Where do we go from here?

by Bigfan16 on Aug 29, 2007 10:18 AM CDT

I have been quite for a while and let the trades settle out over the past month. As I review the team today I am left with an awful feeling and questioning how this team is going to get better in 08? Here is what I see as we near the end of August.

Pitching: The pen has been stellar and looks to be solid again next year. The in house front runners for the 08 rotation with 07 ERA to date are: Millwood 5.31, Padilla 6.24, Gabbard 3.86, Loe 5.53, McCarthy 4.79, and Tejada 6.61. Only Loe and Millwood have pitched over 100 innings and Gabbard numbers are solid but based on only a few starts. Does this rotation excite anyone? How do we make it better??

Defense: Lets leave the OF alone for now and concentrate on the IF. Tex is gone along with his gold glove. Kinsler has a .975 fielding % that is .005% better than the much maligned Soriano. OUCH! Young maintains a .979 F% solid but not spectacular and Blalock (leading candidate for 3B in 08) again struggles on defense with a .935 F%. No comment required!

Batting: OK based on 07 numbers You have to give Byrd a shot in LF and Young is a no brainer at SS. Blalock will provide some pop at 3B. After that we have Laird and Salty at C hitting .228 & .221 respectively though Salty has shown more pop. Wilky at 1B with a .235 avg and .304 OBP PLEASE. Kinler started hot but has slumped to hitting .255 YTD. Others who have not impressed me to date include Botts .220 avg and Cruz .223.

The batting average is compounded by the 990 strike outs so far.

Well at least the Team has money for FA right? So I look at the available FA's and feel like old mother hubbard the cupboard is bare.

All of the above is to say out of desparation that I do not see any way to fix this team quickly. poor rotation, poor defense and a team that can not get on base does not add up to a lot of wins in 08 from where I sit.

Am I wrong?
What do you think JD will do to get something going for next year?

Does JD just stand pat and see if the younger players pan out better in 08 than they did in 07? It seams to have worked for Benoit after several years of struggles.

I may just be venting but would like to hear what you think.

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You seemed to miss one huge important fact.

We are not competing next year.

If you want to make a diary like this, worry about 09.

08 is fully about who is gonna be on board and part of the solution for 09.

As soon as you accept this truth, the pain will fade away.

by SaltyGoesYard on Aug 29, 2007 10:16 AM CDT 0 recs

Agreed

But it really doesn't bother me. I want the Rangers to stay away from the FA pool, and concentrate on figuring out what they have, so they can make some good FA decisions after next season.

I'm looking forward to 2008. No expectations means no disappointment.

"You make me sick, Homer. You're the one who told me I could do anything if I just put my mind to it!"
"Well, now that you're a little bit older, I can tell you that's a crock! No matter how good you are at something, there's always about a million people better than you."
"Gotcha. Can't win, don't try."

Well Mr. Burns had done it. The power plant had won it. With Roger Clemens clucking all the while.

by WyoRanger on Aug 29, 2007 2:53 PM CDT up 0 recs

The rotation

I'd be willing to bet, going into next year, it is:

Millwood, Padilla, McCarthy, Gabbard, and Volquez

Hurley competes for a rotation slot, gets praise, and goes back to AAA for a couple of months before a June callup.

by Adam J. Morris on Aug 29, 2007 10:30 AM CDT 0 recs

Rotation

I'd be pretty happy with that one, particularly if Millwood and Padilla make it back near their average levels of performance.

But that river of tears has dried for all of us.

by trza on Aug 29, 2007 11:18 AM CDT up 0 recs

Not a horrible rotation

But it really relies on Volquez and especially McCarthy stepping up.

If B-Mac can near his potential (those teasing flashes he's provided us), and Volquez can put things together, our rotation looks a lot nicer like

1- Millwood
2- BMac
3- Padilla
4- Volquez
5- Gabbard

Because Gabbard would be an above average #5 and Padilla and decent #3. The way it has been this year, Padilla may be the worst #2 in baseball.

It all rests on BMacs shoulders...

by JBImaknee on Aug 29, 2007 11:30 AM CDT up 0 recs

it all rests...

... on HEALTH...

this rotation has been shot to hell all season long... especially at the beginning...

the Angels staff has been very solid this year because they've generally been healthy... with the exception of Colon...

this rotation is capable of being competitive... it's just a matter of consistancy, really...

i mean, if you take away those two stints on the DL earlier this season, chances are Milly pitches a little bit better in the beginning... he's definetely given us chances to win the last couple of months... he just gets horrible run support.

by oc on Aug 29, 2007 1:39 PM CDT up 0 recs

Caveat

Padilla's not a guarantee anymore: he has to improve to stay out of the bullpen (or, as you've suggested, to avoid TJ).

I like Gabbard but his only job security is as a 4 or 5...it's almost like his job depends on others excelling.

By July next year I can easily see this lining up:

Millwood
McCarthy
Volquez
Hurley
Gabbard/Galarraga

If McCarthy and Volquez approach their ceilings within the next year, that's an effective rotation.

And if Kiker and Poveda stay on Hurley's promo schedule, they're set for early 2009. Phillips and Schlact, admittedly darker horses, could be there too.

by hightowersmith on Aug 29, 2007 11:37 AM CDT up 0 recs

looking forward to 2008

There are going to be losses and growing pains, but the interesting thing is going to be the turnover of talent that happens next year. By the end of July there are going to be callups for quite a few of the guys who are tearing up AA right now. You can look forward to at least one veteran pitcher returning to form and hopefully 2 young starting arms solidifying themselves. You will see quite a few guys get shots at multiple positions. I would also anticipate a very lively trade deadline where JD might add a couple more major league ready pieces by giving up some high ceiling prospects.

Mark Connor just shows up to the ballpark to collect a paycheck.

by jshcmp on Aug 29, 2007 10:35 AM CDT 0 recs

Wilk won't be our first baseman

I will not get my comeuppance!

by Brian Thomas on Aug 29, 2007 10:37 AM CDT 0 recs

I'll take that bet

I think he'll be here for 2008 on a one-year deal. He's cheap, he's probably as good as any alternative obviously available (barring a Helton or Dunn acquisition), and there isn't anyone in the system he's blocking right now (Davis is at least a year away)

If he does rebound, he'll boost his FA compensation likelihood or be good trade bait at the end of July. If he doesn't rebound, he'll be so cheap it won't matter if you release him.

by JBImaknee on Aug 29, 2007 11:11 AM CDT up 0 recs

thats what i dont understand

"lets run wilkerson out of town on a rail"

but who are the other option?

nate gold?
frank catt?
blalock?
metcalf?
salt? (should stay at C imo)

wilkerson is really the best option we have currently available.

equally, id like to see em move chris davis to 1b next year...but not sure that will happen

by knockoutking24 on Aug 29, 2007 11:21 AM CDT up 0 recs

Well, he isn't that cheap

Cat would do just fine. If we don't trade the Jet, Jumpstain will work ok, too.

I will not get my comeuppance!

by Brian Thomas on Aug 29, 2007 11:32 AM CDT up 0 recs

My preference

I'd rather have Wilky at 1st and Salty behind the plate than Laird catching. If we're rebuilding, I want Saltalamacchia being the full-time catcher. Especially if JD can convince someone that Laird isn't limited to being a platoon catcher...

by JBImaknee on Aug 29, 2007 12:01 PM CDT up 0 recs

Well

Davis is at least a year away.

I think he plays in the Majors next year.

In 94 AA at bats, he has 12 HR and a .766 slug.

I dare anyone to raise the small sample size flag on Chris Davis...

Barring a tail off next week, he's proved himself in AA this year.

by hightowersmith on Aug 29, 2007 11:44 AM CDT up 0 recs

I'm not saying he won't see Arlington next year

but he probably shouldn't be on the 25-man on Opening Day. Let him play in AAA, and if he's really as good as he's been playing this year, he'll be racing down 35 before you know it.

Not that I really mind - I wouldn't mind pulling a Florida and having all kids + Michael Young out there next year. But is the average April 'till Cowboys training camp starts Ranger fan ready for a "let the kids play" type of year?

by JBImaknee on Aug 29, 2007 11:57 AM CDT up 0 recs

Davis and Boggs (platoons)

For what it's worth, both Davis and Boggs could be worked in next year in platoon rolls.

If we keep Wilk around on a 1 year deal, we can play him against LHP and let Davis hit against RHP (he has pretty significant splits, at least in AA). Collectively, they could combine for 35 HRs next year at that position (and maybe 175 Ks). Boggs and Murphy, as I have stated before, could make one solid OF, as Murphy has historically hit better against RHP, and Boggs has torn up lefties. Platoons are the best way to make your dollars go farther these days.

by clark on Aug 29, 2007 1:54 PM CDT up 0 recs

Davis and Boggs

I don't know if you want either of them up in a platoon role, given that they'd only be playing once every 3 or 4 days against lefties.

Platooning a young lefty hitter makes more sense than platooning a young righty hitter.

by Adam J. Morris on Aug 29, 2007 2:34 PM CDT up 0 recs

no platooning

Both of them need to be playing every single day in the minors. Davis needs to work on that BB/K ratio and Boggs needs to work on hitting righties. We'll see them in '09 in one fashion or another.

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by t ball on Aug 29, 2007 2:59 PM CDT up 0 recs

I agree

at the start of the year, these guys should be playing every day. But when they are eventually worked into the ML line ups, this might be a nice way to break them in. As Adam said, it is easier to do it with Davis because this set up would still allow him to play almost every game. As for Boggs, I am not sure if he will ever become more than a platoon guy anyway. His splits are pretty dramatic.

by clark on Aug 29, 2007 4:11 PM CDT up 0 recs

No

the average April 'till Cowboys training camp Ranger fan is not ready for that because he is not accustomed to that for the last 8 years or so. He is accustomed to: hell with the farm, hell with the rotation, we're gonna slug our way into the WS, imprudent FA signings, and constantly reloading without building a talent base. Thankfully, JD has adopted a shrewd approach in cutting his losses, sacrificing his job security, but preparing this team for playoff winning baseball by '12.

"No team has any major strengths as all NFL players are roughly the same. If you cant run on third and one it isn't because of your players." - Sharky

by Chase Irwin on Aug 29, 2007 12:21 PM CDT 0 recs

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by hightowersmith on Aug 29, 2007 12:31 PM CDT up 0 recs

I dont think

You are ever going to catch em all but its fun to watch you try.

by corbsclinton on Aug 29, 2007 3:52 PM CDT up 0 recs

First off Byrd is not a corner outfielder.....

it is CF or 4th OF for him....second Tejada is now behind Hurley and Galarraga and I don't see him having a chance at the rotation next year.

The rotation is all if's....if Millwood and Padilla can rebound, if B-Mac turns into what we all hope/think he can, and if Volquez can be next years Fausto Carmona...and health as always is a huge factor.

The pen like this year should be solid.

As has been said, 09 is a more likely goal to compete...we still need to have Nellie in RF, Botts at DH, Salty at CA, and maybe even get a better look at Murphy to see what we have in these guys for 09....1B is just puzzling to me but please no Whiffy, I'd rather see Cat or even Gold.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Aug 30, 2007 12:02 AM CDT 0 recs