Rangers have a move coming
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 16, 2007 8:24 PM CST
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PrintThe Rangers have recently added Milton Bradley, Ben Broussard, and Kaz Fukumori.
Before this flurry of moves, the 40 man roster was full. Akinori Otsuka has been non-tendered, and Nick Gorneault was DFA'd, but there's still one more move that should be coming.
Running down the list of candidates, I'm guessing one of these six players will end up getting DFA'd on Monday:
Josh Rupe
Robinson Tejeda
Bill White
Chris Shelton
Nelson Cruz
Jason Botts
Tejeda, Cruz and Botts are out of options, and all of them are iffy to make the 25 man roster out of spring training. Rupe hasn't been able to stay healthy. White is a good arm, but a guy who was picked up as a minor league free agent.
But Shelton is the one I'm starting to think is the most likely to go. Shelton was picked up before the Rangers grabbed Broussard. On a team that is only going to keep 4 bench players, keeping Shelton means only one backup infielder and one backup outfielder.
It occurs to me that the Rangers may prefer to simply run Broussard out there everyday at first base, or else have Jarrod Saltalamacchia play first base against lefties (and yes, I know that the team has said they want him to stay behind the plate).
With someone having to get the axe, I think Shelton is the most likely candidate right now, with Tejeda and White fairly close behind.
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If we DFA shelton because of broussard
more expensive, under control for less time, cant hit lefties, probably not much better if he is at all.
I think its
Robinson Tejeda
Tejeda
Bill White
Tejeda can still throw 95 mph.
Sorry, Bill.
broussard - shelton
Maybe you like Broussard's music so that makes up the difference?
so everyone doesn't have to look it up
Shelton (27) 281/348/477; 115 OPS+
hate to keep replying to myself
er.
so in his first year with significant at bats he had a very solid year, then he started off great in 06. then did poorly the rest of the year.
its not a great track record, but its as good or better than broussards and hes younger/under control.
April 06
But he was pretty consistently good in 05 at age 25, going .299/.360/.510 in almost 400 ML at bats. That is about equal to the best season in Broussard's career.
I guess the 2 of them are pretty close to equal overall, but Broussard can't hit lefties and is 4 years older - so if we don't have room for both, I guess I'd rather it be Shelton that we keep.
I don't get it.
I thought the whole point of going out and getting a 1B was to get a platoon partner for Cat, or get R/L 1B platoon, which is what we did. If we DFA one of them, DFA Broussard, because that would give AB's to Cruz.
because it wasn't obvious
I hope its not Tejeda...
Bill White...
Scott Feldman
Feldman has a special place in my heart
by Nichols22 on Dec 16, 2007 9:34 PM CST reply actions
This Feldman hate is mystifying
One bad year and people are throwing him under the bus.
Feldman
by Randy Richardson on Dec 16, 2007 10:47 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah
He generates an irrational level of hostility.
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 16, 2007 10:51 PM CST up reply actions
Always seems to be someone...
There's also been numerous other relievers who have been punching bags despite being serviceable.
Littleton
by inactive lsb user on Dec 17, 2007 12:05 AM CST up reply actions
hmm?
he may have taken criticism when he struggled but he wasnt a punching bag guy imo.
I'm not one of the haters
Feldman
I don't know his profile. What kind of career do you predict for him?
by hightowersmith on Dec 17, 2007 12:56 AM CST up reply actions
Career
But again, his minor-league record is solid, as was much of his first two seasons in Texas. This season, it certainly didn't help that he was optioned five times. (Not saying he didn't deserve it, just that it made a bad situation worse for him.)
I'm not in love with the guy or anything. I just don't think he's the one you cut right now.
Tejada = Benoit???
Sayonara Feldman.
by rraider9199 on Dec 16, 2007 10:14 PM CST reply actions
Saltalamacchia
that's
by dstar442005 on Dec 16, 2007 10:57 PM CST up reply actions
Bill White
Gotta be
Rupe - Too much potential to DFA
Tejada - Throw him in the pen and see if he can turn into Benoit
Shelton - one of the few young bats with potential in the upper levels of the organization, and oh THIRD CATCHER
Cruz - wouldn't mind it, but worth one last chance
Botts - see Cruz
I was with you all the way
I'm still a semi-believer.
by Brian Thomas on Dec 17, 2007 3:55 PM CST up reply actions
I agree with a lot of people here.....
29-yo LH relievers who have a 4.44 ERA in AA ball are EXACTLY the definition of fungible.
Besides, he has the best shot of getting through waivers, and therefore, keeping him.
There's no reason to be talking about DFA'ing Shelton (who I feel has a much better shot at doing something significant with this team than Broussard would).
Someone would almost definitely take a flyer on Shelton. Not so likely with White.
Tejeda might work out as a reliever, Shelton has only 2+ years of MLB service time, so could be around when we have a shot at the playoffs, Feldman is still pretty young with a good minor league track record. Cruz and Botts have glimmers of possibility being in their peak years, and with good minor league track records.
I really don't understand the obsession with AA MEDIOCRE LH relief pitching. Especially, when we're not looking to really contend this next year.
Req
I hope it's Botts
He's one of my faves, and he's never going to get his shot here.
He's on the short list of guys I root for after they're gone.
The list of bad baseball players?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Like a comedian, only funnier!
Waaaaaaay funnier.
by thedirkatron on Dec 17, 2007 12:06 PM CST up reply actions
I've thought about this
Positives: He's huge, ball jumps off his bat, will hit for moderate power, will get on base at a pretty good rate.
Negatives: He's going to need a full season and ,regardless of production, play everyday. He can't play a position. He can't run.
As a Rangers fan, I'm really rooting for this guy, but if he doesn't perform this year, he has noone to blame but himself. Not many guys that have performed the way that he's performed have continued to get opportunities.
by badradiorules on Dec 17, 2007 12:49 PM CST up reply actions
Yep,
Tough for me to see him being a consistent major league hitter. Maybe a guy who crushes mistakes, but thats about all I see. I doubt BGL or BGR would have much fear in pitching against him.
That's the problem, though
by badradiorules on Dec 17, 2007 3:36 PM CST up reply actions
Great insight
by thedirkatron on Dec 17, 2007 6:23 PM CST up reply actions
Botts
At the production level
by badradiorules on Dec 17, 2007 11:40 PM CST up reply actions
Well I disagree
Even if you don't agree with it, you at least know what it is.
So let's just agree that you think Botts sucks, and that I think he could be productive if given the right opportunity to succeed, and just move on.
No need to rehash the same arguments again and again.
by thedirkatron on Dec 17, 2007 6:33 PM CST up reply actions
what is the right opportunity for Botts?
I'm not real vocal one way or the other on Botts, and I'm not trying to dig up an old argument, but seriously, how many months of consecutive playing time do you think he deserves so that it will be considered a fair opportunity?
My answer would be a couple more months, and I think he has a better chance to get a couple months worth of steady at bats here than anywhere else. I mean, can you think of another ML team that has such a hole at DH that they would just trot Botts out there for a couple of months regardless of results?
The D-Rays
by inactive lsb user on Dec 17, 2007 10:27 PM CST up reply actions
I'm guessing...
My point is that there probably isn't a team in the ML that would go into next season with Botts as plan A for the DH spot. I think he will have a better opportunity here than he would get anywhere else.
Other teams are basically giving away guys like Shelton and Broussard and those guys are ~800 OPS hitters that can actually play a position. Botts can't field, and he still needs to prove that he can hit.
Don't get me wrong
However, for him personally, if he does end up getting the axe, he has noone to blame but himself. The bottom line is that he's been given three shots to show something (one a pretty extended look) and hasn't shown anything. Guys with less talent have been given shorter looks, done well, and earned extended looks.
My question is, how long is this organization on the hook for giving this guy at bats with zero results. He's not a 23, he'll turn 28 this season. The deer in headlights look should be far gone and he should be mature enough to handle the expectations.
As for the old line of "he's a slow starter when he moves up." To me and if I'm a talent evaluator, I read that as a guy who is slow to make adjustments. In the minor leagues, once he made the adjustment to the talent level, he was fine. However, in the big leagues, with advanced scouting, he's going to have consistently make adjustments and I don't know that he will be capable of doing that.
by badradiorules on Dec 17, 2007 11:37 PM CST up reply actions
given a shot
use the long swing as evidence, not his "shots."
Excatly
I would love for the team to offer the kid some support for once. Come out and say that he's going to get regular AB's at either DH or LF every single day until the All-Star break. Let him attempt to get comfortable up there. Jerking him in and out of the lineup and having him constantly looking over his shoulder isn't the way he should be handled, imo.
If he can't hack it, let him prove once and for all that he can't hack it.
That's all I want.
But he's not going to get that.
I really think Edgardo Alfonzo has a better shot of breaking camp as our regular DH than Botts does.
by thedirkatron on Dec 18, 2007 2:11 AM CST up reply actions
Sadly
27 and 50 ABs aren't much, but they are shots. Don't you think if he'd done well in those stints they would've been longer? I do (see Byrd and Murphy).
Two months is ample time to show SOMETHING. Salty didn't put up great numbers in his two month shot, but he showed us flashes of brilliance. And he's 22.
by badradiorules on Dec 18, 2007 11:06 AM CST up reply actions
Don't you think
If two months of playing everyday isn't a shot for a former 46th round pick that can't play a position, what is. He's not a mega-prospect. He's a 28 year old that is supposed to be able to hit.
Again, I ask, how many more ABs is this organization on the hook for without getting any results? 200? 400? 600?
by badradiorules on Dec 18, 2007 10:58 AM CST up reply actions
what the hell are you talking about
2006 is only slightly better chance but i'm pretty sure he was getting sent down anyway then too.
2007 is really the only extended look but plenty of players have absolutely sucked for their first 200 AB's. you have no idea what you are saying if you think his first chances with the club were enough.
i guess this type of thinking is what got Hafner traded after 62 AB's. and go look at Agon's numbers after his 150 ab season with the rangers.
You
The Hafner trade was awful. The AGon trade was awful. But, I think if the organization was in the state that it is now when they were coming up, they would be every day guys. Those guys were also younger when they struggled at the big league level.
Maybe I'm not stating my point very well, but it is twofold. One: I don't think that the Rangers have ever thought that Botts could be a big league DH and he's done nothing to show them different when given the opportunity. Two: which is a question that I'll ask you. How long is this organization on the hook for giving him at bats with very little results? 200ABs? 400? 600?
by badradiorules on Dec 18, 2007 2:21 PM CST up reply actions
another 200 AB's
and i have no idea what your second paragraph means. those guys would have gotten extended looks despite their horrid stats but botts shouldn't?
your point is fine, its just terrible. you can't expect botts to produce anything meaningful in stints less than 50 AB's. he might as well be playing the lottery with the variation in the pitchers he's seeing over that time span.
160 AB's is a better indicator, but to write off someone's career in 160 AB's is ludicrous. and, it's not like he was absolutely terrible. He has a pretty good walk rate.
but this "nobody to blame but himself" argument is the real problem. he has lots of things to blame. he should have been getting regular ab's in the big leagues since 2005 and he shouldn't have had to play behind phil nevin. he might never be good, but if this is all we see of him, then we can't say we got a good look at him.
yeh thats right AJM....
I mean ab :) he should be given until the all star break before they decide if he stays or not.
Obviously
Also, you are right about great players who were bad in their first 200 ABs. I would venture to guess most of those that you are talking about were big time prospects who were thrown in the deep end at a young age. How many marginal prospects that couldn't play a position were given 400+ ABs with very little success at 27+ years of age. And if the organization gives up on him after 400+ fruitless ABs and he pulls a Lee Stevens/Jack Cust in 3 years is the organization on the hook for that?
I don't know. It's hard for me to see how him and Cruz can be so successful at the AAA level and have no success at the big league level. However, the organization obviously values him very little and there has to be a reason for that. All jokes and past mistakes aside, I assume that they know more about what they are talking about than anyone on here.
by badradiorules on Dec 19, 2007 12:05 AM CST up reply actions
maybe
I'm sure there are some people with the rangers that are good at scouting talent but everybody doesn't always get an equal say.
again, I don't disagree that with the current make up of the team, it will be hard to get botts AB's and I don't particularly disagree with any of the moves being made this offseason (signing bradley). I just don't think its fair to say he had his shot and blew it. he had a better shot than most but considering how much he got dicked around early on, you can't call it a fair shake.
he should have had an extended look when he was 25+ or 26+
If its anyone other than
by Nichols22 on Dec 17, 2007 8:40 AM CST reply actions
Botts and Cruz
I'll be surprised if it's Shelton
Put up 870 OPS in his first season
Very good minor league hitter
good defensively in his full year as a starter
After his great April a few years ago, he basically had two horrible months in May/June. He was starting to come out of it in July (730 ops) but the Tigers traded for Sean Casey and that was it for Shelton (28 abs after). Which was pretty stupid.
Who knows if he is better/worse than Broussard, but he is definitely another potentially good-average option. We don't have a lot of those at first base.
Nelson Cruz needs to go.
the 40
In the case of Tejeda though, it's almost more telling if he's left on.
Despite his age, how surprised would anyone be if he gets whacked?
Don't know how true it is...
To me the obvious choice is Bill White. Not a huge loss if someone claims his, but if he clears you can sign him to a minor league deal.
I don't get the hate for Scott either. I love Wes, but the reason he was in the minors for a lot of the year last season was because he was pitching like a minor league pitcher, not because of Scott. however, I predict a bounce back season for both of them...
Tejeda
Me too
There's enough sake to go around.
by Brian Thomas on Dec 18, 2007 3:35 PM CST up reply actions
I thought that may happen also...
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