Saturday items

by Brett Perryman on Jul 7, 2007 12:08 PM CDT in News

Fun win last night.

Evan Grant has a very...umm...produced midseason summary of the team. Mostly style but some substance there too.

Drew Davison covers Mark Teixeira's comments on playing for the Orioles. I'll let you draw your own conclusion.

Mike Heika provides an update on all of the injuries, sounds like status quo. Tex and Otsuka likely back after the break, Padilla headed for a rehab, and Lofton's knee still sore.

Todd Wills speaks with Blake Beavan's mom who says no deal is coming very soon for him. I want to see Beavan and Kiker pitch on the same staff. That would be interesting.

And Wills also profiles Brandon Boggs and his quest to have a quality, healthy season.

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Comments

Padilla

Okay... let's assume for a moment that we deal Gagne and Otsuka. If that is indeed the case, then I think when Padilla comes back we should strongly consider trying him out as closer.

He's always been a guy with nasty stuff who can be utterly dominant when he's on. A large part of him being on is often attributed to him being "focused". Well, as a closer he'd be able to come on for an inning and get nasty for a short period of time, with no danger of losing focus. And the high pressure situations would keep him from getting bored.

He seems to be the perfect closer personality. He's really competitive, but he also doesn't seem to care that much about wins and losses... that's PERFECT for a closer. Also I think his surly demeanor really lends itself to being a one inning "bad intentions" type closer.

It also might be easier on his arm than starting, though I don't know the specifics of his injury. It was said closing was easier on Smoltz and Papelbon, so maybe the same would hold true with Padilla.

And it's a lost season, so if it doesn't work out, no harm/no foul, and he can go right back to starting next spring.

What would y'all think about possibly trying Padilla out as closer for the rest of the season?

"The boxing scenes in 'Million Dollar Baby' were so realistic, I initially thought it was a documentary." -Brian Thomas.

by thedirkatron on Jul 7, 2007 12:37 PM CDT reply actions

padilla

I meant my comment below to be a reply to yours.

by Randy Richardson on Jul 7, 2007 12:53 PM CDT up reply actions

closer

If they did trade Aki and Gagne, I think I'd prefer a closer by committee with CJ, Benoit, and Francisco. Also, while Padilla makes about average money for a starter who has recently signed a FA contract, as a closer, he'd be making the same or more than the elite closers (his contract is about the same as Wagner and Ryan's).

by Randy Richardson on Jul 7, 2007 12:52 PM CDT reply actions

re:

Well my thinking is that his salary is already a sunk cost... we're going to pay him 11mm per year in '08 and '09 no matter what. If closing would be easier on his arm, I think it's worth a shot this year. I think he'd be very good as a closer, and if he's not it's not like it would sabotage our playoff aspirations or anything like that. And he could always go back to the rotation next year. (Remember the Red Sox did this with Schilling when he was coming back off injury, too.)

I just think he's always going to have problems with consistency as a starter, and I think he's got all the traits you look for in a lights out closer and I'd be intrigued to see him get a shot at it.

It'll never happen, of course. But it'd be interesting.

"The boxing scenes in 'Million Dollar Baby' were so realistic, I initially thought it was a documentary." -Brian Thomas.

by thedirkatron on Jul 7, 2007 1:29 PM CDT up reply actions

"Closer by

committee" is one of the worst creations of the last 15 years.

Ephesians 1:3-10

by kwellborn on Jul 7, 2007 3:21 PM CDT up reply actions

Teixeira

I wish he'd shut up.

We all know he doesn't want to play in Texas. And maybe comments like that make the 10% of the delusional people who think he'll sign an extension.

But going around talking like that is only going to decrease his trade value to teams like New York and L.A. who may hope that he'll consider being more than a year and a half rental.

by JBImaknee on Jul 7, 2007 12:54 PM CDT reply actions

I don't see what difference it makes...

to us, as fans. He told his hometown paper he'd like to play for Baltimore. Big deal.

by benmor78 on Jul 7, 2007 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions

ditto

None of us would say anything much different in that situation.

If I were Teixeira I'd be a bit ticked at the Rangers anyway. They seem to have just given up any hope of signing him and are obviously willing to listen to trade offers. If he had any inclination to stay here it would have to be long gone now.

by t ball on Jul 7, 2007 7:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Well

I don't think it would take much of an indication from Tex to convince them that there's at least a chance of him returning. We don't know what their communication is, but I have to think that if he would just as soon play here as anywhere else, he could communicate that to them and they'd respond accordingly. I don't know that, but I suspect that they would. Managing to re-sign Teixeira would impress their fan base more than almost anything they could do.

by Brett Perryman on Jul 7, 2007 7:40 PM CDT up reply actions

Right, and I don't blame

the team or him not knowing what's been said or communicated. I think they are being very smart in listening to offers and they could still re-sign him. He has not said anything really wrong in my book, but, as you say, he hasn't really strongly indicated he wants to stay either.

He might just be the kind of guy, however, that gets a bit huffy if he's not asked really nicely to stay. I think the team is handling it the right way, I'd be listening to offers and trying to see what they could get. But you make a great point in that if Hicks really wanted to make a splash with the fan base, re-signing Teixiera would do it.

by t ball on Jul 7, 2007 7:55 PM CDT up reply actions

Tex

I think when you have Boras as an agent, you're pretty much sending the message to all teams that you're going to the FA market and it's gonna be expensive.

by Randy Richardson on Jul 7, 2007 10:23 PM CDT up reply actions

haha

yeah is he suppose to say he doesnt want to play for his hometown? lol but we all know he doesnt want to be here

by slash on Jul 7, 2007 1:59 PM CDT reply actions

Living in Abilene

Texas, I miss a lot of the little quotes the players make unless I read here on LSB. I would love to see the quotes or just be told the quotes from Tex that give us the "proof" he does not want to play in Texas.

If he admires Cal Ripken and the Oriole Way as much as a die hard Oriole fan claims they do, then he would value the prospect of finishing his career with the team he started with. For what it's worth (not much) the way I read that quote is that if he is not traded his first choice is to resign with Texas for market value (who knows what that will be). If the Rangers trade him, he wants the Baltimore fans to believe they are his first choice, but like any free agent he will go to the highest bidder not named Texas.

I think that makes sense.

Ephesians 1:3-10

by kwellborn on Jul 7, 2007 3:30 PM CDT up reply actions

Beaven

I'm really getting worried that we're not going to sign him. If we don't sign him, do we get the 18th pick overall in next year's draft?

by Coolbean04 on Jul 7, 2007 2:19 PM CDT reply actions

Yes

we would ge the 18th next year.

But I'm not too worried about it yet. We still have over a month left, and I'm thinking he'll soften up a little as he faces the prospect of spending a year in some crappy JC praying he doesn't get hurt while striking out two guys an inning.

"The boxing scenes in 'Million Dollar Baby' were so realistic, I initially thought it was a documentary." -Brian Thomas.

by thedirkatron on Jul 7, 2007 2:38 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree

I think he signs.

by Brett Perryman on Jul 7, 2007 3:03 PM CDT up reply actions

Yup

my prediction is for about 100k above slot.

"The boxing scenes in 'Million Dollar Baby' were so realistic, I initially thought it was a documentary." -Brian Thomas.

by thedirkatron on Jul 7, 2007 3:35 PM CDT up reply actions

Oops, hit "post" too soon

meant to add that Ramirez is the guy who scares me a little. He's a real threat to go to GT, imo. I'd really like to bring him into the fold, but I'm about 50/50 on whether that'll actually happen.

"The boxing scenes in 'Million Dollar Baby' were so realistic, I initially thought it was a documentary." -Brian Thomas.

by thedirkatron on Jul 7, 2007 3:37 PM CDT up reply actions

agreed

they really need to sign him, but i'm starting to think he goes to GT. He probably feels he can be a very high pick after a few years in college, the rangers would be wise to pay him first round money

"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 Jul 7, 2007 3:41 PM CDT up reply actions

If he thinks that's a prudent move

He's either an idiot or being advised by one...

If the Scoot stays mute, you must commute.

by Brian Thomas on Jul 7, 2007 11:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Wouldn't it be the 17th?

by a bebop a rebop on Jul 8, 2007 3:28 AM CDT up reply actions

Beaven...

He would be very stupid not sign. The only thing that has me worried is...that he is so "overboard cocky" that he probably thinks he can go to junior college, dominate, and become a top 10 pick next year...

any high school kid that is draft in the first round should realize that the odds are WAY against them improving their draft position.

Main understood this.

by clinton33 on Jul 7, 2007 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Hadn't read your post when I wrote mine

Makes mine a little superfluous...

If the Scoot stays mute, you must commute.

by Brian Thomas on Jul 7, 2007 11:14 PM CDT up reply actions

Is there...

any relation to Dickie?
"Thursday's Minor League stars:
Gold: First baseman Freddie Thon went 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs as Class A Bakersfield downed Stockton, 12-11. Thon hit the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth. Third baseman Christopher Davis extended his hitting streak to 25 games."

Which, by the way, is one of the worst baseball names possible. Besides maybe Sammy Sosa or Barajas.

Ephesians 1:3-10

by kwellborn on Jul 7, 2007 3:20 PM CDT reply actions