraging force within the organization.

I think Young realizes what's best for the organization and really wants to be a part of this club when the club breaks through. He also has been quoted saying he thinks it could happen soon, something I believe strongly in.

Put aside the bad moves made in John Daniels' managing. He turned a new leaf last year so all the Ranger haters need to get a grip. Look at what they are doing now with the calling up of Elvis Andrus. The future is coming and it won't all be dealt. Deals do make sense sometimes and the way they are taking care of the system right now they have me conviced that they can handle it correctly.

GO RANGERS!

It's Official and Almost Official : 2 Separate Topics on #1's

1. Its official! It was confirmed by a Baseball America official that Texas will indeed be pronounce the #1 farm system in baseball. This is very exciting news for Ranger fans.

• The point is being proven that JD and co.'s plan is working. The idea of rebuilding is starting to come full swing. Every year that goes by these prospects that already make up this #1 group will make their way to Arlington.
• It sounds like Elvis Andrus will get his shot at short stop this year, a pivitol position in baseball. The timing is interesting, which I happen to like, in that he can take his lumps in the bigs now while we are not considered a contender. Having a short stop who can really play his position as well as he is said to is a critical to contending.
• Two of our top pitchers, Neftali Feliz and Derek Holland, could make their debut later in the season. The way they have been pitching in the minors you can hope for the best. These guys were both graded (A) when last year only 5 prospects in the whole league were graded (A) or better.
• Lastly, it will be interesting if we ever are contending to make a play for a player through trade with this deep farm. I'll take a proven young stud pitcher for a couple young stud prospects if it doesn't destroy the future of the ballclub.

2. Its almost official! Sam Bradford is going to play at OU for one more year. Bad news for Texas, good news for QB Matthew Stafford.

• There's a better chance of Stafford going number one now even if it is to Detroit. I really hope they trade that pick now...
• I always thought Stafford was better anyways, but now we don't have to worry about how the draft turns out as far as those two guys go.
• Bradford probably looked at too many mock drafts and decided against the draft. Who knows, might be for the best.

Rangers #1???

From an ESPN chat session that Baseball America editor in chief John Manuel participated in this afternoon:

Chris (Newport Beach, CA): Jim, great chat as always! I was wondering when you were doing the minor league top 10's, which orginization [sic] did you have the most trouble with in terms of their top three prospects? Marlins, Braves, other??

John Manuel: (2:25 PM ET) Neat question that I'll answer even though I'm not Jim. The Braves was very tough -- we went back and forth between Jason Heyward and Tommy Hanson; Hanson's AFL performance and scouting reports were so loud and outsized, and he's so much closer to the majors than Heyward, that we switched at the last minute. The Rangers top list and the Marlins are also interchangeable, and to me, you could argue Mike Stanton over Cam Maybin easily for the Marlins No. 1, K rate be damned! Those kinds of things tend to happen to strong organizations, and Texas and Florida rank 1-2 in our Org Rankings in the Prospect Handbook, which is at the printers now.

--------------------------->>>>>>>

This is about as close to a guarantee that the Rangers will have the top farm system in baseball. Its always been speculated that it was going to come down to Texas and Oakland. It is very surprising that Oakland is not a top 2 even though the margin of difference could be minimal.

One thought too... Does "Texas and Florida rank 1-2" actually mean in that order? I sure hope it does.

Welcome!

It is way easier to think of something to write about when you have something nagging at you. For instance, just today I could have written probably ten good 100-200 word posts with all the crazy Rangers' Young issues, the Mavericks trade rumors, my frustrations at work, my sense of accomplishments at work, my take on fantasy basketball or just my distaste for the game going on right now (remember, I said ten).

Dirk is a great shooter. I may be one of the only people left in Dallas that still believes the Jason Kidd - Devin Harris trade was good for the Mavericks. Almost a year later, it still seems like you can't have a basketball conversation with anyone and not hear someone talk about how bad the Mavs got screwed. All the arguments you hear are statistics based, thank you Billy Beane (random baseball reference, get it?) , and not enough substance. Now where have I heard that before... anyways.

Here's why I like it:

1. The Mavericks have Dirk. You now have a veteran guy, whom I believe could play 5 more productive years though maybe years 4 and 5 could back up, that is one of the smartest players in the history of the game. He hustles, gets people the ball, can hit the occasional wide open three, and will be a great teacher to a young Maverick point guard (my favorite 0f all).

2. Summer of 2010... Kidd has an expiring contract of $22 million. That puts the Mavericks in a great situation to sign a big name or two and perhaps Kidd again during that summer.

The list includes: LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh (from Dallas), Amare Stoudamire and a couple other big names.

I hope they bring Kidd back to a smaller contract.

3. Free agency in general. Can anyone deny the way Mark Cuban treats his players. Didn't you see him at Dirk's MVP award acceptance? Have you heard about the Xbox's and flat screens in the lockers? Is that for real???

Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitski have way more pull on free agents because of the respect they have around the league. Jason Kidd was a true leader for Team USA when they finally prevailed and won the gold.

Hotty Totty! Let's Go Mavericks! Rangers - go sign Ben Sheets!