It's not too early to look at 2008 is it?

by Bigfan16 on May 21, 2007 1:39 AM CDT Comment 35 comments

So first I admit I have posted mostly negative opinions about JD to date. So lets look at the bright side of his moves to date. The Rangers look to have a team payroll of around $68.3M per Fox Sports.com. Take away some players that need to go in a rebuilding season including (Wilky,Lofton & Cat)trade for prospects or whatever you can get and you save $13.8M. Now the controversial take away...Trade Tex who is in line for $15M in 2008, and is making $9M this year. Important note, must get quality for Tex, hopefully a SP that could be comfortable at the top of the rotation.

Those take aways/trades puts this team at $45.5M give or take a few bucks as the base to work with. It leaves the GM about $40M to work with keeping the payroll around $85.5M

I like the base we have here.

As always we need to start with the rotation. I keep Millwood, Padilla, BMac, and RobTej. I also throw Loe out there every chance to see if he can stick in the MLB's. The rotation would look much better with a top of the rotation guy who will cost $15-20M per in FA. It would be better if we could trade Tex for a top of the order SP.
Positions are solid. C - Laird and some Body will be ok unless you want to chase after a FA named Pudge. 1B w/out Tex our options include Botts, Dunn is a FA, and given Blalocks injury could he be moved to 1B if Metcalf continues to thrive at 3B??? 2B - Kinsler, 3B - Blalock, Metcalf and Vazquez, SS - MY, Util - Kata and Arias
Without adding anything to the Payroll we could field a decent IF though we WILL miss Tex's power and that needs to be addressed in the OF/DH.

OF - Cruz and Diaz need to play everyday to see if the can handle MLB. I think they will become solid enough to keep but will need1- more OF to make the team a contender.

The Pen has many options but despite their performance to date I think a solid pen is available from the pieces we have on hand.

The glaring needs for this team IMO are:

Top of the rotation starter, preferably a lefty to go along with Millwood.
A quality CF
Power hitter for #4 and #5 spots.

The top available FA for 08 according to MLBRUMOR>.com are:

John Smoltz (41)
Carlos Zambrano (27)
Joe Nathan (33)
Mariano Rivera (38)
Jorge Posada (36)
Curt Schilling (41)
Bobby Abreu (34)
Ichiro Suzuki (34)
Andruw Jones (31)
Carlos Guillen (32)
Jeff Kent (40)
Mike Lowell (34)
Jason Jennings (29)
Jake Westbrook (30)
Ivan Rodriguez (36)
Freddy Garcia (32)
Kenny Rogers (43)
Torii Hunter (32)
Jason Isringhausen (35)
Omar Vizquel (41)
Marcus Giles (30)
Eric Byrnes (32)
Paul Lo Duca (36)
Bob Wickman (39)
Corey Patterson (28)
Adam Dunn (28)
Scott Linebrink (31)
Michael Barrett (31)
Milton Bradley (30)
Jon Lieber (38)
David Eckstein (33)
Aaron Rowand (30)
Juan Uribe (29)
Bartolo Colon (35)

Since my first priority is SP that is comfortable in the top of the rotation the best choices IMO are Zambrano and Colon. If neither can be had I doubt Rogers is coming back to Rangerland so how about a RADICAL idea? Trade Tex and AO for Papelbon (transistion him into a SP) and some other player(s)? Pap, Bmac and Tejeda wood look really nice to me.

CF - Here we have some nice options including Hunter and A. Jones. Sure they will cost but both fit two needs (Field and line-up).
Power - Do we keep Sosa next year or go for an upgrade? Dunn and ABreu would be nice options not to mention Ichiro who if available would look great in RF and atting lead-off.

The point being if we handle the Tex trade correctly we could easily add 2,3,4, oras many as 5 impact FA's and address all the needs of this team.

Who likes or dislikes the following:
Rotation: Millwood, Padilla, Pap, BMac, and Tejeda
Pen: Mostly the same as this year less AO
Line-up:
Ichiro RF
Young SS
Jones or Hunter CF
Abreu or Dunn or Sosa DH
Blalock 3B
Botts 1B
Cruz or Diaz LF
Kinsler 2B
Laird C

I vote for this type of roster come opening day next year.

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Comments

As has been pointed out elsewhere...

the Reds have a $13M option on Dunn for next year and would be stupid not to exercise it.

Also, it would cost some, but I really really like the idea of having one of Jones/Hunter/Ichiro out in center. Two, as you suggest, would be even nicer (maybe then we could stick Botts in left field!) but probably not feasible.

I don't like the idea of trading for Pabelbon and sticking him in the rotation, just too many unknowns for me to cope with in that scenario, especially if we have to give up Tex and Aki for that return... I would think about it maybe if they give us some combination of Lester/Ellsbury/Youkilis also, and I don't think Boston would do that, Papelbon is really popular there.

by a bebop a rebop on May 21, 2007 2:07 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Fair criticism and I agree

The Bosox are not likely to move Pap but I would like to get him if possible. Also you are right about getting more for Tex and AO but I did not want to make my post any longer. Heck is was already long enough.

by Bigfan16 on May 21, 2007 10:29 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tom Hicks...

Abreu, Dunn, Ichiro, etc. will all cost top dollar and Hicks despite his bidding hasn't been in the race for these types of free agents in awhile (with the exception of Millwood if you place him in that league).

Furthermore, based on his recent comments about how you can make money without focusing on winning, I don't see him dishing out the big bucks anytime soon.

Now, if the team is terrible and people don't show for awhile I could see him placing the team on the market and focusing on Liverpool.

by rangeressary on May 21, 2007 5:25 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Your comments about Mr. Hicks

scare me more than anything else. I want to see a winner. I want to go to a world series game here. I am not asking him to lose money but does he have to max out how much he makes on this team?

by Bigfan16 on May 21, 2007 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

2008?

This team needs to start over. Hicks/Hart blew the Tex/Young/Blalock window. It's time to strip it down and work towards the future. We have to aim at 2010 or so now.

by BCanfield on May 21, 2007 7:59 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

"I like the base here"

I see our position base mostly made up of complementary players that might be nice surrounding some stars, but I definitely don't see stars. I see on 800 or so OPS SS with a mediocre glove that will be paid like a star, but I don't see any stars.

Even worse for our position players, even though they don't hit well enough to be stars, they field as poorly as some stars that are kept for their bats.

Our pitching core might be solid, but they aren't going to be able to carry a bad offense and defensive set of position players.

"The challenge we face today is not how to win in Iraq; it is how to recover from a strategic mistake: invading Iraq in the first place,"--ret Lt. Gen. Odom

by DJCahill on May 21, 2007 8:35 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

not that i totally disagree

but what would be your solution?
I like young but i'm coming around to the fact that he was greatly overpaid, kinsler has potential to breakout but hasn't yet.... i still like cruz and diaz but they aren't the answers.

"Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!" "If you don't throw strikes first, you're last."

by rentz on May 21, 2007 8:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

My only solution

is to trade every tradeable player, restock the minors, and build for the future.

There doesn't appear to be enough in the majors or high minors to keep trying to win year to year.

"The challenge we face today is not how to win in Iraq; it is how to recover from a strategic mistake: invading Iraq in the first place,"--ret Lt. Gen. Odom

by DJCahill on May 21, 2007 8:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i think

trading tex and millwood (if i believe what adam says and draw comps from the jennings deal) would give you enough of a return where you could expect to put out a very talented but young team next year that wouldn't necessarily be favorites but would at least be competitive. and said team might be favorites in a couple of years.

that is, if you make the right trades and get little lucky on the returns.

Forget Johnny Bench, we got Gerry "the Jet" Laird

by ab03 on May 21, 2007 9:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

millwood

does anyone know if he has any sort of no trade clause? or a list of teams he will not be traded to?

"Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!" "If you don't throw strikes first, you're last."

by rentz on May 21, 2007 9:04 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

limited no-trade clause

that's all i could find out about it.
http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/texas-rangers.html

Forget Johnny Bench, we got Gerry "the Jet" Laird

by ab03 on May 21, 2007 9:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Colon?

No way, fat boy is getting on in years and a constant injury risk.

I say break the bank for A. Jones. He's better than Hunter and younger as well. If you trade Teixeira, I say the greater need is the outfield and not the rotation. If you manage to trade for a long term solution in CF (maybe a package that includes Ellsbury) than you don't sign Jones obviously, going after another bat or a SP.

If you're going longterm instead of trying to win in '08, than forget either Jones or Hunter and trade for a young CF prospect, and trade Millwood. Next year's rotation adds Hurley at some point and this year you see what you've got in McCarthy, Tejeda, Loe, and maybe Rupe or Volquez if he makes enough progress. You use this year and '08 to carefully build piece by piece and look to watch the growth of young players pay off in '09 and beyond.

by t ball on May 21, 2007 9:42 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

T-Ball it is always great to hear from you.

I agree with you on Colon to a point. He is one of the better FA SP available. Since I am not crazy about him that played into my reasoning for trading Tex. That and the depth of quality FA OF'ers. I don't think it unreasonable to expect a very solid SP in return. In my ideal world of fantasy I say trade Tex for Santana. I just can't see the Twins buying into that trade though.
I still think this team can win in 08 IF the management gets serious and starts acting like a winner now.

by Bigfan16 on May 21, 2007 10:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tex for Santana

I can't see the Twins buying into that either, since they have the reigning AL MVP at first base.

"Then I met some friends for a beer, went to a BoDeans's concert, and son of a vondruke, if I didn't leave him at the concert hall."

by RCCook on May 21, 2007 11:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

they could have me at 1B

They'd still laugh in our faces at that offer...

Dreamcatchers work...if your dream is to be a douchebag...

by Brian Thomas on May 21, 2007 12:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Smoltz

Is he really the number 1 free agent next year?

Troy I.

by tdi1985 on May 21, 2007 9:50 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

3.22 ERA since returning to the rotation in 2005

7.4 K/9
3.4 K/BB
1.17 WHIP
66.6 Win%

Plus, you're likely to get him on a two year deal.

Zambrano is obviously more likely to change a team for the long haul because he'll get a 6-7 year contract, but if you need one pitcher for one year, I'd think long and hard about Smoltz.

------------
:) - Obligatory smiley showing I don't mean whatever mean
spiritedness is likely contained in the preceding post

by jtts on May 21, 2007 9:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

smoltz

my guess is he re-signs with atlanta, if not he likely stays in the NL

"Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!" "If you don't throw strikes first, you're last."

by rentz on May 21, 2007 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hey I did not make the list

I just used it for reference.

by Bigfan16 on May 21, 2007 10:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ichiro

I don't see him playing for anyone other than an West Coast or East Coast team.

by bflood36 on May 21, 2007 9:56 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't disagree but

my point in adding Ichiro is:

Trading Tex reduces our power
Hunter or Jones adds power to CF but neither are lead-off hitters
Ichiro is the best lead-off / OF available IMO.

Hey these are just ideas about what I would like to see happen. If we had the roster I posted I would almost expect them to be the favorites in the AL West next year and I don't see the future mortgaged to the point where it is a win or else situation.

by Bigfan16 on May 21, 2007 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

DRays

Unfortunately, the Rangers have become the DRays of the early 2000s. We're a mediocre team that continually tries to become marginally competitive by signing over the hill has-beens (Caminiti, Nevin, Sosa, etc. compared to Greg Vaughn, Canseco, etc. that the DRays kept running out there) that generally failed spectacularly. Like those DRays, we have an abysmal farm system that offers no hope for the future. We can either continue to play the same old game and continue to finish in 4th place (or in a miraculous year, 3rd!) in the division, or we can do what the DRays did, acknowledge that you need to start over and commit to building a quality team from the inside.

I could handle the losing back when we had Teixeira/Blalock/Hafner/Mateo/Pena to look forward to, but there is no hope on the horizon at the moment. Let's demolish this team, run Kinsler, Laird, Mahar, Botts, Diaz, and all the young pitchers out there for the rest of the season, and see which players can be part of the next (hopefully) good Rangers team. This one is done.

by BCanfield on May 21, 2007 11:39 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Byrnes???

i would rather have him in center than AJ or Hunter.. i would imagine his contract would be about half as much as the other two. And lets all look at Hunters numbers

Hunter Career
.269/.323..463

Byrnes Career
.261.322/.449

i think i would rather have Byrnes and keep the left over money for a pitcher..

anybody care to guess what byrnes will bring in free agency compared to Hunter???

by M_Y_isDANK on May 21, 2007 11:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Evan Grant...

...speculated that Hunter would get something like 5/85.

My guess is that Byrnes might get something like 3/21 ?

by tricer on May 21, 2007 8:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I mentioned Byrnes before.......

since Torii might get 6/$100M (Carlos Lee did)....A Jones will get more.....unless we trade Tex for an Ace or a CF (or both) there's no way the Rangers spend $100M each to fill those spots.

by tklawless on May 21, 2007 11:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It wouldn't be possible to get a guy like...

Lincecum for Tex would it?

by slimshadty12 on May 21, 2007 1:26 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Not Lincecum

Maybe Cain

Lick by lick, mountains erode

by RangerMoto on May 21, 2007 3:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Look on the bright side......

we have:

top of the rotation starter: danks and chris young

#4 or #5 hitter: adrian gonzalez

see it's looking better all the time.....oh..wait.....nevermind

You've got a dirty whorish mouth.

by MATEO LEG on May 21, 2007 2:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

How about some new material?

Dreamcatchers work...if your dream is to be a douchebag...

by Brian Thomas on May 21, 2007 2:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You won't have to wait much longer

by shallrelicme on May 21, 2007 4:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree.......

but neither of them is or will ever be a #1!

by tklawless on May 21, 2007 5:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Too many starting pitchers

Who do you boot? I've got Hurley penciled in for 2008 already. The next 4 months will be very revealing for Tejeda, McCarthy, Cruz, and Diaz. If you could land Smoltz, I'd go for it, but there is just no way he signs here. The most obvious targets are Jones or Hunter.

And I'm gonna call in sick the day Tex is traded.

buffering....

by SteveP on May 22, 2007 2:21 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

You are correct

Too many pitchers. But considering the Rangers track record of developing prospects into major league pitchers there is plenty of room for doubt on having too many pitchers.

I say trade Tex only if you can get a stud top of the rotation pitcher or a stud OF. I would prefer the Rangers resign him but considering the Rangers history of being a little tight with the purse strings and Boras' history of maxing out the dollar value of his players contracts we are left between a rock and a hard place. Please do not let us make the same mistake we made with Soriano when we had no choice but to accept a trade that under valued our players value. Some times you have to do things earlier than you would like in order to get the best value.

by Bigfan16 on May 22, 2007 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What I'd want for Teix

is 2-3 close to major league ready position prospects, with at least one legitimite stud prospect. This team desperately needs to jumpstart its minors, especially when you look at how weak the Free Agent market has been for talent, and how weak it looks next year.

I just don't see this team getting to be a strong playoff team without trading its current players in 2-3 for 1 deals for prospects, and have a lot of the prospects pan out.

Mitt Romney should "get out his small-varmint gun and drive those Guatemalans off his lawn" -- Sen John McCain

by DJCahill on May 22, 2007 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs