T.R. Sullivan on the camp battles

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 16, 2008 11:11 AM CDT in News

T.R. Sullivan's Sunday morning blog looks at the various camp battles...

He seems to have David Murphy pushing Marlon Byrd into more of a 4th outfielder role, Gerald Laird beating out Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jason Botts starting the season in the majors with Kevin Mench at DH, and Sidney Ponson getting a look as the 5th starter ahead of Luis Mendoza.

He also has Wes Littleton, Jamey Wright, and Scott Feldman winning the final 3 slots in the bullpen, although with no 5th starter needed until 4/12, he acknowledges someone else will probably stick around in the pen as well...

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I thought Feldman was headed

to OKC to be a starter. If so, Loe would get a bullpen spot with Tejeda as the extra reliever for a couple weeks.

"This has been a team effort. No one or two guys could have done all this." - Casey Stengel, after the Mets lost 120 games in 1962

by RangerMad on Mar 16, 2008 11:13 AM CDT reply actions

FWCATS

I hope Feldman is headed to the Fort Worth Cats.

by Ranger Captain on Mar 16, 2008 1:42 PM CDT up reply actions

Oh, come one

For the last time, people, Feldman is just 25, and has had one very solid year and one poor year. His career WHIP in the minors (5 seasons) was 1.07. It is waaaaayyyyy too soon to throw him under the bus. For crying out loud.

In a rebuilding year this is exactly the kind of guy you give an opportunity to see if he can reestablish himself.

A working class hero is something to be.

by t ball on Mar 16, 2008 2:03 PM CDT up reply actions

come on

A working class hero is something to be.

by t ball on Mar 16, 2008 2:04 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree

I don't get the Feldman hate either.

Get your weeds killed with the Weed Terminator, Inc.

by boomer1 on Mar 16, 2008 2:14 PM CDT up reply actions

its because

he is extremely unimpressive to watch pitch.

doesnt mean hes not effective though.

i dont really care one way or the other.

by DShep on Mar 16, 2008 2:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Watching him get pummeled last season

was very ugly. The league figured out that funky submarine thing. The Rangers basically admitted as much as they have tried to completely change his pitching motion. I just have a problem giving a ML bullpen spot to a guy that has a brand new delivery because his old one was so ineffective.

Hambone, Hambone where you been? I been around these bases, and I'm going again.

by tricer on Mar 16, 2008 3:17 PM CDT up reply actions

+ 1

Josh Hits-a-ton is the new Gonezilla, minus the syringes.

by LAMuscleFag on Mar 16, 2008 4:05 PM CDT up reply actions

Concur...

I think the reason why he had success was in large part because of his delivery. Once hitters figured that out the result is what we saw last year. I'm not ready to throw him under the bus yet, but he definitely should not make this team given the other options in the pen. Let him go back to AAA and work on this new delivery and see what happens there first.

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

by slc ranger on Mar 16, 2008 5:23 PM CDT up reply actions

a big FAT + 1

Josh Hits-a-ton is the new Gonezilla, minus the syringes.

by LAMuscleFag on Mar 16, 2008 5:42 PM CDT up reply actions

Granted, but

that doesn't mean you just throw him away. I'm not saying he should definitely be in the bullpen, but I'm not ready to release him either.

A working class hero is something to be.

by t ball on Mar 16, 2008 5:24 PM CDT up reply actions

Feldman

Yep. There is a weird irrationality about him by much of the LSB community.

by Randy Richardson on Mar 16, 2008 2:31 PM CDT up reply actions

trick deliveries

work pretty well in the low minors, and sometimes big leaguers will get fooled by them for a while. But Feldman was obviously figured out last season.

Hambone, Hambone where you been? I been around these bases, and I'm going again.

by tricer on Mar 16, 2008 3:18 PM CDT up reply actions

RE:

I do agree that the league figured out Feldman in 2007 and started to layoff the diving sinker and wait for him to get up in the zone, which caused him to get hit around the yard. However, to say that he will be starting in the big league pen with a new delivery is a bit of a strech, when the Rangers drafted Feldman out of San Mateo Junior College (CA) he threw with the 3/4 delivery he is currently using.

The Rangers brass decided that dropping Feldman to a sub-marine style would benefit him in a relief role and he had instant success with it. But to say he has to go back to the drawing board and learn a new delivery is not true, since that was his natural arm angle before the Rangers org.

Bruno Boys Fantasy Football www.brunoboys.net

by Bruno Boys Football on Mar 16, 2008 3:26 PM CDT up reply actions

Feldman

His 2007 H/9 was slightly worse than '06, but his HR/9 was actually slightly better. His problem was his unusual control problem - his BB/9 was off-the-charts different from anything he had ever posted. So, I think his struggles were more in his head or mechanics than the hitters figuring him out.

by Randy Richardson on Mar 16, 2008 3:28 PM CDT up reply actions

Feldman

I have to agree with the few above posters that are pro Feldman.

The guy is just 25, has already logged parts of 3 different seasons in the big leagues and up until his recent struggles in 2007 was a favorite of many people at Lone Star Ball and Newberg. If he can regain his control that used to be "top notch" he should put together a nice season in Arlington.

In case you forgot just 3 years ago he was coming off Tommy John surgery and hadn't pitched past rookie ball. Plus, just 3 years ago Baseball America rated him as having the best control in the system and now that he is back to his original 3/4 delivery, it should be able to help his effectiveness in the strike zone and against lefties.

It's a bit to early and too small of a sample size to give up on a 25 year old pitcher who hasn't even logged 100 IP in the bigs.

Bruno Boys Fantasy Football www.brunoboys.net

by Bruno Boys Football on Mar 16, 2008 3:08 PM CDT reply actions

Feldman and Wright

That would be two long releivers. Tells you what the Rangers think of their starting rotation, if they really feel the need to carry two long guys.

I don't think Feldman should get the spot though, simply because the Rangers haven't decided what they want to do with him: make him a starter, or keep him as a releiver. It's probably a bad idea to make him a starter, but still, he should be at AAA if they want to make that decision.

The guy I think everyone is forgetting about is Robinson Tejeda. Out of options, he would probably get claimed if he went on waivers, so if the Rangers want to keep him, they have to either put him in the bullpen or let him have another shot at starting. His stuff is pretty good, and he's pitched a lot better of late - I think the Rangers have got to at least try and keep him on the team to start the season.

A Lonestar in California

by LSJ on Mar 16, 2008 4:36 PM CDT reply actions

The David Murphy quote made me laugh out loud.

"I'm scared to death running the bases when he's up to bat."
David Murphy on Josh Hamilton

by Athos on Mar 16, 2008 4:43 PM CDT reply actions

ha ha I don't blame him..

he should keep his helmet on and a bullet proof vest perhaps.

Josh Hits-a-ton is the new Gonezilla, minus the syringes.

by LAMuscleFag on Mar 16, 2008 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Feldman back to normal

It is games like today that make people wonder why Feldman has a job.

by Ranger Captain on Mar 16, 2008 6:10 PM CDT reply actions

Elaborate?

All I have is the boxscore which shows he gave up 3 runs but only one earned.

Was he all over the place??

by Chris Hanes on Mar 16, 2008 7:14 PM CDT up reply actions

Nevermind

Just saw it explained in another thread.

by Chris Hanes on Mar 16, 2008 7:16 PM CDT up reply actions

It is quite possible

that Feldman will be DFAd in order to make room for someone like German, Wright, Mench or Melhuse.

"This has been a team effort. No one or two guys could have done all this." - Casey Stengel, after the Mets lost 120 games in 1962

by RangerMad on Mar 16, 2008 8:11 PM CDT reply actions

I don't think so

The fact that the Rangers want to make him a starter says that they really want to keep him.

That doesn't mean that he doesn't suck, but Feldman is a classic case of an organization refusing to give up on a home-grown player.

A Lonestar in California

by LSJ on Mar 16, 2008 8:26 PM CDT up reply actions

Not really

Rheinecker is headed to the 60 day d.l, which makes room for someone.

Botts, Tejeda, and Cruz have to make the 25 man roster or else they'll be off the 40 man.

German and Wright aren't both going to make the 25 man roster.

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 16, 2008 8:33 PM CDT up reply actions

Not sure about that

I could see German and Wright both making the 25-man roster.

by Darrell McKown on Mar 16, 2008 10:26 PM CDT up reply actions

Option

Doesn't Feldman still have an option left?

by Steven on Mar 16, 2008 9:18 PM CDT up reply actions

SRL sez yes

http://rangers.scottlucas.com/site/40man.htm

World's Most Dangerous Hiking Trail

by shroomer on Mar 16, 2008 9:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Catcher

If Saltalamacchia starts the year in AAA, then our minor league catchers could be:

AAA - Saltalamacchia
AA - Teagarden
High A - Ramirez (although he shouldn't be in A ball)
Low - Santana (if he starts there)

That's a pretty nice group of catching prospects.

That said, I rather start with Saltalamacchia as the everyday catch in Texas, Teagarden in AAA, and Ramirez in AA.

by Darrell McKown on Mar 17, 2008 7:18 AM CDT reply actions

Ramirez will be in AA

and he'll DH and maybe even play some 1B in addition to catching on days Salty doesn't.

Laird will be gone in a couple of months, then Salty moves up, Tea moves up, Max catches more, etc. Pina might be the guy in Bakersfield, though his bat doesn't seem ready for the jump.

A working class hero is something to be.

by t ball on Mar 17, 2008 7:25 AM CDT up reply actions

Ramirez

He should be in AA, I agree. However, he also needs to catch every day, since that's what he needs to work on.

by Darrell McKown on Mar 17, 2008 9:24 AM CDT reply actions

I'm not sure...

the Rangers see his future at CA.

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

by slc ranger on Mar 17, 2008 5:13 PM CDT up reply actions

+1

MaxRam will move back to 1B/DH before he gets to the majors. Heck, he's a fomer fist baseman, so it shouldn't be that hard to do.

A Lonestar in California

by LSJ on Mar 17, 2008 5:37 PM CDT up reply actions

MaxRam

He was a former 3rd baseman. He's quite short. I doubt he would make an ideal 1B.

by jparks77 on Mar 17, 2008 7:59 PM CDT up reply actions

I must be mistaken

I thought it was first, but if it's third base that's his former position, all the better.

We're not exactly overflowing with third basemen - and everone has to line up behind Chris Davis for first base - moving him back to third would probably greatly enhance his chances of making it to the majors.

A Lonestar in California

by LSJ on Mar 17, 2008 8:13 PM CDT up reply actions

LF

If ManRam can function in LF, MaxRam can probably handle it as well. My guess is LF or DH.

by jparks77 on Mar 17, 2008 9:46 PM CDT up reply actions

Well

If ManRam can function in LF, what's wrong with Jason Botts? That may not seem related, but my point is, if the Rangers see Botts as a defensive liability out there, they probably won't want MaxRam out their either.

DH is probably where he'll wind up once he gets to Arlington, if he's not used for trade bait. We've got quite a few young guys who could have a good future as DH down the road right now... nice problem to have, no?

A Lonestar in California

by LSJ on Mar 17, 2008 10:05 PM CDT up reply actions