Monday morning things

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 21, 2008 9:24 AM CDT Comment 33 comments

Frustrating games this past weekend. Two very solid starts from the starters on Saturday and Sunday, that ended up being wasted when the two most reliable guys in the bullpen blew up. Don't know what else can be said about it.

Evan Grant's game report basically says, the bullpen blew the lead. Ron Washington says the team has to learn to close out games.

Ben Broussard is 0 for his last 16, dating back to April 11, and is losing playing time to Jason Botts. Chris Davis is playing well in Frisco, but he doesn't need to be up right now, so having Botts and Broussard split time at first base for the foreseeable future is fine. I think you could also see a situation where the team decides to cut bait with Broussard and bring Jarrod Saltalamacchia up, which would allow them to keep Adam Melhuse as the third catcher (which would allow Salty to DH against lefties and Laird to catch).

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question:

why wouldnt a “rebuilding” team lets botts play 1b for the rest of the first half and cut bait with broussard?

then let botts get the majority of the time at 1b in the second half with Salty and Cat getting some AB there?

by knockoutking on Apr 21, 2008 9:32 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree on Davis

He does not need to be up yet. You might promote him to AAA in the next month or so, but it would be stupid to call him up before the latter part of the year at the earliest.

by Brett Perryman on Apr 21, 2008 9:34 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Salty

I hate hearing about him being brought up to be used as a catcher. We obviously have our future 1B not too far off so why risk stunting a young players growth at such a critical position such as catcher. Salty showed last year that playing 1B messes him up. Whether its a mental thing or he’s over concentrating or what he didn’t play his best when he was going back and forth between the two positions. Salty is putting pressure on the Rangers to bring him up by his play in OKC and Laird is helping out by his play here. Salty will be here soon enough and probably sooner than later but I would rather have it be a strictly a catcher than moving him back and forth.

by bigsteve on Apr 21, 2008 9:34 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

thoughts

let him play 1b some so that you can get his bat in there (unless your happy to DH him, then it really negates my point)

anyway, i think he needs to get as many AB as possible – be it at DH, Catcher or 1B.

by knockoutking on Apr 21, 2008 9:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not worried about his bat

He said and showed last year while he was here that when he has to focus on playing two positions he doesn’t do as well. I agree we could use his bat and he is playing his way up into the majors but when he gets here I would rather see him playing one position and one position only instead of playing both catcher and 1B.

by bigsteve on Apr 21, 2008 9:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

Like Yogi Berra once said “Baseball is 90 percent mental, and the other half physical.”

If a player has to mentally balance playing more than one position while mostly learning one, the hitting will usually suffer. Especially when, as a young player, you have to adjust to major league pitching. That is alot of pressure to put on a 22 year old. He is talented and I think you have to devote a position to him.

btw…i haven’t looked it up. How is Salty doing defensively…ie—errors, sb attempts etc?

Wait 'til the year after next

by NothinG on Apr 21, 2008 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Salty is

throwing them out at 50% with pickoffs at 1B and 2B. The pitchers love throwing to him and his game calling has vastly improved. Oh yeah, he hasnt had an error or a passed ball either.

by 525DP on Apr 21, 2008 12:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Perfect

That’s the type of adjustment you like to see out of an elite prospect.

"Hmn [sic] ... pehaps [sic] I've said too much..." - LSJesus

by Chase Irwin on Apr 21, 2008 3:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Who is suggesting...

...bringing Saltalamacchia up and having him split time between 1B and C?

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 21, 2008 9:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thats what I gathered

How else do you interpret this sentence

"I think you could also see a situation where the team decides to cut bait with Broussard and bring Jarrod Saltalamacchia up, which would allow them to keep Adam Melhuse as the third catcher (which would allow Salty to DH against lefties and Laird to catch)."

I read that as you would bring Salty up and have him catch and play 1B like last year and would still have a 3rd catcher for when he is playing 1B in case of emergency

by bigsteve on Apr 21, 2008 10:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I may not have been clear

The idea was to have Salty available to DH when he wasn’t catching, allowing Laird to catch more and Melhuse to be the 3rd catcher.

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 21, 2008 10:06 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No

Dump Melhuse. Laird is the back up. Give Saltalamacchia normal days off that a C would get. DFA Broussard and promote Boggs. Botts and Cat split time at 1B.

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 Apr 21, 2008 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Makes sense if you want Laird to catch more

But why not DFA Melhuse and Broussard, and bring up Salty and Chris Shelton, who can be used as an emergency catcher if need-be? I’d think that would be a better allocation of resources than having three catchers (two of whom cannot hit worth crap) on the roster.

A Lonestar in California - 2.0

by lonestarJon on Apr 21, 2008 2:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not a bad idea

"Hmn [sic] ... pehaps [sic] I've said too much..." - LSJesus

by Chase Irwin on Apr 21, 2008 3:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Brilliant

That’s the smartest thing anyone has said yet in this post. Maybe it just makes too much sense.

by robert_d_wilfong on Apr 21, 2008 7:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why keep Melhuse?

DH is already full between Cat, Botts, Board Game, and off days for Hamilton. Catch Salty 5 days a week, and just use Laird as the backup.

If you DFA BB and put Botts at 1B everyday then you can free up two spots on the roster. Either way BB and Melhuse (unless you trade OMFT) should be gone soon.

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

by slc ranger on Apr 21, 2008 7:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Simple Answer Is

This team isn’t actually committed to rebuilding. Hence the signing of Ben Broussard.

by FuturePants on Apr 21, 2008 9:37 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

or trade for

eom

by knockoutking on Apr 21, 2008 9:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why?

This team isn’t actually committed to rebuilding. Hence the signing of Ben Broussard.

Why?

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 21, 2008 9:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Because he uses a spot...

on the 40 man, and Washington wants Broussard to start every day over Botts and seemingly only starts Botts when instructed to. That is not a commitment to rebuilding; that is a commitment to Ben Broussard.

by FuturePants on Apr 21, 2008 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not a Broussard guy

But I don’t think you can say that having Ben Broussard on the team means that the team isn’t committing to rebuilding.

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 21, 2008 10:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

naw but

having BB and Cat and guys like German who all are what they are and wont be here when you are good and all are in the way of a kid who might as well be on the roster and learn and get their chance if we’re gonna lose 100 anyway…

thats a decision to not fully rebuild.

period.

.500 or bust!

Bad Vibes Kill Rallies!

"Well, we are one of the cheapest teams in Major League Baseball"
-Tom Hicks 4/8/2008

by Jayslick on Apr 21, 2008 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

to be more clear

all those guys have some1 else who could be given a chance if we are in full rebuild whether its Brandon Boggs, or Pirate, or Salty or whoever.

.500 or bust!

Bad Vibes Kill Rallies!

"Well, we are one of the cheapest teams in Major League Baseball"
-Tom Hicks 4/8/2008

by Jayslick on Apr 21, 2008 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Full rebuild

Just because we are in rebuild mode doesn’t mean play your youngest players. If they are ready and are being held back that is a valid argument, ie Salty. But he is probably the only guy who I would consider major league ready who is being held back. Boggs hadn’t played above AA until this year. And although he seems to have adjusted nicely to say bring him up would most likely be detrimental to his overall development. Murray has battled through arm injuries the last couple years and is being converted back to a starter so it would best serve him and the organization long term to let him develop more before bringing him up.

Now toward the end of the year when guys like Davis, Hurley, etc are ready then lets start asking why veterans are blocking them. But I imagine by that time those veterans will have been moved and those young guys will have a chance to play.

by bigsteve on Apr 21, 2008 1:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

German

He’s 28, has a great live arm, and is still under team control for a while.

I don’t think looking at him, and seeing if you have lightning in a bottle, means you aren’t rebuilding.

And personally, I expect Cat to be gone by August 1.

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 21, 2008 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

the BB signing

Doesn’t bother me. If he was playing well, or rebounds enough to be able to trade him for more young talent – something I think the rangers should do with Milton Bradley and Vicente Padilla among others – then it would pay off in the long run.

Wait 'til the year after next

by NothinG on Apr 21, 2008 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

In order to get a return...

...BB has to play like a big-leaguer. Right now, he is not. Even my sister understands that an inning isn’t over simply because you feel like arguing that Ortiz should have been out and ignoring all other baserunners.

My sister also knows to not throw the ball into left field. You know who else knows this stuff? Jason Botts.

by FuturePants on Apr 21, 2008 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wash had to feel good about his gamer Broussard

It takes alot of talent to let a runner score from second on an infield single.

Rex Hudler is in demand as a motivational speaker.

by Brian Thomas on Apr 21, 2008 9:37 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

hmmm

does ben have the good face though?

by knockoutking on Apr 21, 2008 9:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, he doesn't.

II Cor. 4:17-18

by TedFord on Apr 21, 2008 10:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

broussard signing

makes sense in the context that our division is lousy and there’s a chance that a veteran at first as opposed to a cheaper (and worse?) shelton might pay off if the team is actually contending.

maybe less than a month isn’t enough of a sample size but i seems as though wash (or JD) has already decided that he’s not the solution. given that, you might as well get rid of him.

as an aside, is the benching of broussard an indication that JD is taking a more active approach in controlling the playing time of the 25 man?

Rare Gnats Sex

by ab03 on Apr 21, 2008 10:09 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

You'd think so

if Worsh’s word means anything.

"Hmn [sic] ... pehaps [sic] I've said too much..." - LSJesus

by Chase Irwin on Apr 21, 2008 3:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It is too easy.........

bring Salty back…..play him at catcher, let Laird play 1-2 a week against mostly lefties (help drive up what little trade value he has), let Salty play 1B on those days, he can even DH once in awhile, to save his knees & stamina thru the ‘hot’ Texas summer.

Have Broussard (or Botts) play 1B against mostly righties and /or DH some, makes no difference which, they’re both spares.

by tklawless on Apr 21, 2008 10:28 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs