Texas Rangers 2020

[CowtownHorn 5,126]

3 hours ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Doug Mathis is new pitching coach. 🙄

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mathido01.shtml

[Pato del Muerto 52,529]

Co-pitching coaches?  And our Mickey Mouse operation gets even more squeaky. 
 

Edited October 26, 2020 by Pato del Muerto

[CowtownHorn 5,126]

1 hour ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Co-pitching coaches?  And our Mickey Mouse operation gets even more squeaky. 
 

[Surly Bevo 25,059]

I told him to throw strikes, no idea what the other guy told him to do.  

[Vic Mackey 47,088]

[CowtownHorn 5,126]

2 hours ago, Vic Mackey said:

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

Quote

Now that the 2020 season is over, the sports books will be rolling out over/under lines for the 2021 season.  Sports Betting Dime has the very, very, extremely early over/under lines up for 2021 already, and they have the Texas Rangers at 75.5 wins. As far as World Series odds go, the Rangers are at 250-1 — ahead of only the Rockies, Royals, Mariners, Pirates, Orioles, and Tigers.

The World Series favorites are, not surprisingly, the 2020 champion Los Angeles Dodgers, at 9:2. The New York Yankees are at 7:1, and the Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays are at 10:1. 

Joey Gallo shows up on the list of players who have odds listed for the AL MVP Award, at 38:1 (between Randy Arozarena and Luke Voit), while Chris Woodward is tied with Bud Black as the manager with the fourth best odds of being the first manager in 2021 to be fired or resign, at 10:1.

Come on Woodward, you can do it! 

[Loch Ness Monster 3,533]

Has the entire scouting department been overhauled or do we just not care about winning?

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

On 10/22/2020 at 2:40 PM, shadow_operative2.0 said:

 

IKF is also at 3B. 

They both won. 

[Dr Fear 1,268]

They both won. 

What a great time for MLB to announce these.

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

Levi agrees. 

 

 

[jinx 2,635]

Anybody have this Athletic article?

 

 

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

Pretty sure @Post Oak subscribes. 

[gsoda3 3,263]

 

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before:

The lower levels of the Rangers farm system appear to be loaded.

How about the annual spin-off?

Texas is really fired up about its latest draft class.

It’s an easy game to play with prospects years away from being challenged at the ultimate level, particularly those who have yet to play so much as their first minor-league game. How could anyone — for now — shoot that down?

The thing is, just because those are relatively easy claims to make doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t warranted. Especially when they come not from the Rangers themselves and not from prospect publications, but instead from other clubs.

Since October 5, the Rangers have played games five days a week against Fall Instructional League squads from the Kansas City, San Diego and Seattle organizations. The dense schedule and limited number of teams have given them extended looks at the lower levels of each other’s systems. Based on what he’s seen from Texas over the last month, an upper-level baseball operations executive with one of them says, “I like their mix of athleticism and power bats. They seem to be trending in the right direction.”

Says another rival club official: “I think the Rangers have a sleeper top-10 farm system. Lots of talent.”

Twenty coaches, scouts and club officials (with Texas and otherwise) who have been in Arizona for the better part of the last month for the Fall Instructional League singled out 32 different Rangers players out of the 60 in camp (only one of whom has played above Class A) for the work they’ve put on display in Surprise and Peoria.

But four hitters and two pitchers came up most often, led by one of the prospects who has nearly the most seniority with the organization among those in Surprise — and another who has nearly the least.

SS Chris Seise

Age on Opening Day 2021: 22

Highest pro level reached: Low-A

“He’s a man on a mission,” says Rangers coach Kenny Holmberg of Seise, a Florida high school product who joined Texas out of the first round in 2017. Unfortunately, there’s been little traction in the three-plus years since Seise turned pro. Major injuries to both shoulders cut short his first two full pro seasons. His third never got going thanks to this year’s minor-league shutdown. “He’s been through a lot at a very young age,” says Holmberg, the organization’s minor-league infield coordinator for the entirety of the shortstop’s professional career.

Seise is single-minded on the goal. “I just want to show what I’m capable of when I’m fully healthy,” says the 21-year-old. “It’s been such a long time since I’ve played, some people probably forgot what I can do on the field.”

He’s spent the last month serving loud reminders on the back fields in Arizona. Through 29 games at Instructs, Seise has hit a robust .386/.417/.649, driving four balls out of the park.


The ability has never been a question. For some club officials, Seise has been in the conversation as the organization’s top prospect since arriving. He hits to all fields with power, runs well and plays a physical shortstop. And in spite of just 72 games played since high school, he’s taken on a leadership role in Arizona.

“[Chris is] so mature,” says minor-league hitting coordinator Cody Atkinson, who is in his first year with Seise. “He owns his process. He’s become the best example we could ask him to be for his teammates.”

Having not played above the Low-A level — and with what will be a 23-month layoff from official action once the 2021 season begins — it would stand to reason that the Florida product could start the year at High-A Down East, assuming the minor-league season does go forward.

But two added factors must be considered. First, the elimination of the short-season minor leagues means the Rangers will assign a host of infielders to Low-A Hickory (some arguably ahead of schedule), a decision that could push others up to Down East. On top of that, Seise will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft a year from now and a virtual lock to be added next offseason to the 40-man roster; the club may want to push him to the AA level in 2021, if not at the outset then at some point during the summer.

And there’s a third factor in Seise’s case: the tools, the skills and the feel for the game that define his profile. Said one rival club official: “His physical presence and athleticism stand out in the dirt… If he stays healthy, I don’t see why he can’t be a value-play Royce Lewis-type.” Lewis, according to MLB.com, is baseball’s No. 7 prospect.

No player’s name came up more in our survey than Seise’s. Some rave about the offense-defense package. Others talk about his makeup and work ethic. But they all agreed that one thing stands out above the rest: Seise just needs to play.

OF Evan Carter

Age on Opening Day 2021: 18

Highest pro level reached: Has not played


Photo courtesy of Evan Carter
Very few clubs were believed to be in the Draft Day mix on Carter, at least as early as the middle of the second round, where the Rangers selected him 50th overall. Though the Duke commit had draft experts scrambling and scratching their heads, the Rangers were confident in June they’d out-evaluated other teams on the player. Now they’re even more convicted that they’ve added a frontline talent to the system.

And they’re not alone.

“He looks right,” says a rival club official of the athletic center fielder, pinpointing his projectable 6’4 frame and “clean, short” left-handed swing as well as a plus run tool. After getting an “exciting short look” at Carter, a high-level scout for an opposing club adds, “There’s something there.”

Rangers coaches have been impressed with Carter’s presence and tools, not to mention his desire to learn. Atkinson calls Carter an “elite problem-solver,” strong words for a player only a few months out of high school and in his first official pro camp. “Give Evan something to figure out and watch him work,” Atkinson says. “The talent is through the roof, but the motivation to be great is even more impressive.”

Facing professional pitching for the first time, Carter is reaching base half the time and has a .924 OPS in Fall Instructional League play, with more walks (14) than strikeouts (10). After the pandemic shut down the outfielder’s senior season at Tennessee’s Elizabethton High School after only three games and with nowhere to play following the draft, Carter leaned into baseball’s version of remote learning. He went through multiple weekly Zoom meetings with Rangers coaches and strength and conditioning staff throughout the summer, focusing on outfield technique and exercise regimens.

Had the minor leagues not been contracted, the debate might be whether the teenager should break in at the Rookie level against similarly aged competition this coming year or if he merits an aggressive assignment to the Short-Season A Northwest League to face more experienced players. Now Carter is at the forefront of a tougher decision than that. Are he and others among the Rangers youngest prospects possibly ready for an even more challenging assignment to Low-A ball?

“ think it’s too early to tell,” says Ross Fenstermaker, the Rangers’ senior director of pro & international scouting. “We have a really unique bunch at a similar stage of their careers. Their offseason programs and development time with our group will determine where they ultimately start. The players get the opportunity to tell us.”

Over the last month, Carter has told the club a lot.

IF Thomas Saggese

Age on Opening Day 2021: 18

Highest pro level reached: Has not played

Selected three rounds after Carter, Saggese was even more of a mystery to those who cover the MLB draft. One prominent draft analyst, Kiley McDaniel, admits he’d never heard of the San Diego-area infielder as late as two weeks before Draft Day. But Texas believes the infielder will put himself on the map as soon as his minor-league career gets underway.

Saggese has been productive in Arizona this fall, hitting .286 with a .714 OPS and what the Rangers say is a natural feel for the barrel. He plays with an old-school vibe that’s endeared him to the coaches most closely involved with his development.

“[Thomas is a] throwback ballplayer,” Atkinson says. “No batting gloves, killer instinct in the batter’s box. Has a curiosity for the game and how to play it at the highest level that stands out.” Holmberg adds that Saggese “has some Ian Kinsler to his game.”

Kinsler arrived from the University of Missouri as a shortstop but eventually shifted to the other side of the bag once he was on the doorstep to the big leagues. The Rangers see Saggese as a shortstop at this point as well, but they have little doubt that he could slide to his left or right if either his development or club needs dictate a move.

Among the things that Holmberg introduced to the system’s youngest infielders through the limited summer were interactive video shares that centered not only on situational technique but game-planning, pre-pitch focuses and ways to make reaction more efficient. Saggese, says the 12th-year coach, was an eager student. “He’s all baseball player,” Holmberg says.

It would be easy but unfair to minimize the outlook for a player like Saggese just because since he was the final player Texas drafted this year. But there’s also never been a draft nearly as short as this year’s five-round affair; in most years, a Round Five pick would be among the top 10 to 12 percent of players drafted. C.J. Wilson was a Rangers fifth-rounder. So were Chris Davis, Steve Buechele and, though they didn’t sign him, Brandon Woodruff. Based on strong scouting reports, the Rangers paid Saggese more than twice his draft slot to convince him to forgo a scholarship to Pepperdine and complete their 2020 draft class.

Now it’s not only the scouts who are buzzing.

1B Jose Rodriguez

Age on Opening Day 2021: 19

Highest pro level reached: Dominican Summer League

In July of 2018, Texas paid Rodriguez $2 million to sign at age 16. In his first pro experience the next summer, he hit a modest .245 with a .698 Dominican Summer League OPS while his teammate, Luisangel Acuna, hit nearly 100 points higher and posted an .893 OPS that was among the league leaders.

Acuna had signed with Texas on the same day as Rodriguez… for around one-fifth as much. But it has been Rodriguez, more so than Acuna and most of the other 30 hitters in camp, who has served notice that he may be on the verge of a sudden breakout.

Though he arrived in pro ball as a catcher, Rodriguez hasn’t caught a game as a pro. He was a first baseman and left fielder last summer and is working exclusively this fall at first base, where, according to Holmberg, the 19-year-old is “getting a little bit better each day.” But it’s the bat that has Holmberg and the Rangers eager to talk about the Venezuelan.

“It’s the best I’ve seen him in the box,” Holmberg says. “He’s confident and looking to get the barrel on it.” The left-handed hitter has been doing a lot of that against Fall Instructional League pitching, putting up a video-game slash line of .400/.478/.700 through the Rangers’ first month of games against the Royals, Padres and Mariners.

Rodriguez’s numbers didn’t pop in 2019 on the heels of his headline deal. His chance to bounce back in 2020 was taken away — at least until October. He’s making up for lost time and has been far from overmatched. “Jose is steady as they come mentally,” Atkinson says. “He brings the same attitude and work ethic every day and is wise beyond his years. He’s experienced ups and downs and come out of them to tremendous success.”

RHP Tekoah Roby

Age on Opening Day 2021: 19

Highest pro level reached: Has not played

Roby has made a habit out of keeping a low profile. He stayed away from travel ball and the showcase circuit in high school, and ultimately accepted an offer to play at the relatively modest Troy University program. Baseball America ranked him as the No. 155 draft prospect in 2020 in what was a 160-player draft.

But Rangers area scout Brian Morrison and regional crosschecker Demond Smith liked what they saw of Roby against high school competition, making enough of a case for the 6’1 righthander that scouting director Kip Fagg used the club’s third-round pick, 86th overall, to make him a Ranger.

More than one club official has referred to Roby (who sometimes goes by “TK”) as “the talk of camp.” For pitching coordinator Danny Clark, there was a lot to work with the minute Roby arrived in Arizona. “He came in with a clean delivery and the ability to repeat it,” Clark says. “He’s throwing three quality pitches for strikes. There’s a real maturity for his age.”

In six camp innings, the 19-year-old has fanned eight batters while issuing just two walks, sitting in the mid-90s with dazzling spin rates as well as a curve and changeup that both grade out as plus secondaries. A rival club’s scouting report on Roby projects him as a starter once the “plus athlete” fills out a few years down the road, with a fastball that could eventually touch 97 with a 60-grade, hard-breaking curve. He’s another player, like Carter, who could earn a ticket straight from high school to full-season ball at the Low-A level this spring.

RHP Justin Slaten

Age on Opening Day 2021: 23

Highest pro level reached: Short-Season A

A year before the Rangers chose Roby with the 86th pick in the draft, they used the same selection on the 6’4 Slaten, signing the University of New Mexico righthander for about $125,000 under slot. Coming off an 82.1-inning season with the Lobos, Slaten was given just 16.1 minor-league innings that summer as Texas didn’t want to push him past 100 innings for the year.

Of course, a year and a half later, that remains the only 16.1 innings the Longview, Texas native has pitched in pro ball. The Rangers are eager to turn Slaten loose in 2021, and the plan appears to be a Class A assignment out of the gate.

Slaten has gotten bigger since joining the organization, and the added weight has helped lift his velocity into the upper-90s range with a sharp slider that Clark calls “the highlight of camp.” In 8.2 Instructs innings, he’s allowed one run, punching out 13 batters while scattering six hits and four walks.

“We’re very excited by what we’ve seen from Justin [in] camp,” says director of minor league operations Paul Kruger, pointing to progress Slaten has made syncing his delivery up with his body and throwing his plus fastball for strikes early in the count to set up the wipeout slider. “We’re eager to see what 2021 holds for him.”

When Texas selected Slaten, Baseball America suggested his fastball-slider repertoire was perhaps best suited to late relief and that he could be fast-tracked to Arlington if transitioned into that role. That decision won’t be made anytime soon, however. The Rangers believe the 23-year-old is built to start and that will certainly be the plan in 2021 — and, if things pan out like the club hopes, all the way to the big leagues.

Others receiving multiple votes: Pitchers Owen White, Cole Winn, Mason Englert, Dylan MacLean and Sean Chandler; infielders Curtis Terry, Josh Jung, Maximo Acosta, Keyber Rodriguez and Jayce Easley; and outfielders Bubba Thompson and Miguel Aparicio

[Jameslaw121 4,448]

Neither Speas or Barlow were added to the 40 man. Rule 5 draft eligible

 

[mdmost 43,004]

 

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

Best news on this site lately. 

[Jameslaw121 4,448]

38 minutes ago, mdmost said:

 

Ii was just thinking about this last night. Excellent news.

[NOMAAA 1,696]

trade?  release?  utility player?

[Jameslaw121 4,448]

"We've asked Elvis to prepare to play all infield positions, and provide some versatility to Woody"

-John Daniels

 

 

Edited December 1, 2020 by Jameslaw121

[Jameslaw121 4,448]

Guessing that mean Jung will definitely be up at 3rd at some point this season. Maybe sign a journeyman 3rd/1st baseman until Jung is ready??

Edited December 1, 2020 by Jameslaw121

[Jameslaw121 4,448]

Per Evan Grant: (Don't know how to put twitter on here)

 

Rangers have also communicated to Odor to be prepared to play other positions, as well. But Solak vs. Odor will be competition for 2B time.

[ztejas 43,482]

1 hour ago, Jameslaw121 said:

"We've asked Elvis to prepare to play all infield positions, and provide some versatility to Woody"

-John Daniels

 

 

He can't play SS anymore so we're going to find out what other positions he might be incompetent at. 

Joke's aside, maybe a change of pace will do him some good. We have to try something - I'd like to remove watching last year's fielding from my memory.

[Post Oak 20,246]

Glad to hear it.  I expected some ambiguity in camp but good on them for ripping the band aid .

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

Startle-gram’s write-up... 

Quote

The first move of any significance this offseason by the Texas Rangers was a conversation with Elvis Andrus, who was informed that he is no longer the starting shortstop.

That duty goes to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the American League Gold Glove winner at third base for 2020 who is being pushed to what he considers his natural position with prospect Josh Jung likely making his MLB debut in 2021.

General manager Jon Daniels said that Andrus has been asked to play all infield positions, and could end up starting at third base until Jung is deemed ready. The 2019 first-round pick (No. 8 overall) from Texas Tech is likely to start the season at Double A Frisco.

Andrus has been the Rangers’ Opening Day shortstop the past 11 seasons.

“Elvis would prefer to remain at shortstop, but I think he’s appreciative of the upfront nature and how we talked about it,” Daniels said. “I think he’s in a good spot physically and mentally. He expressed his confidence and belief he has a lot more good baseball to play. I was excited to hear that.”

Andrus hasn’t come close to matching his breakthrough season of 2017, when he was the Rangers Player of the Year. His arm was broken two weeks into the 2018 season after being hit by a pitch, and his performance has lagged since.

He battled back issues in 2020 while batting only .194 with three homers in 29 games.

The Rangers have not made a similar decision at second base, where Rougned Odor has been a below-average player the past four years. He helped save his season with a September power surge, but was told before the season ended to be prepared to play other positions.

Nick Solak will be given a chance to win the job in spring training, but isn’t being give the job as Kiner-Falefa is at shortstop.

 

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

TR’s article is more in-depth. 

https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/isiah-kiner-falefa-becomes-rangers-full-time-shortstop

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

The Rangers non-tendered utilityman Danny Santana, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports. The 30-year-old switch-hitter had a big season with Texas in 2019, but as was the case with his rookie showing in Minnesota, the results were largely BABIP-driven. Santana underwent elbow surgery in September and may not be ready for Opening Day, so his non-tender isn’t a surprise.

[Fudbelty 2,788]

Chris Young to GM. Daniels to President of Operations

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

More Ivy League talent evaluation! 

[Post Oak 20,246]

I'm not sure what to think about this.  Young is a bright, well respected guy but he doesn't have any FO experience. 

Hiring smart people is usually not a bad thing.  Fingers crossed that this works out.

[Post Oak 20,246]

Evan on the hire

 

was a private conversation this summer, just discussing how the events of 2020 have impacted life and priorities and outlooks. Jon Daniels considered what things might look like if he ever stepped back from being a general manager.

He’d risen to become a GM at age 28, the youngest to ever hold that title. He had never run scouting or player development departments. He was a GM before he was a father. The demands of the GM’s seat combined with being a dad had made him more contemplative of a long-term role as a mentor. What, he was asked, would he like to do in baseball as a next chapter?

“I’d love to work with Chris Young,” he said of the former Highland Park and Rangers pitcher, who was making a big impact as MLB’s Senior Vice President for Baseball Operations less than two years after retiring.

It was a wistful, idealistic thought then.

It’s reality now.

On Friday afternoon, a team seemingly unable to make any moves this winter that might grab attention or alter the AL West race for 2021, instead struck a move that may well shake baseball for the foreseeable future. The Rangers hired Young, 41, as Executive Vice President and General Manager.

In doing so, they landed perhaps the second- or third-most powerful executive in MLB’s central offices and one renowned for his people skills. Young was integral in on-field operations and was likely to take a key role in upcoming negotiations with the MLB Players Association about a collective bargaining agreement that expires after 2021.

Daniels, 43, retains his title as President and will continue to have the final say in baseball operations. The two, however, will work very much as a partnership with Young clearly in line to be the next to run the Rangers. The idea began with Daniels.

Whether it happens in 2021 or a year later, it is coming. Daniels, the GM for the last 15 seasons, is signed through 2022. At that point, if he remains with the club, he could transition into a role more nominally involved in the day-to-day operations of the team.

“When [managing partner] Ray Davis and I sat down after the season to evaluate our baseball operation, we agreed that adding the separate role of general manager would make us a stronger organization, in a number of ways,” Daniels said in a statement Friday. “The responsibilities of running a Major League baseball operation have increased significantly and many successful MLB organizations now have a similar structure in place.

“I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Chris and the many talented individuals we have in the Rangers baseball operations group as we continue to grow and improve on both the major and minor league levels,” Daniels added.

There is significant work to do. The Rangers posted their fourth consecutive losing season in 2020 and finished with the second-worst record in baseball. They have committed to full, long-term rebuilding. Adding Young, who has never worked in a management role for a team, at this point allows him to get in on the ground floor of that process.

It also brings a fresh perspective to a team whose upper management has been together for a while. When a team wins, that’s valued as stability; when it loses, continuity is criticized as stagnation.

The Rangers did interview three internal candidates for the job: Assistant GMs Josh Boyd and Mike Daly and Director of Pro and International Scouting Ross Fenstermaker. Special assistant to the GM Michael Young was also approached but declined to interview.

Ultimately, though, Chris Young’s availability is what swung the Rangers to act. The Mets interviewed Chris Young for their GM vacancy recently, but he bowed out. Proximity may have been one issue. While working for MLB, Young and his family moved back to Highland Park and he commuted to New York when necessary. The Mets interview may have helped accelerate the Rangers’ process, but the genesis of the idea began before that. The Rangers had discussed various roles with Young before he took his position with MLB in 2018.

“I have had the opportunity to interact with Chris on a number of MLB initiatives,” Davis said in a statement that stood for the Rangers’ comments until they can hold a Zoom press conference Monday. “His qualifications make him the ideal person to take on this role. I was in total agreement with [Daniels’] thinking.”

In his statement, Young said he looked forward to “learning from and working with” Daniels and called the opportunity “special.”

A year ago, this is how Daniels described Young in an interview with The News:

“MLB has made some really bright hires recently, and Chris is among the best,” he said. “Everyone will recognize his intelligence and the playing experience. But he brings such a great combo of people skills, humility, and good judgment. I believe he could do just about anything he wants in the game. He would be good on the field, in a club’s front office, or an asset for MLB or the Players’ Association. He sees the big picture and isn’t afraid to defend an unpopular position.”

At the same time, Royals GM Dayton Moore summed up Young’s future this way: “He’s intelligent, but what makes him so good has more to do with his leadership abilities than his intellectual capacity. He is focused on making others better.”

His focus is now on making the Rangers better.

They could use the help.

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

This guy must be his biggest fan. Shit’s not embedding, so here’s the text. 

Quote

Chris Young: Ivy grad who had a 3.95 career ERA, won WS game at 36, self diagnosed himself w/ thoracic outlet syndrome, went for 20 & 6 vs Nick Collison at Allen Fieldhouse, wrote a Princeton thesis on Jackie Robinson, turned down NBA contract and worked in MLB office. Good hire.

https://twitter.com/rustindodd/status/1334979720346279937?s=20

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

Well. 

 

 

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

 

Was a #1 pick back in ‘16, has already had TJ. 

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

Other dude is a 23-year old lefty from Arizona in the ‘19 draft. 

http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&player_id=686830#/career/R/pitching/2021/ALL

 

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by shadow_operative2.0

[Post Oak 20,246]

Per Rosenthal, the reason they didn't move Lynn at the deadline was that he told the Rangers that if they traded him to a team that he didn't want to play for he would just opt-out.

 

[Radical Larry 28,646]

Already had TJ? Right in our wheelhouse.

[youdunnf'dup 2,147]

 

[Don Johnson 4,754]

 

[Pato del Muerto 52,529]

I wonder if Chris young had anything to do with this transaction. 

[DougO 5,250]

Seems like a decent trade for the long term if both guys stick around a while.

[Elmer_Fudd 22,289]

Who is even going to be considered to start Opening Day?  Kyle Gibson?  

[Radical Larry 28,646]

Scheppers

[Trey3216 15,349]

2 hours ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Who is even going to be considered to start Opening Day?  Kyle Gibson?  

Need to find a reliever named Kruger.  Would be funny for the ol’ Dunning-Kruger pitcher effect on opening day.   

[Jameslaw121 4,448]

Speas not taken in the Rule 5 draft today. Kinda suprising. Also, traded for Nate Lowe 1B tampa

[Pato del Muerto 52,529]

https://www.mlb.com/news/nate-lowe-trade-from-rays-to-rangers

 

https://www.mlb.com/press-release/rangers-select-rhp-brett-de-geus-from-dodgers-in-major-league-phase-of-2020-rule

Edited December 10, 2020 by Pato del Muerto

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

Morris: 

Quote

But it is ultimately a question of how you view these players in the context of the Rangers’ system as a whole. If you believe, like Fangraphs has in their most recent rankings, that Heriberto Hernandez is the third best prospect in the Rangers’ system — ahead of Josh Jung, ahead of Leody Taveras, ahead of Sam Huff — then this is an awful trade.  If you agree with Eric Longenhagen today, when he says Hernandez is a top 100 prospect and that Lowe will be battling Sam Huff for 1B/DH at bats, then this is an awful trade. If you also see Osleivis Basabe as the #14 prospect in the Rangers’ system — which was where Baseball America had him ranked in the midseason update — then its even worse.

But if you see Hernandez and Basabe as guys in the 15-30 range in the system, not necessarily all that distinguishable from a number of players of a similar age and at a similar developmental level, then it does not seem like an unreasonable move.

https://www.lonestarball.com/2020/12/10/22168449/texas-rangers-trade-nate-lowe-tampa-bay-rays-jake-guenther-heriberto-hernandez-osleivis-basabe

[NOMAAA 1,696]

If any of that is true why trade for a 1b when you have the condor. He sucks sure, but I don’t get it. 

[shadow_operative2.0 16,006]

Sure hope our boy Heineman hasn’t signed a long-term lease anywhere recently. Non-tendered, re-signed to an MLB deal, DFA’d in the last 9 days.