Monday a.m. things

by Adam J. Morris on Sep 17, 2007 9:43 AM CDT in News

Well, the 5 game losing streak was broken, which is a good thing. It is also a good thing that it is September and the rosters have expanded...otherwise, there would be some serious issues with the bullpen right now, given how much the relievers had to be used this weekend. The pen threw 21 1/3 innings during the 4 game set in Oakland, including 4 innings from John Rheinecker and 3 from Mike Wood.

Evan Grant's game story focuses on Vicente Padilla, and whether the Rangers can afford to bring him back next year, given his flakiness and tendency to throw at batters.

Personally, I don't think the Rangers have much choice...moving him now would mean giving him up at his lowest value, when you'd have to eat much of his remaining contract and get little back in return. The Rangers would be better off bringing him back, even if they eventually want to dump him...if he has a solid first half of next season, you could probably get something decent for him at the July 2008 trade deadline, and if he is bad next year, you're really no worse off dealing him then than dealing him now.

Kevin Sherrington runs through an evaluation of the 2007 Rangers, and among other things, says that Jason Botts' window of opportunity is shutting.

I think it is worth noting that, after his awful start, Botts is up to .240/.338/.360 on the season, and he has a 979 OPS in September. He's looked better at the plate of late, and that, along with the praise from Ron Washington this weekend, has me encouraged that he'll be the DH to start 2008.

And T.R. Sullivan says that Kam Loe is likely done for the season.

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Comments

Padilla

they can't count on him for anything, really, much less what a #2 starter is expected to produce on a good team.

However, I agree that there isn't much purpose in dumping him at this point. He's a headcase with a good arm, he'll be 30 years old in 10 days, has just one season with an ERA+ over 100 in his last four (2006 - 104), but he does provide a lot of comedic / entertainment value ... surely that won't be ignored when guys like Sideshow are paid to fill the seats.

It's too bad to see Kam shut down, but he has solidified his spot as the long-man / spot starter in 2008's bullpen.

"This is Baseball, it ain't Golf. If you aren't cheating in baseball, you aren't trying nearly hard enough to win." - DJCahill

by inactive lsb user on Sep 17, 2007 12:13 PM CDT reply actions

padilla

sure he's a headcase, but he's proven when he wants to be good he can. and the rangers cant exactly dump him they are stuck with the guy better or worse unless they are ok getting a ricardo rodriguez for him

Can you please Look into getting a less funny signature? That's sarcasm, btw. - Sharky

by rentz on Sep 17, 2007 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Padilla

will rebound next year.

by BillyBobisdrunk on Sep 17, 2007 2:51 PM CDT up reply actions

Standards

"but he's proven when he wants to be good he can"

Perhaps we value #2 pitchers differently, but I'd prefer a little more than that kind of endorsement for a top of the rotation guy.

"This is Baseball, it ain't Golf. If you aren't cheating in baseball, you aren't trying nearly hard enough to win." - DJCahill

by inactive lsb user on Sep 17, 2007 12:35 PM CDT reply actions

i agree

he isnt reliable enough to be a "#2" pitcher. but when he's on his game he's certainly good enough to be considered a 3 or 4.

Can you please Look into getting a less funny signature? That's sarcasm, btw. - Sharky

by rentz on Sep 17, 2007 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions

Aren't you kind of stuck with him?

There was already some snickering when the Rangers signed him, because he has had the reputation as a headcase everywhere he has been, and the word on him is never give him a long term guaranteed contract.

All you hope is he has one of those Esteban Loaiza big years after being a head case.

It's not like we are overrun with too many pitchers for the rotation or anything.

by DJCahill on Sep 17, 2007 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions

You could be worse off dealing him next year

Ok, say you keep him and he is in your starting rotation next year and starts the year off when one solid start and then tanks the next 6...well then you didn't bring in anyone to take his spot and we suck at the beginning of the season once again. He will have no trade value and you got 6 horrible starts out of him. This is an extreme but could happen.

So I don't think it's a clear choice here if you are trying to win games next year.

by Barry Badrinath on Sep 17, 2007 1:30 PM CDT reply actions

Well...

I think that the focus has been on 2008 being more of a rebuilding effort. I think that, even if the Rangers wanted to win in 2008, they would probably prefer to roll the dice with Padilla than pay someone else to take Padilla, and then go and spend on a Kyle Lohse or an Eric Milton.

If Padilla flames out next year, then Eric Hurley or Luis Mendoza or someone of that ilk gets called up in June to take his place. And given where this team is right now, that's fine with me.

by Adam J. Morris on Sep 17, 2007 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions