Newberg Report Q&A now up
by Jamey Newberg on Feb 3, 2009 9:26 PM CST
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Printhttp://newberg.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/02/asked_answered_v1.html
Sample, just for D.A. Tron:
Q: Because of Elvis Andrus, we hardly hear about infielders Joaquin Arias or Marcus Lemon. With Andrus and Ian Kinsler set to be patrolling the middle infield in Arlington for years to come, will guys like this become trade bait or just have to settle on serving as utility players? - G.W.
A: Neither is trade "bait" but I would judge both as potential utility infielders who would be available as sweeteners in the right deal.
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Ian Gac....
He could be a legend in Japan…
And think this time last year Gac was one of the few hopefuls in a 1B class full of questions… My how a year changes things… Davis, Smoak, Murphy… not a horrible problem to have .
The next position I would like to take a swing like that is 3B.
Rangers fans
Say what you will about the sophistication of this market’s baseball fan base, (Galloway,) but I can’t imagine any other organization has any more fans with as solid a grasp on its team, top to bottom, as this one does. The questions were fantastic, and challenging.
+1
Speaking from having visited this site so many times, there are not many sports blogs, whose fans know as much about their team as this one does.
In reference to how good the Steelers have been in their history: "No one is even close to them."- Steal Home
a credit to ya
And to Adam. And MJH. And Zywica. And the BBTIA guys. And Ben. Ok not really to Ben.
"Was this really necsarry?" - cowpoke/hurler hurley
I'm awesome.
"I know you're a bit dense but no, it doesn't. Obviously lying isn't a problem for me."
Just finished reading
Thanks Jamey. We(Rangers fans) are so lucky to have as many great baseball sites that we do. I can’t speak for other teams but it is hard for me to believe they can match what we have here.
Man I’m so pumped about Main I can’t wait to see him in Frisco.
Sheets or bust
Damn you rotator cuff damn you!
awesome stuff
on a side note, you have a humongous chiseled jaw
by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Feb 3, 2009 10:40 PM CST reply actions
Elvis
If Elvis only has to stay 2 weeks in the minors for us to hold on to him for an extra year then it seems to me like a no brainer. Memo to John Daniels send Elvis to OKC for 2 weeks at the start of the season.
I'm not sure its that easy
The Rays did it with Longoria and its been done numerous times, I just wonder about the message it sends to players by purposely keeping them in the minors a couple weeks so that they reach FA a year later.
by groundingout on Feb 4, 2009 12:14 AM CST up reply actions
CJ once posted on that
He said that if the player feels like he’s getting screwed in service time, he’s probably going to be remembering that when he’s close to FA.
IMO, if you believe Andrus is the more long term answer at SS, then it doesn’t matter too much. He’ll sign an extension to keep him here a few years past his initial FA years.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
Vince?
Click Here for Hot Rangers Blog Love
"They say brevity is the key to wit, so shut the f*ck up." Dad
I'm trying to figure out
why anyone would think Andrus is obviously ready for MLB at the start of the season when he had issues jumping up to AA, he has no AAA experience, he didn’t set the world on fire at AA, and he is only 20 years old right now.
I’d put him in AAA for a midseason callup, if he earns it.
Get off my lawn.
I'm not sure anyone thinks he's obviously ready
I’m putting my trust in JD to make the right call.
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
He had issues in AA
and then he adjusted and started hitting much better. After his first month and a half or so, he was putting up a BA well over .300 and an OBP about 70 points higher. The only thing lacking is his power which is due to him not projecting to hit for much power plus his very young age.
I don’t think he’ll make the transition smoothly to the Majors, but I think he will do a good job of adjusting as the season goes on.
And if a 20 year old just needs half a season in AAA to be ready, then he probably wouldn’t do that bad starting the season there (service time aside).
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
Considering
there is a very good case for him starting the year in AAA based on his results in AA (717 OPS and led the league in errors), and you can gain a year of service time, why would you start him in MLB? I just don’t see the upside for the Rangers.
This isn’t a 25 year old kid who has been destroying AAA for 2 years. Leaving him on the farm for the start of the season is just prudent.
Get off my lawn.
Thanks to the signing of Vizquel,
I personally give Andrus about a 10% chance of being on the opening day roster. The Rangers will be able to cite a number of valid reasons for him to start at OKC.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
yeah
Kind of a dick move. The Rays were compelled to give Longoria a contract extension shortly after it happened, which seemed to me to be a way of partially mending fences.
"Was this really necsarry?" - cowpoke/hurler hurley
Compelled?
That contract is a f*&#in’ steal. He will likely be worth the value of the entire contract in 2009 alone. He was in 2008. If anything, it was Longoria that was compelled.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
That was a very enjoyable read
good, thoughtful answers. My favorite answer was to the Porcello question. There are no zero-sum situations.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Jamey, question on your Vallejo answer
What exactly did you mean by patience? Do you just mean he’s impatient about getting to the major league level? I’m puzzled.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
+1 was wondering the same thing.
"No... JD has been exposed as a kid who trades his remote-controlled helicopters for paper airplanes, then fails to consider the feelings of the paper airplane when he refolded it into a hat." -Telegraph.
No.
Just that he has every bit of MLB starter ability. But it’s not going to happen overnight. I think Vallejo gets it; just saying that he doesn’t need to overhaul any particular part of his game — he just needs to let the game come to him.
by Jamey Newberg on Feb 4, 2009 9:42 AM CST up reply actions
this broke my heart (again)
Both played Low A at that age, and Mateo’s .260/.309/.401 line (30 doubles, eight triples, eight homers, 30 steals in 39 tries) looked a lot like Beltre’s .283/.308/.403 (26 doubles, nine triples, eight homers, 31 steals in 42 tries). While Mateo was built solid like Vernon Wells, and Beltre is Alfonso Soriano-wiry, the two outfielders shared a plus arm that would play in right field but stand out in center. As Mateo developed, his slug increased while his running game became less productive. A similar trend wouldn’t be out of the question with Beltre, though he’s likely to run to some extent no matter how much his power develops.blockquote>
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
Kevin Keyes
Reading a recent scouting blurb [WOW] about him … it made me wonder how the negotiations between him and the Rangers played out. Any ideas?
And … do you think the economy will impact the advice agents give to prospects in the 2009 June draft? Will staying/going to school in hopes of a better deal down the road be sexier than signing in a sputtering economic environment?
The moves being made are too extra for my taste.
Keyes
I don’t know how it played out, but he sat right in front of me at one July home Rangers game, with some baseball ops folks. That doesn’t happen unless the org makes a serious effort to sign a kid.
I’d be surprised to see the economy impact the draft the way it has free agency, other than possibly at the very top of round one.
by Jamey Newberg on Feb 4, 2009 11:41 AM CST up reply actions
But....
….I don’t see Boras finding a way to get Strasburg to slide all the way to 14. Maybe I’ll ask Heyman what he thinks.
by Jamey Newberg on Feb 4, 2009 11:42 AM CST up reply actions
Thanks Jameson!
Very nice, keep ’em coming.
"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
AA Rotation
Thanks for the Q&A, Jamey. It was a great read.
I was surprised by your answer to one of the questions:
Q: Can you comment on which minor league level will have the best/worse rotation in 2009?
A: I’d suggest that Frisco might have the weakest April rotation of the four full-season affiliates, but there’s precedent for pitchers who survived Bakersfield to put up better results once they get to the Texas League.
It seems reasonable to believe that the Frisco April rotation could include Holland, Feliz, Kiker, Poveda, and Moscoso which would place it on par with the rotations at Hickory (Boscan, Ramirez, Perez, Pimental, Castillo) and Bakersfield (Main, Beavan, Murphy, Gomez, ??) and ahead of the rotation at Oklahoma (Hunter, Diamond, Mathis, Mendoza?, Gabbard?). Even if you move Holland up to the AAA rotation, the Frisco rotation still looks stacked. What am I missing?
Thanks, Boomer
The economic mess has kept me too busy to think about baseball. I hope to be back in the fold in a few weeks.
You're missing nothing.
I based my comment on the thought that DH and NF have seen the last of Frisco, but you’re right in suggesting that’s not a lock.
by Jamey Newberg on Feb 4, 2009 1:24 PM CST up reply actions
Feliz
Thanks Jamey for answering both of my questions. I think Feliz has the stuff to compete at the AAA and ML levels. How are his ancillary skills such as holding runners, mound presence, etc? Will these things hold him back?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Those are the types of things...
…he needs work on. Holding runners was a big focus at Instructs.
by Jamey Newberg on Feb 4, 2009 1:52 PM CST up reply actions
So in your opinion...
he’s more likely to begin the season in OKC rather than Frisco to work on those things (along with his offspeed stuff) I assume?
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Who will be in the Oklahoma and Frisco rotations at the beginning of the season?
If Holland and Feliz are at AAA along with Hunter, then who are the other two starters?
And who will be at the back of the RoughRider rotation if the top three spots go to Kiker, Poveda, and Moscoso?
rotations
Lets see…
Jennings, Diamond, Mathis and maybe Ballard are candidates to fill out the OKC rotation. Did the Rangers resign Elizardo Ramirez? In AA Hyatt and Schlact are a couple of leftovers that might hold down rotation spots until Beavan and Main let JD know that they are ready for AA ball. Maybe Ballard also. Just my quick guess.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
For all the pitching depth...
the Rangers have in the minors that OKC rotation sure looks like poo, unless Feliz and Holland are there.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
in a couple of years
they will be scheduling doubleheaders so that their 7 man rotation can stay on the normal 5 day routine. :)
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mendoza
You just don't know when to keep your mouth shut, do you Saxy boy?
by oc on Feb 5, 2009 5:14 PM CST up reply actions
ML bullpen.
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
I laughed at this trade proposal
Q: With Greinke getting a four-year, $38 million extension, wouldn’t this be a good time to go hard after him? That is a long-term, manageable contract and if you can do it with three top prospects, I would go for it. Trust me, I love having the top prospects in the league here, but this is an ace that we need and he is young. Smoak, David Murphy, Feliz, and Beavan, maybe, or is that just wayyyyy too much for him?
Scott Feldman for 2009 AL Cy Young
Scott Feldman for 2010 AL Scott Feldman
Great Q&A Jamey and thanks for all the hard work it must have took
Couldn’t agree more about the Rangers fan base. Being in the military, I get to work with people from all around the country therefore fans of many different teams. You have your “fans” that call themselves diehard but none of them could tell you one single prospect for their respective teams. This fanbase definitely deserves a successful Rangers team.
Interesting comment on McCarthy
Texas uses an option on Brandon McCarthy (he has two remaining) but he ends up winning 10 big league games in 2009.
This led me to wonder about McCarthy’s service time. How long would McCarthy have to spend at Oklahoma for the Rangers to get an extra year before he reaches free agency?
Roughly 70 days
Or approximately until mid June.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
But if he is healthy
He should start right away instead of sending him to OKC. IMO
Sheets or bust
Damn you rotator cuff damn you!
Interesting...
Regardless if he can stay healthy and productive in the MLB rotation then it’s worth keeping him up. If he struggles then send him down and try to get the extra year.
by slimshadty12 on Feb 5, 2009 12:05 PM CST up reply actions
Yep
Which may be why the FO has hinted this winter that McCarthy won’t be in the starting rotation to start the season. Thats the only reason I can see them saying Harrison is almost a lock but McCarthy isn’t.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
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