Evan Grant says Jason Botts will make the team
by Adam J. Morris on Mar 22, 2008 6:42 PM CDT
40 comments
Evan Grant says that today's performance by Jason Botts -- including 2 RBI hits -- has likely resulted in Botts earning the last bench spot/platoon DH role that he's been fighting Kevin Mench for this spring.
I think you guys know my thoughts on this already...
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Step 1: Let Botts Make team
Okay, so they got step 1 right, now lets see if they can get to the next step of allowing him to have significant playing time.
by Gdawg on Mar 22, 2008 6:47 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Sorry,
I'm kind of confused, so this means Cruz is out?
Milton Bradley for MVP
by miles on Mar 22, 2008 6:47 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Cruz has been out of it for a week
He hasnt done anything this spring outside of that one walkoff HR.
by DSheppard on Mar 22, 2008 6:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Botts
Didnt even really do much today, that double wasnt hit that well, just split the OF.
But i certainly want him on the team over mench so thats good.
Although are we sure this is the real roster spot and not the 2 week 5th starter spot?
by DSheppard on Mar 22, 2008 6:48 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Make it count, Bottsy
Have you ever seen Botts fairly upclose? I was 15 rows back between home and 3rd, and the guy is a monster.
What happened to my old signature?
by WyoRanger on Mar 22, 2008 6:48 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
He was a little skinnier in high school
I think he filled out his frame some since then.
by Inkara1 on Mar 23, 2008 1:56 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Now give
him some consistent at bats
" Winning doesn't always mean being first,
winning means you are doing better than you have done before"
by coolaid on Mar 22, 2008 6:53 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
how?
His glove isn't good enough to play everyday and Bradley is relegated to DH duty right now. The best he can hope for is Bradley gets healthy enough quick so he can play the field and Bots can move into the DH role.
by bigsteve on Mar 22, 2008 6:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
split time
He can split time between 1st and DH to get consistent AB's
by Rob ONeal on Mar 22, 2008 7:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Botts will likely
Get what little playing time he can by spending some time in LF in the first couple weeks. Because Ron Washington thinks Ben Broussard can go full-time, and Milton Bradley will be the full-time DH fo a while, Botts will probably only get a couple chances (if any) at those spots.
I would think the way things will shake out is Byrd plays RF, with Murphy also getting some time there, and Botts, Catalanotto, and Murphy all scrapping for playing time in LF.
I've got a feeling though, that Botts isn't gonna get much in the way of consistent playing time - between him, Cat and Murphy, he's gonna be last in line on the Ron Washington totem pole.
by lonestarJon on Mar 22, 2008 7:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It is possible
that he is in LF on opening day vs Bedard.
I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it. ~Rogers Hornsby
by RangerMad on Mar 22, 2008 8:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
yes!!
fist pump
"LBrooks passes away... after the 'miracle' Rangers of '08 win the AL West." -slc ranger
by dstar442005 on Mar 22, 2008 6:56 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Wow
The Rangers make a smart decision! I'm amazed!
Ron Washington must be in JD's office pitching a fit right now.
by lonestarJon on Mar 22, 2008 7:11 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
What's the over/under
on how many AB's R-Was gives Botts per week until Botts gets DFA'd?
I'll set it at 10 and take the under.
Still, at least he's making the team. So we've got that going for us, which is nice.
Jason Botts PWNS.
by thedirkatron on Mar 22, 2008 8:15 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Check this out...
First round, pick #3:
http://kissmesuzy.blogspot.com/2008/03/this-weeks-ksk-mock-draft-movie-endings.html
by Adam J. Morris on Mar 22, 2008 8:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yuppers
couldn't agree more.
I think Eastwood literally literally placed hams on his hands while directing the last half of that "film".
Jason Botts PWNS.
by thedirkatron on Mar 22, 2008 9:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
What a relief.
Way to go Botts!
If I owned a lightsaber, the blade color would be black light, so that I could use it to fight evil and to liven-up parties.
by rooster on Mar 22, 2008 8:29 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
this is just an evan grant guarantee
which goes further than a miles guarantee, but it's not like JD has said anything (that I know of).
EG has had it in his head that Botts needed to produce in run producing situations to secure a spot (based on talks with JD? Wash? Speculation?) and today he did that. However, today isn't indicative of a track record this spring. It's only 2 AB's. You would think that JD would have better criteria than 2 AB's (especially when the double wasn't all that great).
I don't doubt that Botts makes the club but I have a hard time believing it has anything to do with today's performance. It will come down to whether Wash wanting Mench to play trumps any concerns JD has over DFA'ng Botts and risking the loss.
BTW, did JD say anything about Botts during the in game interview? that would be more telling.
by ab03 on Mar 22, 2008 9:30 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
JD
If I remember correctly, JD said the team was looking for some defensive flexibility out of the last spot and that's why they were making sure Botts and Mench were getting work at 1B.
by Randy Richardson on Mar 22, 2008 9:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
so
you would think that if Mench showed enough at 1b, the real question is just:
proven commodity + slightly better defense vs. 40 man + potential to hit better
This is still a tossup. I don't think EG is right to call it for Botts at this point.
by ab03 on Mar 22, 2008 9:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Botts/Mench
Well, at some point the Rangers are simply going to have to make a decision about Botts. If he stays with the team he won't be getting very many ABs to start the season considering that Bradley will be the DH for the time being. At some point in the next few months he's going to have to start producing even if playing time isn't consistent.
The main thing Mench has going for him is that he bats RH. At this point, I think the guy who is really fouling things up in regard to the roster is Cat (I say this as the biggest Cat supporter on here). The Rangers just have too many LH options for OF/1B/DH. If they could swing some sort of deal for Cat (not expecting much in return) it would open up a roster spot for both Botts and Mench while at the same time getting Botts more ABs.
by Randy Richardson on Mar 22, 2008 9:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i think i understand what you are saying
but you do realize that Botts was pretty good batting from the right side, right?
OKC numbers last year.
by ab03 on Mar 22, 2008 10:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Botts
I meant that Mench being RH was just a general advantage in regard to the team having an abundance of LHers.
Also, with Broussard, Bradley, Cat, and Murphy, it will be very hard for Botts to get into the linup against RHP.
by Randy Richardson on Mar 22, 2008 10:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i don't understand what advantage mench has
because he exclusively bats RH. Botts bats right handed as well, and does a pretty good job.
by ab03 on Mar 22, 2008 10:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mench
I guess I misspoke by saying he had an advantage because he hits RH. His advantage would be that he has proven that he can hit LHP at the major league level.
by Randy Richardson on Mar 22, 2008 10:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
True
the fact that whoever wins that spot will likely only be used vs. lefties does eliminate a lot of what should be Botts' advantage over Mench, which is that Mench has proven he can't hit rhp, whereas Botts theoretically might be able to hit rhp.
Jason Botts PWNS.
by thedirkatron on Mar 22, 2008 11:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wish
I had said it that well.
by Randy Richardson on Mar 22, 2008 11:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Absolutely
This is exactly right...Cat is the biggest snag in the roster in my opinion. Where does he fit?
First: he's a lefty, which as you've indicated we have an abundance of.
Second: he seems to be a back-up to every other lefty at all other positions at this point: OF (Murphy/Bradley), 1B (Broussard), DH (Bradley at first, then Botts I guess).
Basically, without Cat this could sort out a lot easier.
by TexasTiger on Mar 22, 2008 10:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
+1
I've said this before, but high OBP or no high OBP, this guy is about as useful to this team as 9 pairs of safari shorts.
If we could get rid of Cat, we would have the problem of carrying Mench or Nelson Cruz, instead of Mench or Botts - which would be a much better problem to have, obviously.
IMO, giving Cat a three year contract may have been JD's biggest mistake so far - even over the CY deal (I say that because 'ol Buck Showalter kind of suckered JD into making that deal).
by lonestarJon on Mar 22, 2008 11:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm with you
The 3 year deal isn't looking that good right now. Seriously, how much has anyone heard about Cat this spring. Not that media buzz is a good way to measure spring performance (not that spring performance is really important either) but Cat's .207/.281/.276 line isn't looking so hot. He's just not getting many ABs either.
by TexasTiger on Mar 23, 2008 12:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
come on now
Cat can still flat out hit.
by SteveP on Mar 23, 2008 2:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Whoa
I'm not saying Cat can't swing the bat. He's obviously what you would call a "professional hitter" (although he had a down year last year). He's just SO limited both platoon-wise (he has a .248/.332/.344 line vs. lefties for his career and has only 382 PAs against them vs. 3444 PAs vs. righties) and position-wise (he's not awful in the outfield, but certainly not great and certainly below average at first). I think his best position would be with a team in need of a DH vs. righties.
by TexasTiger on Mar 23, 2008 11:30 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If this team were ready to contend ...
then perhaps Cat's place on the 40 could be justified (i.e., nice role player, solid veteran presence, good bat, etc.)
But with the Rangers allegedly trying to build towards a real run in another year or two, they need to do Cat a favor, and move him to a current contender that could use him.
Botts could back up Broussard at 1B, and get some AB's at DH, Cruz could be in the OF rotation, and Menchy could showcase himself at OKC in case another team would need an OF bat. And I don't think that Broussard or Bradley are here at the end of the year ... they get flipped for more parts in July - August.
A team with too many spare part players doesn't have much in the way of regulars ... it's time we found out, once and for all, what we have in some of these kids. If they are given a legit chance, I think they'll produce. And if they don't, we'll finally know !!
Yea, though we play in the valley of the shadow of defeat, we shall fear no team ... 'cause Nolan says so !!
by FloridaRangerFan on Mar 23, 2008 5:19 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
It's always nice
to see a 1375th draft pick even get a sniff of the Bigs. For a second time Botts has had a nice spring. Given the 40, I think Evan is right. Botts gets the spot over my guy Mench. I think it would be the right move. Now eventually, the upside what might be has to become the what is. Even with the adversity of limited ABs, Botts needs to produce. He has to move beyond: "Well, he ain't got enough ABs." Go Botts.
by TitaniumJoe on Mar 23, 2008 8:05 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I agree with...
those who have kinda ripped EG on this. He may be exactly right, but it has to be more opinion than fact. I just don't see any Ranger official tipping his cards at this point. I agree that it has to be based entirely on a semi-good day Saturday.
II Cor. 4:17-18
by TedFord on Mar 23, 2008 8:22 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
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